Why is cyanotype blue

These iron salts, when exposed to natural or artificial ultraviolet light, are reduced to their ferrous state, producing a high contrast blue image when oxidised. Oxidation is hastened by immersion in running water, which also washes away the unused iron salts. The process was eminently suited to its traditional role in reproducing technical drawings, its most common use in engineering and architecture until the advent of modern photocopiers.

Photographers at the end of the century used cyanotype paper for proofing negatives. Store separately in brown glass bottles, away from light. Filter before use, and mix in equal proportions A to B. Suitable for many types of art papers. Coat in subdued tungsten light, and dry away from light and heat.

Print by contact in a printing frame with a full-sized negative in sunlight or by a mercury vapour lamp until the shadows look bronzed. Exposure should be at least one stop more than required. Develop by immersing in running water, and wash until the chartreuse stain of the ferric ammonium citrate has completely disappeared.

She is regarded as the first female photographer. Compared to other photographic printing processes, cyanotype is easy and inexpensive. No darkroom is needed, instead it uses the power of the sun and iron salt solutions rather than the silver salt solution of black and white photography.

Ferric ammonium citrate and potassium ferricyanide are combined, and exposure to UV light creates ferric ferrocyanide, also known as Prussian Blue named for the color of the Prussian military uniforms. The cyanotype process was also used to create copies of technical and architectural plans, and these copies were called blueprints ; even though the cyanotype process is no longer used, any construction document or detailed plan is still referred to as a blueprint.

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