Chapter 3

Papers for Cyanotype

Figure 3.9. Twinrocker papers, pictured left to right: Bleached Abaca HT (abaca), May Linen LA (cotton), B-Buff T (cotton), Oyster HT (cotton), Yale T (cotton rag), Rotunda T (abaca, flax, and cotton rag), Da Vinci T (cotton rag), Cream LA (cotton), Biscuit HT (cotton rag), Bone T (cotton), Dickinson TT (cotton), White Cotton Rag TT. Twinrocker papers in text (T), heavy text (HT), and light art (LA) weights are my favorites. Most Twinrocker papers print classic cyanotype beautifully.

Cyanotype is probably the least expensive alternative process there is, less than a nickel’s worth of chemistry for an 11″ × 15″ print. Coupled with water-only development, you can print with abandon, without ever having to think about the cost of chemistry, only the cost of the paper on which it is printed. Furthermore, because cyanotype is a one-coat process, it allows for broad experimentation with all sorts of papers from delicate to sturdy.

Nowadays most papers are buffered with an alkali, because an alkaline paper is more archival. Unfortunately, alkalinity is not good for cyanotype, both in the making of the print and in the print’s long-term preservation. The lower the paper’s pH the faster it will print and the greener the blue. The higher the pH the slower the paper will print and the grayer the blue; it results in a dull, washed out, grainy, gray-blue color, sometimes with brownish highlights. These kinds of prints give cyanotype a bad reputation. Plus, a cyanotype print will fade over time in contact with alkalinity, although internal paper buffering is unlikely to migrate once the paper is dry.¹

Prompted by the recent demise of several excellent alternative process papers, I set out on a quest to test papers in an effort to broaden cyanotype’s paper repertoire. This chapter is a compilation of results after having put 136 papers through the tests.²

I tested all papers with both classic cyanotype and new cyanotype. Classic cyanotype is a more paper-friendly formula. New cyanotype is “the canary in the coal mine” as Mark Nelson describes it, a process that will sniff out a buffered paper a mile away. This chapter is about papers suitable for classic cyanotype; the list of acceptable papers for classic cyanotype is much longer than those for new cyanotype. Papers suitable for new cyanotype will be listed in the New Cyanotype chapter as well as indicated in the paper chart at the end of this chapter.

Paper weight is expressed in gsm/grams per square meter and lb/pounds. Gsm measures are a little more “apples to apples” than pound measures so that is what is used here. Papers tested were mostly from 30 to 300 gsm; 300 gsm equates to a typical 140 lb watercolor paper, more than enough wet strength for the cyanotype process.

Paper is described as hot press (smooth), cold press (bumpy texture), or rough (very bumpy texture). Most prefer hot press for cyanotype. There are also other paper surfaces such as plate and vellum. Plate is ultra-smooth. Vellum is smooth but slightly modulated, like calfskin or parchment from days of old.

Sizing varies in paper and it directly affects how a paper prints. Paper can be unsized, sized internally only, or sized internally and externally. Sizing can refer to animal, vegetal, or synthetic ingredients. Sizing gives the paper body but more important for a cyanotypist, affects how absorbent the paper is. A lot of Japanese/Asian washi is unsized and the paper absorbs chemistry like a paper towel. Since washi is very thin, this is not a problem. If the paper is this absorbent and thick, it can become problematic, because the chemistry remains embedded in the paper fibers and won’t clear well—Zerkall Copperplate, Hahnemühle 1587, and Arches 88 are three examples. Although all lovely papers, they are better suited to the printmaking processes for which they were designed. Sizing is a good thing as long as it is not too little and not too much.

Papers range in cost dramatically, from under a dime to six dollars per 11″ × 15″ print. Often the less expensive papers are made from less expensive ingredients. They are perfect for your first cyano-type prints, but as you progress you will want to use more expensive natural fiber papers such as cotton, cotton rag, gampi, kozo, linen, abaca, and mitsumata papers. Fibers are often combined with each other, or other ingredients such as high alpha cellulose, sulphite, esparto, and bamboo. There are also archival high alpha cellulose sulphite papers. For those who want just the facts, consult the Quick Peek highlights, or the paper chart at the back of the chapter where the information is summarized.³

Unbuffered papers made for alt

The following unbuffered papers were created specifically for alternative processes and work for both classic and new cyanotype. I applaud these manufacturers for supporting our niche market and making quality papers of the highest archival standards. These papers are perfect for cyanotype over platinum and all are sturdy enough to go through multiple wet processing steps that the combination of two processes entails. Six are 100% cotton and one is 100% linen. At the time of this writing, prices average about $1.70–$3.60 per 11″ × 15″.

Quick peek

Arches Platine

Platine has a very smooth front side and a slightly textured back side. It is surface-sized with starch on the front side and should be printed on the front. Platine is white, 100% cotton, moldmade, has a watermark, two natural and two torn deckle edges, is acid free, chlorine free, unbuffered and alkaline free. It comes in two weights, the normal 310 gsm weight and a 145 gsm thinner weight that is perfect for a one-step process such as cyanotype. Both print beautiful turquoise blues with a long tonal range.

Bergger Cot 320

Cot 320 is a 100% cotton paper that performs similarly to Arches Platine and even looks like Arches Platine, but it is a bit less absorbent when coating. It is slightly thicker at 320 gsm, bright white, no watermark, unbuffered, with a smooth front surface and a slight texture on the back. There is also a lighter weight 160 gsm version, excellent for cyanotype. Both print beautiful turquoise blues with a long tonal range.

Figure 3.10. From bottom to top, Canson Bristol Recycled’s white compared to the white of four of the unbuffered papers made for alt: Bergger Cot 320, Hahnemühle Platinum Rag, Arches Platine, and Legion Revere Platinum. All of these papers look bright white until they are placed next to an ultra-white paper such as Canson Bristol Recycled. Color is always relative.

