Digital Negatives for Cyanotype printing

By Douglas G. Stinson

Introduction
Beautiful, full tonal-range images can be produced on cyanotype from both traditional silver-
halide negatives and from so-called “digital negatives”. OK results are easily obtained, but truly
excellent results require some work. To avoid disappointment, I suggest people start learning
about cyanotypes by making photograms. This is not just for children! There are cyanotype
photograms in the best photographic art collections. Opaque objects with interesting shapes
(for example, leaves) are a good place to start. Transparent objects that bend light can
produce interesting – but hard to predict – results.

If you are ready to start experimenting with continuous-tone cyanotypes starting from a digital
image file, this paper will help you get started.

These instructions assume that you are using Photoshop and an Epson SureColor P800 printer.
Other Epson printers in the SureColor and Stylus Pro families use similar instructions. However, you
should be able to readily discover equivalent commands for other software and printers with a
little exploration.

Materials
• A digital file of the image you want to print
• An inkjet printer
• Transparency material with an inkjet receiving layer.
o For both quality and cost, I recommend Arista II (OHP) 7-mil inkjet Transparency
film, available from Freestyle Photographic Supplies
(https://www.freestylephoto.biz).
o People who make digital negatives also recommend Inkpress Transparency Film
7mil (http://www.inkpresspaper.com), Fixxons (http://fixxons.com) and Pictorico
(http://www.mitsubishiimaging.com/buy-pictorico.html). Many of these are
available from photo supply stores such as B&H, Freestyle, and Adorama.
o One or more of these films may be carried by Blick Art Supply in Oakland, but best
to call ahead (510) 658-2787.
o The film should be at least as large as the print you wish to make.
• (Optional) a digital file of an exposure step-wedge.

Basic Instructions
Almost every practitioner has their own way of making a digital negative. People argue about
which way is best. But in fact, they all work. The most important thing is to be consistent – use the
same method each time. Only make changes if you think you have an improvement or find a
method that works better for you. Then stick to it – until you make the next change!

The overarching goal is to create on the plastic film an image where the “paper white” areas in
your black and white image correspond to as black an area on the film as possible – in order to
block as much UV light as possible. Areas in your image corresponding to maximum black should
be clear on the film. (This assumes your image has a full tonal range; high-key and low-key
images break this ‘rule’ in the same way they do in ordinary printing.)

The instructions I give are for an Epson P800 printer. Although I give some hints about how to set
up other printers, you will need to figure out the details on your own.

Some experimentation may be required, but actually, the cyanotype process is quite forgiving,
so don’t fret too much. Here we go, step by step:

Image file preparation

1. Make sure your image is in 16-bit Adobe RGB (1998). If not, convert it using
Image>Mode>16 bit and Edit>Convert to Profile>Adobe RGB (1998)
2. Convert your image to black and white. Layer>New Adjustment Layer>Black&White, or
your favorite method.
3. Make whatever adjustments you desire, e.g. cropping, burning and dodging, etc.
4. Add a layer on top Layer>New Adjustment Layer>Invert
5. Save under a new file name
6. Flatten the image.
7. Use Image>Image Size to match the size of the final print. It must also fit on the size
transparency film you’ve selected! Set the Resolution to the optimum resolution for your
printer. For the Epson 3880 and P800, this is 360 pixels/Inch. If you don’t know the optimum
resolution, anything near this value should be fine.
8. Sharpen the image using your favorite method, e.g. Filter>Sharpen>Unsharp Mask.
9. Place a sheet of the transparency material in your printer, making sure the inkjet
receiving layer is facing the correct direction. Check with the instructions that come with
the film. For Arista there is a notch in the upper right corner. Use the same precautions
you would use when printing on any paper, for example, avoid touching the area to be
printed.
10. In Photoshop, click File>Print

Printing with Epson printers

11. In the Print Dialog Box
a. Set “Color Handing” to “Printer Manages Color”
b. Set “Rendering Intent” to “Perceptual”.
a. Click the boxes “Emulsion Down”. DO NOT CLICK “Negative”. (You have already
inverted your image)
12. Click the “Print Settings” button
13. If you have a “Preset” that corresponds high quality glossy paper, select it.
 14. Underneath the “Paper Size” drop down menu, there is another drop-down menu. From
that menu, select “Color Matching” and then “Epson Controls Color”
15. From the same drop-down menu, select “print Settings”
a. Set “Media Type” to “Epson Premium Glossy”
b. Set “Color” to “Advanced B&W Photo”
c. Set “Color Toning” to “Neutral”
d. Set “Print Quality” to “SuperFine – 1440dpi” (You can try “SuperPhoto – 2880dpi,
but you are probably just wasting ink)
e. High Speed should be unchecked
f. “Mirror Image” should be unchecked. (“Emulsion Down” already did this)
g. “Finest Detail” should be checked
h. Click on “Advanced Color Settings”
i. Set “Tone” to “Darkest”
16. Set the “Paper Size” to the size of the transparency film you are using.
17. Click Save
18. Back in the main Print Dialog Box, click “Print”
19. Let the print dry. At least one hour is recommended.

