Several cyanotype questions

[Jim Benson]

It seems the glass rod spreading application process might be the most accurate? Is this people’s experience? If so, how does one best glue a handle on a glass rod?

Should one wear or otherwise use eye protection if one is using an open UV source?

I have generally read that if the color fades on a cyanotype, it should be simply put in a dark place and the color will come back. More recently, I saw one source stating that the color will often come back. Which is it, always or often?

Will toning with for example coffee or tea (without bleaching) make the print less likely to fade??

Can prints be rolled up and sent in shipping tubes, or should flats always be used?

I’ve read that .4 ml is a good figure for 4 x5 prints. I’s sure that simply multiplying up won’t work for larger prints, and realize that there are variables at play. That said, what are good starting figures for 11 x 14 and 16 x 20 prints, for both single coat and double coat. I will be starting with Canson Edition paper.

When it comes time to wash the prints, is it possible to do several at a time in a print washer?

Can paper be coated in advance or should it be same day? If it can be coated in advance, how far in advance can it be coated?

If you use ammonium iron oxalate rather than ferric ammonium citrate, does this eliminate the mold problem?

 

[BrianShaw]

Jim. I always used a 3 inch bristle paintbrush. Tried a foam brush and it worked ok but "wasted" a lot more chemical than necessary.

Wear gloves.

I washed multiple prints together with no problem.

Rolling is fine

Haven't displayed any for a long period of time but always thought cyanos were fairly resistant to fading. Can't wait to hear experience of others

 

[gzinsel]

I think Mike ware has a lot to say on cyanotypes. look him up.

 

[BrianShaw]

.4 ml seems very small amount. Never measured but something looks wrong about that assumption. Hardness of paper is a big variable in how much will be needed.

 

[pdeeh]

I use about 1ml for a 5x4, about 5ml for a 10x8,

Generally I use a small block of upholstery foam about the size of my thumb for coating the wee ones, and that works extremely well , but when I moved up to larger print sizes I have found it a lot less easy to get an even coat this way. I have thought a rod might work better at larger sizes.

Some of the papers I coat last for ages (days, weeks) after coating, some start to go skanky overnight.

I recently made some cyanotypes on some small samples of a locally made artisan paper - the colour and depth were fantastic, so I spoke to the maker and ordered a few
sheets in a slightly lighter weight. It should be identical in how it was sized, the raw materials and so on ... as you can guess, I can't make a decent print on the damn stuff.

I have come to believe that with "alt processes" other peoples' experience is of some, but ultimately limited, value. Papers and local water supplies make a lot of difference. To get absolutely consistent and satisfactory results you have to work out your own process by iteratively changing single variables until you're happy.

 

[BrianShaw]

Ps. Double coating cyano? I've only done that with pigment-based process like gum bichromate.