Hahnemühle Platinum Rag

“HPR” is internally sized, acid free, no buffering, no optical brighteners, 300 gsm, pH-neutral, and 100% cotton. It is a smooth, sharp, crisp, bright white paper, smoother and ever so slightly whiter than Platine. It can be printed on the front or back which can be a cost saving if you make mistakes. HPR is a firmly sized paper, less absorbent than others. Pre-humidify, use Tween with new cyanotype, brush carefully and thinly, and you’ll be rewarded with a beautiful, sharp, dark, turquoise blue.

Legion Revere Platinum

Revere Platinum is a 100% cotton, 320 gsm, neutral pH, acid free, chlorine free paper with excellent wet strength, no buffering, four deckled edges, and is specially sized for platinum printing with vegetal gelatin surface sizing and Aquapel (AKD) internal sizing. It is quite modestly priced.

Ruscombe Mill Herschel Platinotype

If you are looking for a textured paper with a distinctive handmade look, Herschel fits the bill. This 200 gsm paper is made from 100% linen and has a pebbly, vellum-like surface that absorbs cyanotype chemistry in a textured manner. It is internally sized with AKD, has no added buffering, and no surface sizing such as gelatin. The paper has limited availability in the States but is readily available in Europe from the Ruscombe Mill in France.

Washi and delicate Asian papers

“Washi” refers specifically to the long tradition of handmade Japanese paper (wa = Japanese and shi = paper). There are also delicate, handmade papers from China, Thailand, Korea, India, and other countries, too. Washi is usually made from gampi, kozo, sulphite, abaca, cellulose, mitsumata, and other fibers. [Note: the term “rice paper” is not only a misnomer because this paper is not made from rice but it is actually a politically incorrect term to use when referring to these papers, cultures, and the culture of handmade paper in general.]

Figure 3.11. From left to right, Japanese Mulberry, Legion Masa, Legion Thai Kozo, Awagami Mitsumata, and Hahnemühle Sumi-e. Note how much thicker Japanese Mulberry is than the others, such as Thai Kozo which is paper-napkin thin. Legion Masa is by far the whitest of these papers; many are a more natural ivory.

Some washi I tested were eliminated because they disintegrated like toilet paper in water, or easily ripped off at the edges. Even though these types of papers can be handled from tray to tray supported with a piece of fiberglass screen or mylar, the following papers didn’t require such coddling. Washi may require different coating procedures because of its absorbency; see Making the Cyanotype Print for techniques.

Quick peek

Awagami Platinum Gampi

This paper is actually an unbuffered alt paper. Awagami Platinum Gampi has a unique natural ecru sheen. An organic solution has been hand brushed onto each sheet adding to it a water-resistant quality that also increases the paper’s overall wet-strength. It comes in two sizes, approximately 8″ × 11″ and 12″ × 19″, and two weights, 30 and 60 gsm. Buy the 60 gsm. The paper is strong, expensive, and worth it.

Awagami Platinum Mitsumata

This is another unbuffered paper made for alt. Made from mitsumata fibers, this paper has a soft dewy gloss and fine surface texture. An organic solution has been hand brushed onto each sheet adding to it a water-resistant quality that also increases the paper’s overall wet-strength. Water resistant, warm white, made without optical brighteners, it comes in two sizes, approximately 8″ × 11″ and 12″ × 19″, and one 60 gsm weight. I prefer the Awagami Gampi.

Hahnemühle Sumi-e

This paper is an 80 gsm, 100% cellulose, natural white, unsized, and also unbuffered paper. It is extremely absorbent and strong; you can actually hang it by clothespins to dry without tearing.

Figure 3.12. Tree in Fog, cyanotype on Hahnemühle Sumi-e paper, 8″ × 10″ © Diana Hooper Bloomfield 2018. Note the frilly edge effect that happens with sumi-e paper.

The back and front are hard to tell apart, but the back has a slightly more fibrous surface. It prints a smooth, deep, turquoise blue. Sumi-e comes in 19.68″ × 25.59″ sheets and—way handier—in 20-sheet pads. Each sheet in the pad is interleaved between a thin piece of white paper, ultra-protected and sturdy. The pad sizes are 9.44″ × 12.59″ and 11.81″ × 15.74″ and come at a student-friendly price.

Japanese Mulberry/Heavy Kozo

This pH neutral, unbuffered, natural white, smooth paper, available from Bostick and Sullivan, has a wove surface with a light satin or velvet-like sheen. At 90 gsm this paper is very strong when wet. The paper is made from 50% kozo and 50% abaca and comes in 12½″ × 19″ sheets with no deckles. It is one of my favorite papers.

Legion Goyu

This 50 gsm paper is a handmade, acid free, kozo/sulphite, neutral pH paper with four deckle edges. It has a natural white color, smooth surface, and is semi-translucent when held up to light. Subtle laid lines from the paper mold are visible but they don’t print.

Legion Masa

This 77 gsm paper is a very affordable Japanese paper. It is a 100% sulphite, bright white, neutral pH paper with both internal and surface sizing. One side is smooth with a slight sheen. The other side is fibrous with tooth, two very different surfaces. Some object to the brightness of the paper but it looks great with cyanotype.

Legion Thai Kozo

This 35 gsm paper is machine made in Thailand of 100% kozo and features two natural deckles and two cut edges. Even though a mere 35 gsm, I found it quite strong in wet processing.