Printers without an “Advanced Black and White” Function and Non-Epson Printers
11. In Photoshop, click File>Print
12. In the Print Dialog Box
a. Set “Color Handling” to “Photoshop Manages Color”
b. Set “Printer Profile” to the profile of the highest quality glossy paper
c. Set “Rendering Intent” to “Perceptual”
d. Check “Emulsion Down”, DO NOT check “Negative”. (You have already inverted
your image)
e. Click the “Print Settings” Button
13. You will want your printer settings to be something like:
a. Photoshop Manages Color
b. Media Type is high-quality glossy
c. Print Quality is set to one of the highest resolutions available for your printer
d. Do not use a “Mirror Image” function. (“Emulsion Down” already did this)
e. Set the “Paper Size” to the size of the transparency film you are using.
f. Look for settings that allow you to change the amount of ink applied. This may be
called something like “Color Density”. If necessary, you can increase this setting.
g. Click Save
14. Back in the main Print Dialog Box, click “Print”
15. Let the print dry. At least one hour is recommended.

Improving the Negative to Improve the Print

Note on evaluating your print

The Prussian Blue is created by oxidation in the presence of water. Although a nice image is
visible within a few minutes of immersion in water, the deepest blue will not develop for several
hours. It is best not to evaluate image quality until the print is completely dry, generally overnight.
If you are impatient, this process can be accelerated by adding a small amount of drug store
Hydrogen Peroxide – say a cap full – to the tray of water while developing.

Checking Exposure
If you don’t like the results of printing your digital negative, the first thing you should do is check
your exposure. The goal is to determine the minimum exposure required to obtain the darkest
blue. Take a sheet of coated cyanotype paper and cover half of it with a clear sheet of OHP
film. Cover the sheets with a sheet of opaque material. Place the assembly in your UV light
source (e.g., the sun) move the opaque sheet down to uncover an approximately ¼” – ½” wide
strip of both the OHP-covered and uncovered paper. Wait a fixed length of time, between 1
and 5 minutes, depending on the sensitivity of the paper. For SunPrint paper, I’ve found 2-minute
steps work well. After that time, reveal another strip. Repeat for a total of 5 to 45 minutes, again
depending on the sensitivity of the material. Develop and dry. The step where there is no
difference between the OHP covered and uncovered side is the correct exposure. There also
should be no difference between that step and the next longer step.

The optimum exposure should be determined before proceeding to any of the subsequent
steps.

Adjustment Curves
You may discover the cyanotype print you created with your digital negative has higher
contrast that you intended. This is a property of the cyanotype chemistry. This can be
compensated for by reducing the contrast of the digital negative using a curves adjustment
layer in Photoshop. The adjustment layer should be placed at the top of the layer stack after the
invert adjustment layer; i.e. between steps 4 and 5 above.

Adjustment curves for cyanotypes can be found on my website www.douglasgstinson.com. On

the main menu, click on “Downloads”, and then click on “Download Cyanotype Curves as
Photoshop PSD file”. There are three curve adjustment layers in the file. The one named
“Cyanotype – SunPrint” was developed by me and is appropriate for the commercially
available SunPrint cyanotype paper. (I may be improving this curve in the near future as well as
adding curves for The Cyanotype Store’s paper.) The other two curves were developed by
Christina Anderson. These should be used when you coat your own paper. One is for the
“classic” formulation and one is for a newer formulation developed by Mike Ware.

There are a (at least) three of ways to use the file once you download it. Perhaps the easiest is to
double click on the file to open it in Photoshop. Then copy and paste your image file into my file,
placing your layers just below the curve adjustment layers. Then click the “eyeball” to the left of
the desired adjustment layer to turn it on. At this point the image on your screen will look horrible.
Don’t panic! The curve is “ruining” your image in exactly the opposite way the cyanotype paper
“ruined” it. Together, the errors will be cancelled out, but you won’t know this until the image is
printed, developed, and dried.
The second way is to float both your image and my file in the Photoshop window
(Window>Arrange>Float All in Window). Click on my file and then click and drag the desired
curve layer over to your file. Place the curve layer above the invert layer.

Finally, and this is what I recommend if you are going to make a lot of digital negatives, you can
save the curve layer for later use. To do this click on the desired curve adjustment layer, then
click on the tiny menu icon at the top right corner of the “Properties” window. Now click on
“Save Curve Preset”. Give your curve a descriptive name and click the “save” button. You will
need to restart Photoshop before the saved curve is available. When you want to use the saved
curve in a new image file, click Layer>Adjustment Layer>Curves. In the Properties Window, click
on the “Preset” drop-down menu. Your curve will be listed. Click on it.

If you don’t like the results, you can tweak the curve by clicking on a point on the curve in the
Properties Window and typing new numbers in the “input” and “output” boxes. If you modify the
curve, I strongly suggest you save it! To help you in your tweaking, you will probably want to print
the step-wedge, which is also included in the PSD download.

Ink Density Adjustment

Some practitioners have found it valuable to adjust the ink density. For the Epson P800 this
adjustment can be found by clicking File>Print, then clicking the “Print Settings” button. From the
drop-down menu, select (oddly) “Paper Configuration”. For a P800, reducing the Color Density
to -30% has been found effective to prevent blocking of the highlights.

Other Adjustments
If you observe blurring or dots marching across the print, try increasing the Drying Time Per Pass,
increasing the Paper Thickness and/or the Platen Gap.

© 2019 Douglas G. Stinson