Cyanotypes - Alternative Process 

A nice subject for cyanotype is a picture of clouds. Take a B&W picture of clouds, use a yellow filter to intensify them and then print as cyanotype. It works amazing because the clouds will come out white, and the sky ... you guessed it, cyan. So it really looks like a colour print of a beautiful summer sky.

A really neat next step for Cyanotypes is to then tone the resulting print with Tea. I've also seen other people use coffee or wine to tone but the best results, to my eye, are those done with tea toning. You end up with a look somewhere between sepia and a Van Dyke brown print depending on how long you leave it sitting in the tea. There are YT videos explaining the tea toning process if anyone wants to look into that further.

I took a Cyanotype workshop last year and had a lot of fun. For someone without access to a darkroom, this is a fun way to make prints.

I didn't even get halfway through the video before I ordered my own cyanotype kit. This is way too cool not too try.

I love cyanotypes. you should do more alterative processes. I do a lot of Wetplate myself.

Thanks for posting this! I'd heard of cyanotypes but never knew much about them other than the fact that it's an alternative process. Now I'm intrigued! Keep it up!

Great video (as usual), I'd never looked into cyanotypes before but I wish I had they're so cool! You have a really friendly way of explaining things so that it's easy to understand and generally enjoyable to listen to, love your stuff man! :)

Great video, I'd love to see more alternative process as well. I this and your Polaroid transfer video are some of my favorites of yours.

So easy even I can do it! Thank you for being a source of inspiration, Matt.

Hey Matt, you get better results if you turn the color of the digital negative to red before printing :)

Didn't even know cyanotypes existed. Thanks!

Really enjoyed this video! Subscribed

I'm gonna give this a whirl. I'm super keen to see more alternative processes Matt!

Absolutely would love to see you do a light box build and testing of best light sources.

Now I see what I probably did wrong with that sunprint kit I bought. I put it under my enlarger but of course with normal light bulbs in it. I guess I'll just pick up some UV bulb and try it again. Thanks for the video Matt!

Great stuff! Learning to do a cyanotype had been on my list, and this was perfect timing. Definitely interested in seeing more alternative process shows.

Great work Thank you. I will use this in my teaching.

Interesting process. I would love to see more videos like this. Loving your channel!

Free Style and Bostwick &Sullivan are reliable sources for kits. I want want to go full tilt boogie Obsessive/compulsive, buy the chemical components and compound them yourself. You can make small batches (just what you need to coat 6 or so sheets for immediate use) and save a ton of money.

This reminds me of the latest video from Ted Forbes's Artist Series: Keith Carter

Great video, thank you, and hi five for Mudcrutch!

Could you use en enlarger to print it? say you use a UV bulb in your enlarger?

Hi Matt, thanks a lot for this one! Cyanotypes are a technique I had almost forgot about. A suggestion for future episodes: Ilfochrome/CibaChrome (internal: P-3x) or even platinum prints would be great topics as well. Or what about blue toning, selenium toning? Too bad RU-vid won't deliver the smell :-)) My 2 cents about evenly-UV-exposed prints: I just bought me a used face tanner (UV sun lamp) for €1,-- from eBay. Combined with a diffusion glass screen (plus some cooler fan) it should make for a decent UV light source that guarantees re-producable results. I'm still fiddling around with the final DIY construction, but everything smaller than 8 by 10 (approximately the size of my diffusion screen) should probably work just fine...

Can cyanotype printing work on canvas?

Matt, this was a really neat video. I've been interested in making cyanotypes myself. Do make a video if you end up making a UV light box. Cheers!

Great video. I've been thinking of alternative processes for a while, I'd like to give salt printing a go as well as cyanotypes. I'd love to see more of these videos. Cheers, Jon

Hello Matt, i apologize for my question. My knowledge of chemistry is nonexistent. But cyanotype is so very interesting. Your RU-vid is so interesting. On my computer i can invert my picture to black and white and print it to a transparency film. The brand is GW Gwybkq. Do you think i can use this film printout for learning cyanotype?

Great episode...definitely would like to see more alternative process videos.

This is pretty neat, might go well with my illustrations. Also, in Photoshop, i think its Image > Adjustments > invert? Something like that.

This is a cool video, I like your "invert process", hahaha. I bought some Inkodye stuff awhile back and haven't even touched it but now I want to experiment!

Very cool video. Would love to see more

Funny yesterday I made my first Cyanotype. Tomorrow I will be making Salt Prints which I have made before and Cyanotypes with digital negatives. .

Hey should I store the instant photos at a dark place to develop or should they develop in the light. I have a sx-70 with collard impossible project film.

Thanks for the great tutorial. I have a question...I know they are called "cyan"otypes, but is there a way to change the color to black? Fully oxidize somehow maybe? I liked your tip on hydrogen peroxide to darken the blue, btw, and I wondered if you could take it to black in the same way?

Are the results as good with the pre-treated paper or fabric kits?

Nice job Matt!

pls more

Awesome!

FYI this is basically blueprint process for us OG’S

If you only invert a positive and print you will get an fliped image

this looks like a lot of fun :)

where can i learn how to make an Ambrotype???

Suggestion: Under that kind of sun, you're probably just fine after leaving it for 3.5 min. 5 to 10 minutes were way too long.

cmd + I - for inversion in photoshop.

Try doing salt prints (:

Mudcrutch!!!!

Just stick to nerd stuff, Matt.