Topic: Anyone used the cyanotype rex process?

[Pete_R]

I'd be interested in any comments if you have. I was thinking of trying it as it, allegedly, gives images which are easier to tone.

[CarlRadford]

I'd be interested in any comments if you have. I was thinking of trying it as it, allegedly, gives images which are easier to tone.

I've never used used and get pretty good toned cyanotypes with the traditional recipe. John Brewer, pretty darn good with the stuff, uses traditional too and produces some of the best I've ever seen. What recipes have you tried so far far?

[Pete_R]

What recipes have you tried so far far?

I've only used the Mike Ware version so far and tried a bit of toning in tea but without much success.

[Heather]

Sort of.
But.
One thing you might want to hear is that the Tannin/Tannic Acid toned mike ware formula cyanotypes apparently are very ... um not long lasting. I was talking to the guy who runs the Siderotype Gallery in Brighton about them and he seemed to suggest the images toned in tannin disappeared within a few years.
I've found the blue in cyanotype rex (two part cyanotype) to be very weak and weedy in the few times I've tried it. But, to each their own, it does have a longer tonal range than traditional cyanotype by itself but not as nice as Mike Ware's stuff.

There's oodles of alt processes that'll give you brownish images... Van Dyke Brown process being one of them and is actually much easier to use than cyanotype. It's a little more costly as it contains silver nitrate but once mixed up, it has a long shelf life and it's a single solution brushed on paper. Less paper-picky than cyanotype.

[Pete_R]

I've found the blue in cyanotype rex (two part cyanotype) to be very weak and weedy in the few times I've tried it.

Did you use ferric ammonium citrate or ferric oxalate to coat the paper? King says the oxalate gives better result.

There's oodles of alt processes that'll give you brownish images...

I wasn't looking specifically for brown. Some of King's results have pale pink or yellow highlights and blue/black shadows which I quite like. I was aiming more for that really.

Strange thing is, King's method of 'toning' seems more like bleaching to me. He over exposes the print then 'tones' it in sodium carbonate - which I though was supposed to bleach cyanotypes. In fact, the result is bleached - the over exposed print becomes a lot lighter. I wonder if a similar effect could be had with a normally made, over exposed, cyanotype.

[CarlRadford]

I use FAC in the traditional formula. Some papers may be better pre socked in a 4% solution of oxalic acid - buy this the agwoodcare off the internet much cheaper than silverprint et al - I use Arches Platine which does not need to be pre treated. Have you tried staining in really strong cold tea? Also think about cyanotype over plt/pd which gives a great range of warm and cold tones.

[lauraburlton]

I used to get pale pink or yellow highlights by using pale pink or yellow paper..... I also toned with  borax, tea and hydrogen peroxide. Tried salt too. I dont exactly remember which did what because i just played with it all at once like a big chemistry set.