Vellum papers

There are papers that are referred to as vellum merely because their surface texture resembles the vellum from ancient times which was made from the skin of a calf. Then there are papers that are labeled vellum because of their transparency. Two of the papers listed here are translucent, not transparent—Clearprint and Bienfang Graphics 360. Three are transparent—Opalux, Vidalon, and Wyndstone. I’ve also included two imitation parchment papers for fun—Pergamenata, which is a milky-transparent speckled vellum, and Parchtone which is a mottled gold paper.

Some vellum papers take a bit of getting used to when working with them for the first time. They zing up into a scroll when coating unless taped down. The edges will cockle. Certain measures such as a) coating a smaller portion of the center of the paper and cutting off the cockled borders, b) using an iron or dry mount press on medium heat to flatten during the different stages, and c) drying the finished print between blotter paper weighted down with books may be in order. For a unique look, these papers are worth a try.

Figure 3.13. Canson has two vellum papers, a thinner Vidalon vellum in pads and a thicker Opalux vellum. Pictured to the right of the pad is Opalux on top of Vidalon on top of a Kodak gray card. Both of these papers print quite translucent.

Quick peek

Bienfang Graphics 360

This 50 gsm 100% cotton rag translucent paper comes in convenient 9″ × 12″, 11″ × 14″, 14″ × 17″, and 19″ × 24″ pads. At 25¢ for a sheet of 11″ × 14″ cotton paper it is a steal.

Canson Opalux Vellum

This 100% alpha cellulose, translucent vellum has a satin finish, and is very strong and thick. It comes in a 180 gsm weight and a 19″ × 24″ size. It’s a stubborn paper but worth printing on for its unique translucent look.

Figure 3.14. Here is a comparison between Pergamenata, top, and Legion Parchtone, bottom, on top of a piece of soft white and black paper to illustrate transparency. Both are imitation parchment papers but they behave quite differently. Pergamenata is more like a vellum paper. Parchtone is more like a regular, smooth, very gold toned paper. Both are somewhat translucent.

Canson Vidalon Vellum

90 gsm, 100% alpha cellulose, Vidalon vellum is half the thickness and half the stubbornness of Opalux but surprisingly sturdy for such a thin paper. It would be a good paper to buy when starting to work with vellum papers because it is inexpensive, comes in pads, and is easier to coat.

Clearprint 1020H Drafting Vellum

Clearprint comes in a number of weights and formats, from pads to rolls. The 1000H is 60 gsm/16 lb, the 1020H is 90 gsm/24 lb, and there is a heavier weight one of 180 gsm/48 lb. I prefer the 1020H. Pad sizes are 9″ × 12″, 11″ × 14″, 14″ × 17″, and 19″ × 24″. This paper is 100% cotton, archival, and prints beautifully.

Legion Parchtone

Parchtone is an imitation printable parchment-type paper, a semi-translucent golden yellow. The paper has a smooth surface with that slightly modulated parchment look. It is sized both internally and externally, 100% sulphite, and is archival. It is a fun paper to use when you want to experiment with a very gold color and parchment look.

Pergamenata Parchment

This Italian-made paper simulates aged parchment with the crisp snap, mottled look, and hard feel you would expect from an actual sheet of animal parchment. It is a translucent with an ever-so-slight speckle, 100% sulphite, neutral pH paper, available in white and natural and in 3 weights (110, 160, and 230 gsm).

Wyndstone Vellum Tracing Paper

This vellum comes in three weights: 2.5 point/21.25 lb, 3 point/29 lb/42 gsm, and 5 point/40 lb. It comes in two sizes, 19″ × 25″ and 25″ × 38″. It works similarly to Canson Opalux, but is not as readily available as the Canson vellums, unfortunately.

Bristol papers

Bristol papers are usually measured in plies, e.g. 2-ply, 3-ply, and 4-ply. 2, 3, or 4 sheets of paper are glued together to form the various thicknesses. 2-ply is 260 gsm and is my preference. 3-ply is 390 gsm, heftier than a typical watercolor paper, and 4-ply is 520 gsm, way overkill. Bristol can come in vellum or plate finishes and plate is the smoothest. These three Bristol papers print smooth, sharp, and dark. My favorite is Legion Rising Drawing Bristol. Canson Bristol Recycled is ultra-white and a great first foray paper, but I am not sure of its archival qualities nor its makeup. I do know it is not good for new cyanotype because some of the fibers turn the chemistry dark blue immediately and print very fibrous and speckly.

Quick peek

Figure 3.15. Top, Bristol board; bottom, cold pressed paper. Bristol board is ultra-smooth. Cold pressed paper is always textured, but cold press textures can range from very minute eggshell-like bumps to a large pebbly surface.

Canson Bristol Recycled

This 260 gsm paper is probably the whitest paper I tested, making all other papers look off white by comparison. It contains 30% post-consumer materials, making it the only recycled Bristol on the market. One surface is smooth and one is vellum textured. It is available in multiple sizes and pads.

Legion Rising Drawing Bristol

Rising Drawing Bristol’s surface texture is either plate or vellum. Plate finish is as smooth as glass, vellum finish is a lightly textured surface. The paper is made from 100% sulphite, neutral pH, acid free, chlorine free, and heavily sized. Oddly, new cyanotype will show a slight striated texture that classic does not. I love this paper.

Strathmore 500 Series Bristol

This 100% cotton Bristol also comes in an ultra-smooth plate finish or a vellum surface with a more modulated, toothy finish. It comes in 2-, 3-, or 4-ply, in 23″ × 29″ and 30″ × 40″ sizes, as well as convenient 11″ × 14″ and 14″ × 17″ pads. It is the only cotton Bristol of these three.

Figure 3.16. Cream or natural papers complement cyanotype’s blue. The color can run the gamut from almost white to tan. The above papers are placed on top of a piece of Hahnemühle Platinum Rag for a comparison to a natural white paper. From left to right is Canson Bristol Recycled (to compare papers to an ultra-white), Coventry Rag, Arches Cover white, Rives BFK 175 cream, Arches Cover cream, Zerkall Frankfurt, Bockingford oatmeal, and Legion Parchtone to compare to a gold paper.

