Auf Deutsch lesen: Was ist Cyanotypie? Drucken mit Licht für Anfänger:innen
Every print comes out a little different, and that's the fun of it.
Cyanotype is one of the oldest ways of making a picture with light, and one of the easiest to try. You coat paper with a light-sensitive solution, lay something on top, expose it to UV light and rinse it in water. Where the light got through, the paper turns a deep Prussian blue. Where it didn't, it stays white.
No darkroom, no camera and no experience needed. Just light, water and a bit of patience.
A short history of the blue print
The process was invented in 1842 by the scientist Sir John Herschel. A year later, the botanist Anna Atkins used it to record algae and ferns, and made what is often called the first book illustrated with photographic images. Later, engineers and architects copied their plans with it for decades, which is where the word "blueprint" comes from.
Today, artists and photographers love cyanotype for its colour and its unpredictability. No two prints are ever quite the same.
How does cyanotype work?
- Coat: paper or fabric is brushed with a mix of two iron salts and left to dry in low light.
- Compose: you lay objects or a printed negative on the paper.
- Expose: the paper goes under UV light, from the sun or a UV lamp. It turns from yellow-green to a bronze grey.
- Rinse: a wash in water clears the unexposed parts, and the blue appears in front of your eyes.
Composing a print: this is where the ideas happen.
What can you make cyanotype prints of?
Anything that blocks light leaves a shape behind. Flat objects give crisp outlines; see-through ones give soft textures. A few ideas to start with:
- Plants and flowers: ferns, grasses, dried flowers and leaves, in the tradition of Anna Atkins
- Lace and fabric: doilies, netting and old curtains make beautiful patterns
- Feathers: they print with fine, almost see-through detail
- Your own photos: printed as a negative, a holiday snap or a portrait becomes a blue-toned print
- Words and shapes: cut-out letters, paper shapes or a hand-drawn design on clear film
- Everyday things: keys, scissors, beads, a fork. Odd objects make the best surprises
Plants are a classic for a reason.
Finished prints work as postcards, bookmarks, gift tags, wall art or a page in a photo album. Some people frame a whole series.
A cyanotype print, framed and ready for the wall.
Why cyanotype is a great group activity
- Everyone can do it: there's no skill gap. A first-timer and a photographer leave with prints they're equally proud of.
- It's quick: one print takes minutes, so in two hours everyone makes several and tries different ideas.
- The reveal is magic: watching the blue appear in the water gets a reaction from everyone, every time.
- It's relaxed: it's calm, hands-on and easy to chat through. Good for groups who don't know each other well yet.
- Everyone takes something home: a small stack of prints, not just photos on a phone.
A small stack each, by the end of the session.
Who will love a cyanotype workshop?
- Teams looking for a calm, creative team event that isn't another escape room
- Friends and couples who want a date idea or a birthday plan with something to show for it
- Photography fans curious about the analogue side of their hobby
- Plant lovers and nature people who press flowers anyway
- Families, since the workshop is for ages 10+ and younger children can join with an adult
- Anyone who "isn't creative": cyanotype does half the work for you
Try it in Berlin: our cyanotype workshop
At our studio in Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin photographer Valeryia Pankova hosts a two-hour cyanotype workshop. She starts with a short tour of what cyanotype can do, then you coat, compose, expose and rinse your own prints.
- 2 hours · 55 € per person · up to 10 people
- About 5 postcard-size prints each, plus bookmarks and a keychain
- All materials included; prints are exposed under UV lamps, so it runs rain or shine
- In English and Russian, beginner friendly, no camera needed
- Want to print your own photos? Add the "Your own photos" option when you book
UV lamps mean no waiting for a sunny day.
See dates and book the cyanotype workshop. Planning something for a team or a group? Ask us about a private date. Or give it as a gift: our vouchers work for all our workshops.
Photos: Valeryia Pankova (@slow_kick)