new cyanotype process development

[Doug K]

Earl, nice print, and nice photo! You got a great tonal range. I did my first cyanotypes with Mike Ware's process, and it was from using his process that I taught myself to acidify the first bath in the developing. I've never acidified my paper, but it's something I should look at after looking at your results. My top two papers for cyanotype are Twinrocker and Stonehenge. Stonehenge is inexpensive, and works well, but man, that Twinrocker hot press is pretty phenomenal. I just bought some 22 x 30 for some upcoming prints.

Funny thing though is I decided to try out the old process. I wasn't dissatisfied with the new process, but just thought I'd try it out, and I like it a lot, and I like the color of blue I get with it. It just works with my style of printing. I'm sure I'll continue doing both, but I can't really argue with the results I'm getting with the old process, especially with an acidified first developing bath.

I agree with you mostly with regards to toning. The staining of the paper is annoying. I found that I have less with using tannin, and I've made a few prints that I really like with it. My best efforts have been with a split-tone or duotone effect. But, the reason I do the process is for the blue.

My main limitation currently is lack of a UV light source besides the sun, but I'm working on that, and I'm almost done with my UV LED light version 2. Something about being married and having things to do seems to slow me down in my process. That and brewing beer seems to take a lot of my time... I've also not felt the creative urge a lot lately. I hope that's not a sign of change in me as I age, but just a passing phase.

Thanks for posting the document. I hadn't seen that before, and I'm looking forward to reading it. Mike Ware certainly has provide a great resource for the world, that's for sure!

[jon.oman]

Earl, I have a question about mixing up a working solution of the sulfamic acid. How is it done? I'm rather ignorant about percent of solution, etc. Could you tell me how many ounces of the crystals you would use for one gallon of tap water? Or, maybe how many tablespoons (or cups?) per gallon. I can always get cheap kitchen measures, but maybe not a weight scale.

Thanks for the information!

[Tom Persinger]

Hi Jon - when I use sulphamic to acidify paper (and my process may deviate from Earl's and/or others) I use a 10% solution [10g sulfamic acid to 100ml water, for a gallon (3785.xx ml) add 378g sulphamic], soak the paper in the solution (wear gloves!) for 20 minutes. I immediately follow that with a 20min rinse in running water. Hang to dry...

[jon.oman]

Hi Jon - when I use sulphamic to acidify paper (and my process may deviate from Earl's and/or others) I use a 10% solution [10g sulfamic acid to 100ml water, for a gallon (3785.xx ml) add 378g sulphamic], soak the paper in the solution (wear gloves!) for 20 minutes. I immediately follow that with a 20min rinse in running water. Hang to dry...

Thanks for the information Tom. I guess the one pound container that I bought will not go far! I'll have to get some more. I have 10 sheets of 140lb Lana Aquarelle 11x15 inch paper that I need to treat. Hopefully a gallon of working solution will be able to treat all of them....

[Tom Persinger]

Hi Jon - if you can get them into a 12x16" tray you should be able to acidify them with a lot less than a gallon, probably closer to 1500ml-2000ml. (also, no need to do one at at time. I routinely put several sheets into the acid bath at once and periodically shuffle them...) Good luck!

[jon.oman]

Hi Jon - if you can get them into a 12x16" tray you should be able to acidify them with a lot less than a gallon, probably closer to 1500ml-2000ml. (also, no need to do one at at time. I routinely put several sheets into the acid bath at once and periodically shuffle them...) Good luck!

Good to know!

[earlj]

I acidify 8 11x15 sheets at a time in a 11x14 or 12x16 tray. I mix up 2 liters of 10% sulfamic acid solution (5 tablespoons is 107.5 grams, so 10 tablespoons for 2 liters). Fabriano Artistico Extra White takes about 30 minutes for the bubbles to stop - I rotate the sheets through the solution by pulling the bottom one up to the top from time to time. I wash the sheets in distilled water, but I could probably hang them up to dry straight out of the acid bath. I discard the sulfamic acid each time. I found a source on ebay for 5 lb of sulfamic acid, but the hardware store stuff works just fine.

Doug - I have been distracted for awhile trying to get the rest of my studio constructed (digital studio and soap making space), so I have not been in the wet darkroom for awhile. I plan to try printing the same image with both Mike Ware's chemistry and Sir John Herschel's chemistry and compare the results. I like the longer tonal scale of Ware's juice - I get seventeen or eighteen steps on a step wedge, while the traditional mix only gives me 8 or 9. I think that there is a lot more room for good midtone and highlight separation with the Ware chemistry.

[jon.oman]

I acidify 8 11x15 sheets at a time in a 11x14 or 12x16 tray. I mix up 2 liters of 10% sulfamic acid solution (5 tablespoons is 107.5 grams, so 10 tablespoons for 2 liters). Fabriano Artistico Extra White takes about 30 minutes for the bubbles to stop - I rotate the sheets through the solution by pulling the bottom one up to the top from time to time. I wash the sheets in distilled water, but I could probably hang them up to dry straight out of the acid bath. I discard the sulfamic acid each time. I found a source on ebay for 5 lb of sulfamic acid, but the hardware store stuff works just fine.

Thanks Earl, I do better with tablespoons!

[earlj]

I was just notified that this print was accepted to move on to Phase 2 of the jury process for the Fine Arts Exhibition at the 2014 Minnesota State Fair. This is a very competitive show - each artist is only allowed to submit one work, and less than 10% of the entries make the cut. Phase one was judging of electronic files. Phase two requires the framed print. I am hopeful that my print will be hung, as the print in the hand is much better than the scan on the screen.

[Ned.Lewis]

Congratulations and I hope it makes it all then way then wins a very appropriate blue ribbon!