Papers for your first foray

The following papers represent a range of weights from very thin to watercolor weight, and at the time of this writing, all are under 40¢ an 11″ × 14″. They are great entry-level papers to hone your cyanotype practice because they are easy to coat, come in convenient pads, and are readily available in big box stores like Michaels. Content and buffering are unspecified—never a good thing—but for practice prints, they work wonderfully.

Quick peek

Canson Mix Media

This very white, smooth, 160 gsm paper comes in spiral bound pads of 5½″ × 8½″ up to 18″ × 24″ and when printed “long and strong” with an extended exposure of 48 minutes it is deep, dark, and contrasty. It is thicker and more substantial than Pro Marker and U-Sketch, and clears quickly, so if time is not of the essence or you are exposing out in the sun, this paper is a good choice.

Canson Pro Layout Marker

This 70 gsm quite white paper is available in pads 9″ × 12″, 11″ × 14″, 14″ × 17″, 19″ × 24″, and is an acid free, very smooth paper, whiter than Canson Universal Sketch and quite a bit thinner. It wrinkles and curls up when coating and can coat unevenly, so use a loaded brush to coat; don’t pour it on. I prefer U-Sketch.

Canson Universal Sketch

This 96 gsm paper coats easily, prints smooth and fast, and develops quickly. It comes in a spiral bound pad, is slightly off-white and has the feel of a sturdy typing paper. It is my preference of the thinner papers in this group.

Canson XL Watercolor

300 gsm Canson XL, the typical weight of a watercolor paper, has a unique cold press surface with a sort of striated texture. It is acid free and prints a deep navy blue and is quite sharp. You can’t beat its price for a watercolor weight paper, albeit with an unspecified content.

Papers with color options

A number of the papers in this category have multiple color choices aside from the typical white/ivory/cream colors, which is a great option.

Figures 3.17–3.19. Top is Canson Mi-Teintes which comes in 42 shades and in color packages grouped into bright, fine art, pastel, muted, and portrait colors. The pastel-themed color pack, shown here, is the lightest and most suitable for cyano-type. Middle is Stonehenge Colors, which provides multiple colors in one pad. Bottom is a Fabriano Tiziano “pochette” of colors.

Quick peek

Canson Mi-Teintes

This paper has a vellum texture on the top side and a flat surface on the reverse, sort of like waffle-weave versus eggshell (best). It is 160 gsm, 50% cotton, and comes in 42 shades colored in the pulp to be highly light resistant and acid free. Mi-Teintes papers are available in individual 19″ × 25″ sheets and in 25-sheet packages of 8½″ × 11″ sheets, also color packages grouped into bright, fine art, pastel, muted, and portrait colors. The pastel-themed color pack is the most suitable for cyanotype.

Fabriano Tiziano

Tiziano has a natural woven herringbone-like texture with more texture on one side of the paper, giving a choice of surfaces. It is made from 40% cotton, weighs 160 gsm, has a neutral pH, and comes in 30 lightfast colors. It is similar to Canson Mi-Teintes in regards to weight, color offerings, and quality, but Mi-Teintes is smoother on one side.

Legion Stonehenge Colors

This paper comes in two weights, 250 gsm and 320 gsm. It is a 100% cotton deckled paper made to rival the more expensive European moldmade papers. It is buffered with calcium carbonate, but for some reason prints classic cyanotype well with acid development, with a long, smooth, and deep blue exposure scale. It comes in black, cream, fawn, kraft, natural, pale blue, pearl gray, polar white, steel gray, warm white, and white. The lighter, warm colors juxtapose nicely with cyanotype’s blue. It is internally sized and has a smooth vellum finish.

St. Armand Colors

The St. Armand colored papers are made from cotton and also linen, flax, straw, and jute. The pulp is internally sized. The sheets have four deckled edges and come in white and eighteen colors: white, red, tomato red, blue, black, gold, ivory, sand, brown, dark brown, slate gray, charcoal, caribou, elephant gray, prune, olive, spring green, mineral green, and pink. Papers are 22″ × 30″ and 320 gsm. This is a very textured paper, so if smooth is your preference, stick with St. Armand Old Masters.

St. Armand Old Masters

These papers are thin at 90 gsm and made from linen and cotton rag. The paper is internally sized with four deckled edges. This paper comes in white, ivory, tan, taupe, ochre, light blue, black, denim blue, and jade green. Sheet size is 18″ × 24″. I love Frobisher which is a white paper with a beautiful eggshell texture.

Zerkall German Ingres

This 10% cotton/90% high alpha cellulose, acid free paper has an antique look and comes in fourteen colors. The paper has a lightly textured laid surface and four deckles.

And the list goes on…

The following category contains papers that can be used “as is,” without pre-acidification discussed further along in this chapter, or they are too delicate to go through pre-acidification and further processing. The papers may or may not contain buffering agents; manufacturers don’t always specify if, how, how much, or with what. Where a manufacturer specifies, it is noted. These listed have printed well in classic cyanotype even though they may contain buffering; I’m not sure why some buffered papers print well, where others don’t, but new cyanotype is always the acid test (no pun intended) for the presence of buffering. Note on the paper chart which of these are not suitable for new cyanotype.

I am quite enamored with thinner weight papers because they absorb better, make for less wash off, and print, for the most part, smoother tones.

Quick Peek

Papers in italics sit on the border between not needing and needing pre-acidification.

