Cyanotype printing workshop:
Cyanotype is one of the oldest photographic printing processes. This procedure was developed by Sir John Herschel in 1842. Herschel discovered that paper impregnated with certain iron salts was light sensitive, and as a result a Prussian blue image was formed when exposed to light. In the 1850s, Anna Atkins used this method in botanical studies. Architects and engineers used this process in order to create copies of technical drawings, which are referred to as ‘blueprints’.
Cyanotype is a contact printing process, i.e. the negative and the image are the same size. Prints can be made on a variety of acid-free watercolour paper, certain rice paper or fabrics, such as silk and cotton. Images can be further enhanced by toning or hand colouring.