What is a Cyanotype? | Original Botanical Prints in Prussian Blue

What is a Cyanotype?

A cyanotype is one of the earliest photographic printing processes, known for its deep Prussian blue colour. First developed in 1842 by scientist Sir John Herschel, the process uses light-sensitive chemicals and sunlight to create striking blue-and-white images.

Unlike modern digital printing, cyanotypes are made by hand. The paper is coated with a solution of iron salts and left to dry. When exposed to sunlight with a drawing, object, or negative placed on top, the uncovered areas turn a rich blue. The print is then washed in water, revealing the final image.

Each cyanotype is unique. Variations in light, exposure time, temperature, and washing create subtle shifts in tone and texture. Brush marks, uneven edges, and tonal movement are part of the character of the process.

In my practice, cyanotypes begin with drawings of trees. The image is translated through light and chemistry onto heavyweight watercolour paper, creating an original work rather than a reproduction. No two are ever identical.

The result is a meeting of drawing, light, and time — a contemporary interpretation of a historic process, rooted in observation and slow making.