Arches Aquarelle/Watercolor

This 100% cotton watercolor paper is gelatin sized through and through. It has a neutral pH, is acid free, chlorine free, with no optical brighteners. Sheets have four deckles. The paper comes in two colors, natural and bright white, and three surfaces, cold, hot, and rough press.

Arches Lavis Fidelis/En Tout Cas

This unique paper is moldmade in France of 25% cotton and 75% sulphite, neutral pH and has one side cold pressed and the other side hot pressed. White sheets are 19″ × 25½″.

Figure 3.20. Garzapapel does the most beautiful packaging of their handmade paper. The paper is spiral bound but each sheet has a tear perforation that results is a fourth soft deckle. Both are suitable for new cyanotype.

Arches Text Wove

This is a thin, crisp, softly textured, eggshell-like, fine-grained, cold pressed surface in a natural white, 120 gsm 100% cotton paper. It is nicely absorbent without leaking through to the back. It is acid free and has four deckles. Sheet sizes are 19½″ × 25½″ and 25½″ × 40″. It prints a beautiful deep blue with vinegar or citric acid development.

Canson Edition Etching

Edition Etching comes in four colors—bright white, antique white, cream, and wheat—and is a 250 gsm 100% cotton moldmade paper from France. It has two distinct surfaces, one smooth, one textured.

Canson Montval

Canson Montval watercolor paper is a French-made student watercolor paper with cut edges on all sides. It comes in convenient tape-bound and wire-bound pads, watercolor blocks, and 22″ × 30″ watercolor sheets. It only comes in cold press or rough but the cold press is surprisingly sharp. It prints deep blues and is very reasonably priced for a watercolor paper.

Figure 3.21. The handmade papers here all have distinctive deckled edges and textured surfaces. From top to bottom: Khadi banana paper, Khadi Cotton Rag, and three Indigo papers.

Fabriano Unica

Unica is a 250 gsm acid free, environmentally friendly paper made from 50% cotton. It is available in sheets or pads in ivory and white.

Garzapapel Drawing or Ink-Pen

Garzapapel is a very soft, elegant, natural white, velvety paper that comes in handcrafted pads or sheets. The paper is 100% recycled cotton with no added buffering as it is slightly alkaline naturally. Deckled on all four sides, it is pressed between wet wool felts on both sides to give an artisanal look. Sizes range from about 5″ × 8″ to 40″ × 60″ and from 180 to 600 gsm. I prefer the Drawing paper, a very smooth cold press, and the deckled edges are soft and fuzzy. The paper is made in Spain.

Hahnemühle Cézanne

This 300 gsm paper is 100% cotton rag, internally and surface-sized, mould-made, natural white, acid free, lightfast and extremely resistant to ageing. It is available in matte, rough, and hot pressed surfaces. Of all the Hahnemühle papers other than the best, Platinum Rag, I prefer Cézanne and Turner.

Hahnemühle Turner

Moldmade in Germany, 100% cotton, natural white, acid free and neutral pH, chlorine free, 300 gsm, Turner has a medium cold-pressed surface. It is internally sized with no surface sizing. Sheets are 21.6″ × 28.7″. I like its velvety quality, slight texture, and ability to print deep blues.

Indigo Papers

Indigo papers come in 100% cotton or 75% cotton/25% flax. They are cold press, acid free, internally and externally sized with “natural” gelatin, and have four natural deckle edges and a watermark. They are environmentally friendly papers; no chlorine, bleach, or harmful chemicals are used in their manufacture. The papers come in various weights such as 200, 300, 450, and 650 gsm—under 300 gsm is plenty—and in various sizes up to 22″ × 30″. The color is very yellow-cream, and the texture is heavily woven. They do contain buffering agents.

Khadi Cotton and Plant Papers

Khadi paper is made from cotton T-shirts. The paper is sized internally with an alkaline wax polymer and also externally tub sized with gelatin. These 210 gsm papers are acid free, rough or smooth surfaced, made with no chlorine or bleaching agents. Sheet size is 22″ × 30″ but paper dimensions are approximate because the paper has irregular deckle edges on all four sides. The cotton and plant papers have added plant-based material for natural color and texture. Gunny paper is made from jute sacking, Banana paper is made from chopped banana leaves, and Bagasse paper is made from sugar cane fiber. Gunny is rough, Banana is rough, and Bagasse is rough and smooth. I printed on the Banana paper and it is a rosy color with distinctive flecks and prominent laid lines for a unique look.

Khadi 100% Cotton Rag

This paper is made in India of 100% cotton. It is internally sized with an alkaline wax polymer and surface-sized with gelatin. It comes in various weights (150, 210, 320, 640 gsm) and sizes (6″ × 8″, 12″ × 16″, 22″ × 30″, 27″ × 39″, 8″ × 12″, and 12″ and 22″ diameters) and smooth and rough surfaces. It has a very handmade look and natural color that complements cyanotype well.

Khadi Lightweight Cotton Rag

This comes in a 100% cotton rag or cotton rag/jute mix for the jute colored paper. The sheet size is 17″ × 25″ and weighs 100 gsm. Surface choices are smooth or medium textured. It is a tan-cream color that complements cyanotype well. It performs like a washi or a thin, text weight, soft, handmade paper. I prefer this paper out of the three Khadi offerings listed here.

Legion Bamboo

This paper is an eco-friendly 90% bamboo/10% cotton paper with an acid free neutral pH. It comes in three weights; stick with the thin 105 gsm text weight or the sturdy 265 gsm cover weight because the 530 gsm is more like posterboard.

Legion Coventry Rag

This slightly cream-white paper is internally sized with a modest amount of surface sizing and is dimensionally stable. It has two surfaces, textured vellum and smooth. It is 100% cotton, neutral pH, acid free, and buffered with calcium carbonate.

