washing cyanotype washes out the blue

Willie Jan · Jun 19, 2006

Hi,

i use the cyanotype II from www.alternativephotography.com and have a qs.
Last weekend i did my first cyanotypes and found out that when washing the picture looks very beautifull blue, but after an hour of washing it turns more to light blue while the area around it where no negative as still is much more blue.

Do i have to overexpose the image so that after washing i get the beautifull blue?

I did with the washing at some wetting agent for 5 minutes and after that 30 minutes of normal water wash. Could this be the problem?

thanks,

Willie.

George Papantoniou · Jun 19, 2006

Maybe you need more exposure. Why don't you try it ? Maybe a thinner neg will do the job, too.

ZorkiKat · Jun 19, 2006

Perhaps more exposure? Or your wash water may be too alkaline. Try adding a bit of vinegar to the wash.

Willie Jan · Jun 19, 2006

George Papantoniou said:
Maybe you need more exposure. Why don't you try it ? Maybe a thinner neg will do the job, too.

i want to know if it is my way of developing. The water here is not very alkaline. But I'll try it with adding some vinegar.

Ole · Jun 19, 2006

It could be your paper, as well. Cyanotypes work on "anything", but gives different results based on anything, too.

Willie Jan · Jun 19, 2006

i use frabriano aquarel paper,arches and bergger cod 320

Ole · Jun 19, 2006

Willie Jan said:
i use frabriano aquarel paper,arches and bergger cod 320

I use the back side of Canson sketch paper...

reellis67 · Jun 19, 2006

Using Strathmore Bristol (Smooth and Plate) and traditional cyanotype formula 1:1, I expose until the darkest parts of the print turns light grey, sometimes refered to as 'reversing'. Then I lay the print face down in a pan of cool water from the tap (no wash aid) and every 5 minutes I change the water without ever allowing the running water to directly hit the surface of the print. After 4 changes of water I let the print dry.

I am no expert, but I have seen where water hitting the surface of the print will remove the emulsion and result in a lighter print, and where overwashing will give the same results. You might try cutting out the washing agent, adding a little vinegar to the wash water, reducing the washing times, or trying some different papers. Whatever you do, do one thing at a time and compare the results. Changing too many variables will not allow you to narrow down the problem(s).

- Randy

MenacingTourist · Jun 19, 2006

I had the same thing happen to me and traced it back to two things, paper and water. The next time I'll only use Platine paper and make sure my water is acidic. The experience was the most fun failing I've had in a long time

Willie Jan · Jun 19, 2006

in my case the water is coming on top of the image, just like i wash baryta based papers. So this could be the case. besides that i wash for an hour.

thanks, i will try it out.

TheFlyingCamera · Jun 19, 2006

Willie Jan said:
in my case the water is coming on top of the image, just like i wash baryta based papers. So this could be the case. besides that i wash for an hour.

thanks, i will try it out.

I think an hour wash for a cyanotype is too long. If you can at all avoid it, have the water enter the tray beside or below the print, not directly on it. That should help the color retention immensely.

psvensson · Jun 19, 2006

Flyingcamera is right - there is no need to wash cyanotypes for an hour. The excess sensitizer washes out very easily. Ten minutes should be enough. Also, an acid first bath will mean a lot more of the image is retained.

glbeas · Jun 19, 2006

I read that cyanotypes will oxidize over time and turn a richer blue, so you may not be out of luck on the ones you have made already. Alternately the book said to put it in a peroxide bath to bring up the more intense blue. Anybody here seen that and tried it yet?

DBP · Jun 19, 2006

That would make sense, if the object is to oxidise.

TheFlyingCamera · Jun 19, 2006

You're fighting a battle between oxidation of the cyanotype deepening the blue and sunlight exposure fading the blue. Fortunately, from what I have been given to understand, if you have a faded cyanotype it is possible to re-develop it and bring the blue back. I don't recall what exactly this entails, however, so the best advice is to store/display them where they get minimal direct exposure to sunlight.

psvensson · Jun 19, 2006

After light fading, they are redeveloped by exposure to atmospheric oxygen if kept reasonably dark. This happens in a matter of hours or days.

Willie Jan · Jun 20, 2006

glbeas said:
I read that cyanotypes will oxidize over time and turn a richer blue, so you may not be out of luck on the ones you have made already. Alternately the book said to put it in a peroxide bath to bring up the more intense blue. Anybody here seen that and tried it yet?

what i found in the description is that using peroxide brings immediately the end result after wash of the picture. It does not harm or infuence the picture but is a method to show you directly the end result.

I will try a wash of 10 minutes and a prewash with vinigar for 1 minute in a different bath.

Thanks.

cjarvis · Jun 20, 2006

Five minutes is plenty. Preview the final color by adding a dash (a few ml) of hydrogen peroxide to the wash water.

Willie Jan · Jun 21, 2006

so my first good print is made yesterday...

Cyanotype photo

washing cyanotype washes out the blue

Willie Jan

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washing cyanotype washes out the blue

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