Cyanotype Basics

2020-03-13 Projects—Tomas Svab

Making Cyanotype Prints

サイアノタイプ（青写真・日光写真）

These are simple photographs called photograms that are made without the use of a camera, instead objects are put directly on the sensitized paper and exposed with sunlight. A photogram is one of the simplest forms of photography but it can be challenging to make it look the way you want.

フォトグラムと言われるこの写真は、カメラを使わずに対象物を感作した用紙に直接置き、太陽の光で露光させるという技法を使っています。フォトグラムは最もシンプルな技法と言われいますが、望みどおりの結果を出すことは、なかなかの挑戦です。

Materials

Potassium hexacyanoferrate (III)

Ammonium iron (III)

Distilled Water

500 ml HDPE container for solution A

Digital scale.

Graduated cylinder and beakers.

Stock Solutions

Potassium ferricyanide (III)
Ammonium iron citrate (green) (III)
Distilled water
2 containers, 500 ml each
scale 0.01 g precision
graduated cylinder, beakers
A4 recycled paper for holding chemicals on scale

Exposing

Sized watercolour paper
Contact printing frame or glass and wood backing with clamps

Developing

Trays for holding water and paper
rubber gloves

Mixing

Solution A (Postassium Ferricyanide)

Pour about 400 ml distilled water into beaker.
Weigh 100 g of postassium ferricyanide powder
Slowly add to water while mixing.
Add water to make 500 ml
Store in darkened and labelled container.

Solution B (Ammonium iron citrate)

Pour about 400 ml distilled water into beaker.
Weigh 40 g of postassium ferricyanide powder
Slowly add to water while mixing.
Add water to make 500 ml
Store in darkened and labelled container.

Coating Paper

To coat one A4 sheet use about 12 ml

In a dim room with no UV light:

Draw faint borders with an HB pencil for the area to coat.
Mix equal parts of solutions A and B (6 ml each)
Pour into short and wide container for brushing on.
Or pour 12 ml out onto centre of paper.
Brush evenly and carefully to edges of border drawn on your paper.
Dry slowly for 30–90 minutes in near darkness. Make sure there is no UV light, for example LEDs emit weak UV.

Exposing

EXPOSING

Create your artwork by placing objects into your contact print frame
Clamp the glass carefully onto the paper, make sure everything is holding steady and the paper is as flat against the glass as possible.
Take the frame outdoors into bright sunlight.

Exposure estimates for summer in Kyoto (35º North)

Clear and sunny summer: 5–10 minutes depending on thickness of glass
To expose through leaves, increase time to 30–45 minutes
On an overcast day or late afternoon, try 45+ minutes for the basic exposure.

露光準備

額などに露光したい対象物を配置する。額を使わない場合は、木のボードなどを使う。
ガラスを上方から慎重に固定し、紙がガラスに対してできるだけ平らになっていることを確認する。立体の対象物などの場合はガラスは使わずにそのまま配置。露光を始めた後は、対象物が動かないようにする。
屋外に持ち出し、明るい日差しで露光させる。