Legion Domestic Etching

The paper is smooth on one side and has a slight vellum finish on the other. It comes in a larger size, 26″ × 40″, and is 175 gsm. It is internally and externally sized, has a neutral pH, is acid free, is a cream white color that complements cyanotype’s blue, and is made from 50% cotton/50% sulphite.

Legion Folio

Folio is a versatile, American-made 100% cotton paper with a slight vellum finish. The bright white has two deckled edges and two cut edges. The antique white has four cut edges. It is neutral pH, acid free, and 250 gsm.

Figure 3.22. Sometimes papers with laid lines like this print well and sometimes they do not. The bottom paper, Twinrocker Yale, prints beautifully and the inch-wide parallel lines do not show up in the final print. Other times those inch-wide lines show up and do not work with an image as was the case with Canson Ingres, an otherwise beautiful paper.

Legion Lenox 100

This paper is a 100% cotton paper with no deckles, is off white, medium textured, 250 gsm, dimensionally stable, and with a neutral pH.

Magnani Acquerello

This watercolor paper from Italy is 100% cotton, and available in the two typical watercolor paper weights and surface textures, a cold press (Italia) which is a less-textured cold press, and a hot press (Portofino). It has a neutral pH, is acid free, chlorine free, has two natural and two tear deckles (sheets), and is internally and externally sized. Buy this in sheets because the watercolor block performs differently.

Magnani Pescia

This smooth, 300 gsm paper is moldmade in Italy from 100% cotton. It is chlorine free, with a neutral pH. Deckles can vary from no to two natural and two tear deckles. It comes gray, white, cream, soft white, and light blue in 22″ × 30″.

Magnani Revere Book

This is a 100% cotton, moldmade, neutral pH, chlorine free paper, internally sized, with two natural and two tear deckles. It is available in two weights, 120 and 175 gsm, and two colors, white and ivory. Sheet size is 26″ × 40″, and it is quite reasonably priced considering its large size which is 1½× the area of a 22″ × 30″. The paper prints a beautiful blue both in classic cyanotype and new cyanotype; one of my favorites.

Rives Heavyweight

This is not a particularly heavy weight paper since it is only 175 gsm. It is a 100% cotton paper, moldmade in France, neutral pH, internally sized, with two natural deckles and two tear deckles, and comes in white and cream (buff) and sheet sizes of 19″ × 26″ or 26″ × 40″. The paper is actually sturdy enough to pre-acidify but I found it worked well enough un-acidified with acid development. Like all Rives papers, the feel is soft, absorbent, and velvety but it can tend to speckle and require extra solution when coating.

Rives Lightweight

Rives Lightweight is 115 gsm, 100% cotton, moldmade in France, acid free, neutral pH, internally sized, with two natural deckles and two tear deckles. It comes in white and cream (buff) and two sheet sizes of 19″ × 26″ and 26″ × 40″. Like all Rives papers, the feel is soft, absorbent, and velvety but it can tend to speckle and require extra solution when coating. Citric acid development worked well with this paper.

Ruscombe Mill Chateau Vellum

This paper is made from 100% linen, is pH neutral, and is wet and dry cold-pressed to produce a very smooth surface. It comes in bright white and 110 and 180 gsm. Sheet size is 22″ × 30″. This is an elegant paper, much the same as Herschel but unfortunately it does have buffering, so Herschel is the better choice.

Schut Noblesse

This is the premier watercolor paper produced by the Schut mill in the Netherlands. The surface of this 300 gsm paper has undergone a proprietary gelatin sizing process. Made from 100% cotton, acid free, off-white, it comes in sheets and blocks, cold press only.

Figure 3.23. Cream colored paper can range from a peach-cream to a yellow-cream, often not visible unless the papers are placed side by side.

St. Armand White Cotton Paper

This paper is made of 100% cotton rag in a large variety of sizes and shapes with double internal starch sizing and non-animal gelatin surface sizing. The paper varies in weight from 320 to 640 gsm and comes in extra rough, medium, and smooth. It is very textured so buy smooth. Watch clearing! St. Armand papers clear slowly.

Twinrocker Papers

These papers are handmade, sheet by sheet, in Brookston Indiana, and come in all sorts of sizes, weights, and colors. When first looking at the Twinrocker website, it can be a bit daunting because there are so many choices, but here’s how to navigate it: the names such as B-Buff, Biscuit, Dickinson, refer to different colors, not different papers. That narrows down the choices considerably because for cyanotype you’ll probably want to purchase from white to light tan colors (color offerings go all the way to charcoal).

Papers come in six weights: thin text (TT/80 gsm), text weight (T/115 gsm), heavy text weight (HT/200 gsm), light art weight (LA/260 gsm), art weight (A/400 gsm), and heavy art weight (HA/460 gsm). TT is very thin, like a washi, though sturdy. Art weight and heavy art weight are thicker than necessary. I prefer T, HT, and LA weights.

There are choices in paper composition. Cotton and cotton rag are my preferred choices because they print smoothly and evenly.

Papers come in rough, cold, or hot press. Hot press requires a nominal charge of 5–10% because the paper is run through a calendering press. You can choose to have only one side calendered for both a cold and hot pressed surface on one sheet of paper.

In summary my advice is to purchase the cotton or cotton rag papers, calendered on one side, in T, HT, or LA weights, in these colors: May Linen, Cream (these first two are my favorites), Da Vinci, Dickinson, Oyster, Bone, Yale, B-Buff, Biscuit, and White.

All Twinrocker papers are neutral pH without added buffering agents and internally sized with vegan-friendly size. The papers I tested are nicely absorbent; on even the thinnest papers, the solution beads up ever so slightly on the paper surface, and then absorbs into the paper without shooting through to the back. The internal sizing is nicely proportioned. Only the watercolor papers have an additional surface size, made from animal gelatin.

