Toning Cyanotype- When you don't want the blues...

I tried various toning on cyanotypes. Straight morning tea stains, but can develop nice pink highlights. I also tried to tone in Selenium for a joke, and the print turn gorgeous rich purple --- until you remove it from the toner where it turns back to the original ..
One that I found useful is Gold; I had a gold toner tray lying around and as usual dunked a cyanotype in; it did develop the blue, moving it from the cyan toward a more cold blue, quite rich, and it enhances the contrast quite a bit. I now try to tone my 'keepers' in there if I want to keep them straight blue...
Of course it could have all to do with the paper itself (Arches Aquarelle)

Oh, to keep sharpness/details, it's very important to do the developing/washing carefully. I first put the print face down gently in a slightly acidic tray (vinegar works but stinks..), then put it face down on running water, with the water hitting /just/ the side of the tray to create a flow over/under the paper. Don't run the water on the print !
Make sure to change the first bath often, there is a large amount of blue being washed out in this one, and it can and will stain paper. The good thing is that the color seems to 'sink' at the bottom. Nevertheless...


Here is a 10x8 in Tea :

And one in Gold

another perspective

I am working on a project with a photographer where we are doing cyanotypes. i have a fibers/textile background and have a few insights i can offer you all.

Tannic Acid is present in many plant or tree-borne elements
Black Walnut
Pecans
oak gall and sumac leaves
rhubarb root

this is why tea works so well is that it contains a number of similar ingredients
these elements are sold already processed through a number of natural dye suppliers
Earth Hues is a great one.

i will post additional suggestions once our experiments are complete.

for those that don't like the strong smell of vinegar can use citric acid
ammonia is also marketed to dyers in a form called Urea which doesn't have the horrible smell
these are easily obtained from Dharma Trading Company, i've even seen them sold at Dick Blick stores as well

there is a product called "bleach stop" sold by Dharma Trading Company
in textile work, i use hydrogen peroxide as a bleach deactivator

i will try Rit Dyes color remover (sold anywhere that carries Rit)

reviving this oldish thread.

My girlfriend has just made her first tonings of cyanotypes, made with a "tea" of oak tree bark - and it works really well! No need to go buy that tanning acid!

Fun, and easy to do. And it works quick too...

I wonder how walnut or willow would do... off to experiment!

Emil, thanks for the info.

You may want to add boiled sumac into your list; some species of sumac contain high levels of gallic acid. (Gallic acid gives more neutral black tones...)

Regards,
Loris.

Edit: See this. (Notice the image of sumac at the Spice Bazaar in Istanbul...)

hi Loris - have no idea what sumac is or whether it is possible to get here in Denmark....

BUT:

I have now tried walnut snaps... (walnut in vodka for about 6 months), and it gives a very deep beautiful brown tone - especially in the highlights..

A shame it taste so good... :munch:

gandolfi said:

reviving this oldish thread.

My girlfriend has just made her first tonings of cyanotypes, made with a "tea" of oak tree bark - and it works really well! No need to go buy that tanning acid!

Fun, and easy to do. And it works quick too...

I wonder how walnut or willow would do... off to experiment!

Click to expand...

Very interesting, Emil. Just by coincidence, last time I stopped at the vintners' supply shop, they didn't have any tannic acid, but they gave me a teabag of oak.
I'll have to try it out.

I like to use gallic acid to create iron gall ink using the new cyanotype process. I think this is the closest to a black silver print possible with this process. It is my experience that for the redevelopment (after bleach) to use distilled water and freshly mixed gallic acid. The mixture should be used immediately as once the gallic acid oxidizes it will cause the pigment to migrate throughout the paper causing spots, bleeding, etc. If it is fresh, quickly done, and well washed, it will work. If you dally, you will have a problem.

I have done extensive research into the stability of the iron gall ink. Will it last 1000 years? maybe, depending on how it is stored. Do I care? not really. It only needs to last me 75 yrs until I don't care anymore.

I have now submitted examples of my playing around in the galleries...

see here: (oak tree)

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

and walnut snaps here:

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

..and now I have tried Walnut. Walnut bark in a bottle - then boiling water on it and let it soak for a long time (mine soaked for at least two days, but I don't know whether that is nessecary..)

Old cyanotype soaked for about 10 min.