Sunday, June 30, 2013

Produce Photogram Using Cyanotype Paper

By Melba Hardy


Cyanotype paper produces blue prints of notes and diagrams using UV light. This is an ancient technology that has existed for centuries since its invention by Herschel in 1842. Exposing these papers under a certain chemical to light leaves a lasting image that was used in storing memories before advent of photography. No machines or cameras are used in producing the images.

The process is both natural and manual making it exciting and fun for the technicians. The rewards lie in seeing an image that is generated without the aid of a machine. Positioning the negatives and images requires caution since they might end up blurred or distorted. Only UV light can be used to produce the images.

You are required to use the objects or their negatives before exposure to the light. The solution is then washed off the paper and pressed to reveal the image. This is how the prints are generated with the potential of uniformity. This is how people managed to reproduce images before the advent of photocopying.

The water color papers proposed for use must be uncoated. Chemicals and other substances used in coating bear the potential of reacting with the substance thus affecting the outcome. Acid contamination of any type should also be avoided. Another alternative is to use a natural textile material. This is preferred against synthetic because of the results produced.

The process of mixing and coating involves substances with toxic elements. This therefore demands the use of protective cloths like masks, gloves and goggles. They protect your skin from damage by the chemicals you are handling. The market has provided premixed solutions which favor small scale uses. Mixing the ingredients on your own makes the process easier and economical for large scale operators.

The chemical substance used in generating the images is made up of potassium ferricyanide and ammonium citrate. They come with handling and mixing instructions that must be obeyed. Equal portions of each should be used and the mixture used immediately. It loses its potency when stored for long. This will affects the results obtained.

Only natural UV light can react with the chemical to produce the images. It is therefore possible to do your work in a dark room under artificial light without damaging these images. The dark room provides the best conditions before the eventual exposure to the sun.

Images are generated using the actual object or a negative of the object. The challenge while using the actual object is to fit it within a limited piece of paper. A negative can compress the image and make it fit on any paper size. The paper is then rinsed to initiate iodizing by removal of the coating substance. This is the way to reveal the images.

Cyanotype paper images will be clean only if you wash off the chemical completely. Too much washing is known to lighten the images printed. The image surface is then hang to dry in the sun or laid on a flat ground. The light helps in bringing out the blue coloration better.




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