The papers print fast, beautiful turquoise blue, and with a long exposure scale. What intrigues me about Twinrocker papers aside from all that handmade goodness and cyanotype performance is the range of sizes and colors, all with beautiful deckled edges that point to their elegant handmade quality. These are papers you will want to frame showing the paper edges. Note: not all papers are available at all times. It costs $500 each time Twinrocker makes a fresh paper batch, even before one sellable sheet is created. The website is updated weekly with what is in stock. If you are printing a series of cyanotypes that need to match, I recommend buying a quantity of sheets at once.

Velke Losiny Moldau

Moldau 280/360 gsm white paper is handmade in the Czech Republic of 60% cotton and 40% linen, pH neutral, has four natural deckles, a wove surface and a watermark. It is very textured, so if texture is not your thing, use the less textured Moravia or Prague. The Velke Losiny papers clear slowly so watch this. Moldau is available in 11½″ × 16½″, 16½″ × 23″, and 22″ × 30″.

Figure 3.24. This illustrates the difference between a paper that prints more turquoise blue (in this case Hahnemühle Platinum Rag) versus a paper that prints more royal blue to blue-gray (any of the alkaline papers). The differences are usually not this radical, but generally a paper that is slow to print and produces a more gray-blue than green-blue color probably has some alkalinity involved.

Velke Losiny Moravia

Moravia is handmade in the Czech Republic of 85% cotton and 15% linen, pH neutral, four natural deckles and a watermark. It comes in 240 and 360 gsm weights, and a wove and vellum surface. Sizes are 8″ × 11½″, 11½″ × 16½″, 16½″ × 23″, and 22″ × 30″. The Velke Losiny papers clear slowly so watch this.

Velke Losiny Prague

Prague is 85% cotton/15% linen and handmade in the Czech Republic by Velke Losiny. Sheets have four deckles and come in white and cream, a laid surface, and 120 and 170 gsm weights. Sizes are 8″ × 11½″, 11½″ × 16½″, and 16½″ × 23″. Prague, for a thin paper, is still quite textured. This is my favorite of the Velke Losiny offerings here. The Velke Losiny papers clear slowly so watch this.

Zerkall Book

This paper is available in three weights (100 and 145 gsm wove, 125 gsm laid), two surfaces (smooth and vellum), three shades (white, soft white, and cream), and two sizes (20″ × 30″ and 24″ × 34″). It is moldmade in Germany of 10% cotton/90% high alpha cellulose. It has a neutral pH, is acid free, chlorine free, has four deckles, and is buffered with calcium carbonate.

Zerkall Frankfurt

This is a lightweight, cotton/high alpha cellulose, 120 gsm paper with four deckled edges that comes in two sizes, 22″ × 30″ and 25″ × 38″, two surfaces, vellum and smooth, and two shades, white and cream. It has a distinct wavy-lined laid pattern throughout the entire sheet, which makes for an intriguing surface with certain subject matter.

Zerkall Nideggen

Nideggen is a unique lightweight 120 gsm paper in a deep sand color (as deep as a brown paper bag) with the defining characteristic of irregular wavy laid lines. It is made from cotton and high alpha cellulose, has a neutral pH, is acid free, chlorine free, and has two natural and two tear deckles.

Pre-acidifying buffered papers

If the paper is buffered with calcium carbonate, it can be problematic for cyanotype. It will be slow to expose, result in a dullish gray-blue color, and over time the buffering can fade the cyanotype. Most papers are buffered nowadays, and some print so poorly that they’re worthless for cyanotype unless a pre-acid bath of sulfamic acid is used to make the paper suitable. A sulfamic acid bath combines with the calcium carbonate in the paper to make water-soluble calcium sulfamate, which easily washes out of the paper and down the drain. There are plenty of papers already discussed that do not need this extra step, but there are a few excellent papers that are worth pre-acidifying: Fabriano Artistico and Saunders Waterford are two that come to mind.

Sulfamic acid has these benefits:⁴

•  It is easily available at any hardware store

•  It is a dry, odorless, non-volatile chemical

•  It is moderately soluble in water

•  In water it forms a very acid solution, as strong as mineral acids

•  It is less corrosive than other acids (safer to use with stainless steel and uncoated iron materials)

•  It is non-hygroscopic and can be stored in powder form indefinitely

•  The reaction with the paper’s alkaline buffer produces only C02 gas, and no hazardous gas is released

•  The reaction’s by-product is highly water-soluble calcium sulfamate so no water-insoluble by-product is produced

•  It is cost effective and neutralizes the buffer completely with no loss of image quality

•  The treated papers become suitable for every alkaline-sensitive alt process, with no loss of Dmax

•  It does not damage the paper’s fibers much like the other acids.

I know it is a pain to have to do one more step, but some papers are worth it. If it seems like too much work, stick with the papers already discussed.

Sulfamic acid pre-bath

Quadruple this to make a gallon if doing a lot of paper at once. Take caution when mixing and using sulfamic acid! Wear gloves and eye protection. It is a caustic cleaner. Note that this is a 10% solution, but others use as low as a 1–5% solution.

100 g sulfamic acid (about 6 tablespoons) 1000 ml water

1.  Fill a graduate with 750 ml water.

2.  Add the sulfamic acid to the water (AAATW always add acid to water, not the other way around!) and stir.

3.  Add enough water to make 1000 ml.

4.  Keep stirring until it is dissolved, which takes a bit. It is “moderately” soluble.

5.  Once dissolved, pour into a tray.

6.  Meanwhile, presoak paper in plain water until completely wet, 20–30 minutes.

7.  Transfer the paper to the 10% sulfamic acid solution for 15–20 minutes, interleaving the sheets every several minutes. Some papers acidify more quickly.

