Darkroom 'Safety' light for cyanotypes

[freedda]

What light would be best for working with unexposed cyanotype papers, for example a light that I can use when costing the paper with cyanotype solution?

 

[Don_ih]

Regular not very bright electric light. Cyanotype is sensitive to UV light (practically none of that in dim electric light). So not sunlight. Let the coated papers dry in the dark.

 

[koraks]

Regular not very bright electric light.

Exactly. In fact, it's OK if it's bright, as long as it doesn't emit any UV.

Regular white LED bulbs used for interior lighting are usually perfectly safe for processes like cyanotype.

It's always a good idea to not leave coated papers out in the light for too long. With virtually all alt. processes, I just use a hair dryer to dry the coated prints and then expose immediately, or temporarily store away in a dark box/bag. This way, the unexposed material is only handled in the light for a couple of minutes.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

What light would be best for working with unexposed cyanotype papers, for example a light that I can use when costing the paper with cyanotype solution?

a dim red safelight will give you the most protection.

 

[retina_restoration]

I use a 40 watt incandescent bulb.

 

[Truzi]

The closest I've come to cyanotypes is exposing sun-print papers. Fluorescent lights give off enough UV to cause you an issue. I'm not sure about LED. Like retina_restoration said, use an incandescent light if you have one.

 

[koraks]

I'm not sure about LED.

White LED is virtually UV-free and won't fog cyanotypes. I have fairly bright white LED lighting in my darkroom that I use for all my alt. process printing.

 

[fgorga]

My main process is salted-paper. I also make platinum/palladium prints, cuprotypes and the occasional cyanotype.

Prints are made in my basement with all of the regular lighting turned on. I have warm LED bulbs installed in the typical ceiling mounted fixtures as well as some under-counter LED fixtures along the bench where I process exposed paper. (I've not experimented with cool LED bulbs). I have no problems with nice clean highlights in any of these processes.

Stay away from windows (sunlight) and fluorescent lights, both of which are rich in UV, and you will be fine.

Safe lighting (red or otherwise) has never been needed for alt process printing. In the days of yore, with incandescent lighting, you wanted to work with dim bulbs (at least that was the lore), but with modern LEDs 'dim' is not necessary; at least in my experience.

 

[Don_ih]

I have exposed screenprinting emulsion and cyanotypes using 150watt incandescent bulbs. There's enough uv to do it- but it does take 90 minutes or so.

 

[Bill Burk]

We used to use the yellow orange “bug light” fluorescent bulbs in the prepress department where we were making bluelines