Guide
How to Make a Digital Negative for Cyanotype
You can turn any photo into a cyanotype negative right in your browser. If you've looked this up before, most guides start by assuming you own pricey editing software, and that's where they lose you. You don't need expensive software, a computer, or a darkroom. A browser, a photo you love, and some inkjet transparency film will get you there.
This guide walks through the whole thing in plain steps, from choosing a photo to your first print.
What a digital negative is
A digital negative is your photo, flipped from light to dark, printed onto clear film. Cyanotype is a contact print: you lay the negative directly on coated paper and expose it to UV light. Light passes through the clear parts of the film and turns the paper blue. The dark parts block it and stay white.
- Your negative is the size of your print. There's no enlarger, so an 8×10 print needs an 8×10 negative.
- The negative needs a little tuning. Cyanotype is a contrasty process. A photo that's simply inverted often loses detail in the shadows and highlights. A small tone adjustment fixes that.
What you need
- A photo. A phone photo is fine. Pick one with clear light and dark areas.
- A way to make the negative. Any tool that can convert to grayscale, adjust tones, invert and mirror your image. A browser-based tool works on an iPad, phone or computer.
- Inkjet transparency film. Use film made for inkjet printers, not overhead projector film for laser printers.
- An inkjet printer. Any model that feeds the film cleanly.
- Cyanotype paper or chemistry. Pre-coated paper is the easiest way to start.
- A sheet of glass and a board. An old picture frame works well.
- UV light. Sunshine or a UV lamp.
Step by step
- Choose your photo. Strong shapes and good contrast print best. Ignore the colors, since everything ends up blue and white.
- Size it to your print. Set the width and height you want the final print to be, at 300 dpi. Leave a small margin inside your paper.
- Convert to black and white. This shows you the tones you're really working with.
- Adjust the tones for cyanotype. Cyanotype is a contrasty process, so the negative needs a little tuning to keep detail in both the shadows and the highlights. A process-specific curve does this best. Start with a gentle contrast adjustment and fine-tune after your first test print.
- Invert it. Lights become darks and darks become lights. It should look like an old film negative.
- Flip it horizontally. You'll print the negative ink side down against the paper, which keeps the print sharp. Flipping now means the finished print reads the right way round.
- Print it on transparency film. Print on the rough, coated side. Choose your printer's highest-quality setting and turn off any automatic image enhancement. Let the ink dry fully before handling.
Printing your cyanotype
Build a sandwich from the bottom up: board, coated paper (coated side up), negative (ink side down), then glass. The glass presses the film flat against the paper, which is what keeps fine detail crisp.
Run a test strip before your first full print. Cover all but a strip of the sandwich, expose it, then uncover another strip every couple of minutes. After rinsing you'll see several exposure times side by side, and you can pick the one you like. Exposure times vary a lot with sun, season and lamp, so a test strip saves paper and guesswork.
Rinse the print in cool water until the water runs clear. The blue deepens as it dries over the next day.
Common problems and fixes
| What you see | Likely cause | Try this |
|---|---|---|
| The print is pale and washed out | Not enough exposure | Expose longer, using your test strip as a guide |
| Everything is dark, with no bright highlights | Too much exposure, or the negative is too thin | Expose for less time, or darken the negative's highlights slightly |
| Shadows are a flat blue block with no detail | No tone adjustment, or one that's too strong | Soften the contrast or curve and try again |
| The image is soft or blurry | The film isn't pressed flat, or it's ink side up | Use glass, and put the ink side against the paper |
| Text reads backwards | The negative wasn't flipped | Mirror it horizontally before printing |
| Ink smears or puddles on the film | Printed on the wrong side, or not dry yet | Print on the coated side and let it dry fully |
A simpler way to make the negative
Digital Negative Lab was built by a cyanotype beginner who couldn't find a simple tool for this. It runs in your browser on an iPad, phone or computer. Upload a photo and it converts, inverts and flips it into a negative you can download and print. The free version needs no sign-up. 💙
Pro adds process-specific curve presets for cyanotype, platinum/palladium, gum and salt, density calibration, and 300–600 DPI export, for $19 a year.
Questions people ask
Can I make a cyanotype negative on an iPad or phone?
Yes. A browser-based tool does every step, and you can print over AirPrint or from your printer’s app.
Can I print the negative on regular paper?
Vellum or tracing paper works in a pinch, but the print will be softer. Transparency film gives the sharpest results.
Does this work for other processes?
The same steps apply to Van Dyke, salt, platinum/palladium and gum printing. Only the tone adjustment changes, because each process handles tones differently.
Why does my negative have to be flipped?
So the ink side touches the paper for a sharp print, and the image still reads the right way round.
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