Cyanotyping is a craft that’s easy for just about any age to enjoy! It offers the opportunity for a lot of creativity, while not requiring a long list huge number of materials or even a significant hands-on time commitment.
history
The cyanotype is a printing method using sunlight to create a slow-reacting, monochromatic image. The colored picture that results is caused by a chemical reaction and only requires water to develop and fix the final image on paper (or the artist’s chosen medium).
This process was originally discovered by Sir John Herschel, an English mathematician, astronomer, and chemist, in 1842 (making this a craft a relatively new process when compared to something like crocheting or beadwork, which have been around for millennia). Using two chemicals—ferric ammonium citrate or oxalate, and potassium ferricyanide—he speculated that he would be able to use ultraviolet light to develop an image that was visible to the human eye. By mixing these two compounds, coating a piece of paper, and exposing it to sunlight, the UV caused a reaction that resulted in the now classic bright blue color.
A friend of Herschel, Anna Atkins, used this process to print albums of botanical and textile specimens, which were effectively the first ever photographically illustrated books. The process was also taken up by other artists and naturalists to document their findings while on research expeditions, and the information on how to replicate this type of photography was quickly disseminated and translated into multiple languages. Because of the simplicity of the process, the stability of the resulting image, and the low cost of production, cyanotyping remained the most used means of image reproduction until the 1940s.
In the 1950s, John Mercer, an English dye and fabric chemist, was able to tone the cyanotype, achieving not just bright blue, but also violet, red, brown, green, and black prints on his textiles.
While its origins lie largely in the documentation of the natural world, cyanotype printing has also contributed to folk art, was used by American quilt-makers, and has helped in creating stamps, and even bank notes.
let's get started
supplies
The good news is that while cyanotype liquids are pretty easy to access these days, there are also DIY versions that use common household ingredients! Below are the supplies for both options.
materials
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Medium that you want to print on.
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While starting out/experimenting, the easiest option is a sturdy paper like the kind made for watercolor (approximately 140lb) do you have the stock?. This is available in essentially all craft stores and even in the art supply section of stores like Five Below.
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Glass large enough to cover the material that you’re printing on (this is to hold the objects in place against the paper/cloth etc).
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An easy and cheap way to find an oversized piece of glass is to thrift a frame from your local secondhand store. This is less ideal for folks doing this type of project with children, so either make sure an adult is handling the glass placement or go with something a little safer like a pane of plexiglass.
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Items that you want to use for your impressions.
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This is where you get to be really creative—you can find items from nature in your backyard, like seeds, a branch with interesting leaves, or flowers all make great options. If you’re using something like flowers, they likely won’t sit flush against your background (despite the glass), which will create shades within the print, as the sun will be able to penetrate some places better than others.
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A paint brush.
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There is no one right way to apply the cyanotype solution to your medium of choice but a flat artist paintbrush or a foam brush makes it easier to only apply as much liquid as you need and in a more controlled area. This again is something available just about anywhere, including stores like Five Below and Dollar Tree if you don’t already have them on hand.
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A cookie sheet/baking tray.
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This will be used to place your art on while you gently rinsing the artwork once it has sat outside. If using a commercial cyanotype solution you only will need to rinse your prints with plain water, but if you’ve gone the DIY route, you’ll want to add just a sprinkle of baking soda to the water to finish the chemical process.
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Rubber gloves.
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Not absolutely necessary, but cyanotyping and turmeric stains incredibly easily, so unless you want to live with yellow fingers for a few days, throwing on a pair of gloves is recommended.
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A sunny day!
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Classic Cyanotype
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Cyanotype solution.
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This can be found on Amazon (of course) but is also commonly available at craft stores like Blick and Michaels.
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DIY Cyanotype
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Homemade “cyanotype” solution. All you need for this DIY version of the craft is: 1 teaspoon of turmeric and ¼ cup of rubbing alcohol.
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Mix those together thoroughly; allow the mixture to steep for about 10 minutes. Pour it through a coffee filter to ensure that the powder is removed and use the remaining yellow liquid.
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The homemade version will not result in the classic blue coloring but will actually process into a dark red behind whatever object you use as your subject matter and the background will remain a light yellow-brown.
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accessibility
How you craft matters. If you want to put some serious time into a project or just want to be more comfortable in the process, the environment, tools and modifications you make can make all the difference.
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Well lit crafting space will reduce eye fatigue
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Elevating your workspace, keeping your elbows up, and avoiding working in your lap for long stretches will reduce back pain and help with crafting endurance
common mistakes
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Not securing your glass or shifting an item after it has already been exposed to the sun. This can result in a less sharp/clean image of the object that you’re printing.
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Choosing items that are too bulky to sit under the glass well. Something like a pinecone that won’t sit relatively flat to the paper won’t result in as recognizable of an image.
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Really soaking the paper with the cyanotype solution. I’ve only personally tried the DIY version of this craft and the section where I used a bit too much liquid, it soaked through to the back of the paper (despite using thick watercolor stock) and muddied the end image slightly.
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Hanging art pieces that were done using the DIY method in direct sunlight. Although it shouldn’t affect them tremendously, these prints often remain slightly UV reactive and may fade over time if left in bright light.
There aren’t a lot of mistakes you can make with this type of project! Because it’s relatively low cost and low effort, you can experiment and find ways of working that give you the results that you want.
you're ready to try a project!
Crafting While Caffeinated - DIY “cyanotypes” using standard kitchen ingredients
Jenny McLean Art - Cyanotype printing 101
Julian Sandro - Toning cyanotypes different colors (other than blue)
Julian Sandro - 5 creative techniques/ideas to upskill your cyanotype printing