Svinotype: A Photographic Process Using Easily Available Reagents

[Raghu Kuvempunagar]

Found this interesting article that describes a copper-based photographic process called Svinotype:

https://seos.fr/blog/doc/acs.jchemed.0c00467.pdf

The process is based on "the reaction between copper sulfate and ascorbic acid with the addition of a small quantity of alkali."

Here is a video by the inventor demonstrating the process:

The coating technique employed is quite remarkable and probably unique.

Here is a nice Svinotype example that I found on the web:

https://x.com/ccanfield100/status/1380590703021977601

Apparently Svinotype prints fade in the first 24 hours and then remain stable:

https://x.com/cphlmy/status/1648068630716862469

Anyone here has attempted to make Svinotype?

 

[Jan de Jong]

I know the video, looks a good candidate for my Inkjet printer where then to put ascorbic acid in the printer cartridge
Pre coating the paper to make it alkaline, then coat with copper-sulfate and probably while still moist print on the ascorbic acid image.
I think it reacts to UV and Blue light in moist conditions, so probably cover it with plastic wrap during exposure.

I will have to do some tests

 

[koraks]

The coating technique employed is quite remarkable and probably unique.

That's pretty eccentric, indeed. Although not unique; I've seen pretty much the same approach being adopted for applying solder mask to a home-made PCB:


Which, frankly I find a rather messy approach, so I always use a rubber roller to apply it. Solder mask that is, not svinotype. I had never heard of that one!