Ditch the digital: Try the tactile joy of cyanotype printing this weekend

The distinctive white-on-Prussian blue images, created using a simple mix of chemicals and UV light, are drawing analogue photography enthusiasts and art lovers. Part of the appeal lies in how they look like artworks but are, in fact, prints.
Across Delhi, cyanotype workshops are inviting participants to slow down and explore this early photographic process, creating their own striking blueprints using a thoughtful mix of found objects.

What is cyanotype?
Cyanotypes are among the earliest photographic printing processes, distinguished by their striking cyan-blue hue produced through exposure to ultraviolet light.

Aditya Arya, curator-director of Museo Camera in Gurgaon, says, “Photographic printmaking is not the end of a process; it is the process. Cyanotype is the most accessible entry point into alternative process photography. Developed in 1842 by Sir John Herschel and famously applied by botanist Anna Atkins to produce the world’s first photographically illustrated book, the technique requires only two iron salts — ferric ammonium citrate and potassium ferricyanide — coated onto paper and exposed to ultraviolet light. The result is an image of deep Prussian blue, its whites the bare paper beneath. This technique found practical use in the form of blueprints, widely employed by architects and engineers to duplicate technical drawings in the 19th century.

An experience in alternative photography
Aruna Anand, founder of NIV Art Centre, which regularly hosts these workshops, explains the printing process. She breaks down the process

• Make a light-sensitive solution by mixing ferric ammonium citrate and potassium ferricyanide (typically in equal parts)
• The solution is applied to paper (often thick, handmade sheets) and left to dry in a dark room with red light. Apart from paper or fabric, these prints can be taken on pebbles or shells as well
• Once dry, objects such as pressed flowers, leaves, lace, feathers or even photographic negatives are placed on the coated surface
• The arrangement is then exposed to direct sunlight, usually under a glass sheet to keep the elements in place, until the paper shifts to a muted greenish tone. Five-minute exposure is also enough

• After exposure, the objects are removed, and the print is rinsed under running water. Water locks the impression from developing further. As it oxidises, the image develops into its signature deep blue
• Some practitioners add a few drops of hydrogen peroxide to accelerate this process; the rich indigo hue will naturally emerge over time. Let the print air-dry

‘Cyanotype gives a lot of room for experimentation’
Workshop hosts are taking cyanotypes beyond photograms. They’re experimenting across formats, by printing on tote bags, sticker sheets, postcards and stamps. Pratyush Thaker, a graphic designer and founder of Show Me The Blue, who experiments with cyanotype on different media, including Bombay Local tickets, used tea bags and leaves, says, “In cyanotype, there’s a lot of room for experimentation, not just with the image one wants but also the surface. I love how the surface becomes such a major part of the final image. I have been experimenting with cyanotype animations, burnt prints, and printing on tickets.”

On the growing interest, he shares, “Attendees are fascinated by the process. They’re coming across videos of the cyanotype process on social media and want to learn more about it and try it out themselves. People are drawn to how you can create prints using anything—from botanicals to everyday objects and photos—using just sunlight. I also feel people want to try more analogue techniques and they want to move away from their screens, even if it’s for a few hours.”

Divya Ashta, who recently attended a workshop with her friend, says, “It was a therapeutic experience for me. Discovering and learning an alternative form of photography was a therapeutic experience. It was fun to observe each step unfolding beautifully, commencing with transparency and transitioning through various colours into a magnificent Prussian blue. I worked with leaves and flowers that I foraged during my morning walks at Siddharth Enclave. Now, the botanical impressions are framed and hung in a cosy corner at home.” Another attendee, Sakshi D, says, “Cyanotype helps you understand texture, light, the delicacy of patterns, and, most importantly, patience.”



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