8.  Once the fizzing noise stops, transfer the paper to plain water and wash it for at least 20-30 minutes to wash out all the calcium sulfamate. In fact, wash the paper as long as possible because if all the acid is not washed out, the paper will fog blue stain in the highlights. Then hang to dry.

Quick Peek

Arches Cover

Arches Cover is a moldmade, 100% cotton paper, internally sized and minimally surface sized. It has a lightly textured cold-press surface, with two natural and two tear deckle edges. Cover is dimensionally stable, acid free, chlorine free, very soft and absorbent, and thus it requires a lot of coating solution or it’ll print grainy. It is buffered with calcium carbonate.

Arches Johannot

Johannot is a 240 gsm moldmade paper from France made of 75% cotton and 25% esparto. It is lightly textured, watermarked, buffered, and has two natural and two tear deckles.

Arnhem 1618

Arnhem is a 100% rag, acid free paper with a semi-smooth, vellum surface and strong, highly absorbent fibers. It is internally and externally sized. It comes in warm white and white, and two weights of 245 or 320 gsm, plus various sizes, including a 100 sheet box of the 245 gsm in 8.5″ × 11″ sheets. This size is under 50¢ a sheet, a great price for a cotton paper.

Bee Watercolor Paper

This is a 300 gsm 100% cotton, acid free paper that I is internally and externally sized, cold pressed, has excellent wet strength, and comes in a variety of sizes.

Bockingford

This is a 100% alpha cellulose paper, internally and externally sized, and buffered with calcium carbonate. It is a bit rougher than a normal cold press. It comes in colors known as the Bockingford Tints: cream, oatmeal, blue, gray, and eggshell. The paper has a neutral pH, is acid free, chlorine free, with no optical brightening agents, and no deckles.

Canson Heritage

Heritage is a 100% cotton paper with a gelatin-free sizing that comes in cold, hot, or rough press, and sheets or hot press blocks sized 9″ × 12″, 10″ × 14″, 12″ × 16″, and 14″ × 20″.

Figures 3.25 and 3.26. Some papers print very grainy. To the left are two paper comparisons, one that prints blue-gray and grainy (left Stouffer’s step wedge and bottom half of the rose, Strathmore Aquarius) and one that prints deep blue and smooth (right side Stouffer step wedge and top half of the rose, Arches Platine). Graininess can result from paper fiber composition, paper sizing, or paper alkalinity. There is no need to settle for an unsuitable, grainy paper unless grain is a necessary visual or conceptual part of the image.

Fabriano Artistico

Artistico is a 100% cotton rag watercolor paper made from cotton balls instead of stretched and beaten cotton fibers which creates a more consistent and even water absorption over the surface and makes it strong and durable. Internal and external sizing without animal by-products produces a more consistent, non-yellowing, smell-free, and more resilient non-scuffing surface. Artistico has deckled edges with the “Fabriano+Artistico” watermark. There are no added whiteners, it is chlorine and acid free, and comes in cold, hot, rough, and soft presses, in traditional and extra white colors.

Fabriano Tiepolo

Featuring a traditional Italian soft white color, this 100% cotton 290 gsm, moldmade, acid free paper has four deckle edges and a beautiful watermark, with a particularly smooth surface.

Fluid 100

Fluid approximates more expensive moldmade papers at a good price. It is 100% cotton, acid free, natural white, internally and externally gelatin-sized and comes in 300 and 640 gsm weights and two surfaces, hot or cold press. It has a very smooth, subtle surface texture and two deckled edges.

Hahnemühle Bamboo

This 265 gsm paper is made from 90% bamboo and 10% cotton rag, with a unique surface and a natural white color. Available in sheets and blocks.

Hahnemühle Lanaquarelle

Lanaquarelle is 100% cotton, acid free, internally and vegan-friendly synthetic surface sized, and buffered with calcium carbonate. It is moldmade in France, pH neutral, with two natural and two tear deckles, and comes in cold press, hot press, and rough. It is a natural white color available in 300 and 640 gsm. Whiter than most watercolor papers, the sheet is popular because it is not heavily sized. It comes in sheets and convenient blocks.

Legion Rising Barrier Paper

This paper is a 250 gsm, single-ply paper with a slight textured surface and light surface sizing. It is 100% cotton, has a neutral pH, is acid free, lignin free, chlorine free, and buffered with calcium carbonate.

Magnani Vergata

This Italian 100% cotton paper is made with the cylinder mould machine slowed down considerably to add more textural laid and chain lines. It has a neutral pH, is acid free, chlorine free, and has four deckles.

Rives BFK

Rives BFK is moldmade in France, 100% cotton, neutral pH, acid free, with no optical brighteners. It is a very soft, velvety, absorbent paper, with moderate internal sizing and buffered with calcium carbonate. Each sheet is watermarked and deckles vary. It comes in multiple weights, colors and sheet sizes, but this one is the 22″ × 30″ 280 gsm.

Figure 3.27. Clemson House © Christina Z. Anderson 2018. Both prints are made with the same negative, paper, and development (vinegar) but the left print was made with a 10/10 classic cyanotype solution (CC) and the right print with a combination classic/new cyanotype solution (SWC). The Dmax of the left print measures 1.36; the right print 1.50. Individually the prints look fully tonal and adequately dark. When compared side by side the difference of a 0.14 in Dmax is readily apparent.

Rives de Lin

Also known as Moulin de Gue, this white paper is a moldmade, acid free and buffered sheet of 85% cotton and 15% linen. It has the look and feel of a handmade paper with long fluffy deckle edges. It is lightly sized with gelatin. Rives de Lin is pH neutral and acid free. The 22″ × 30″ is 270 gsm.

Saunders Waterford

Waterford’s attractive surface is created using natural woolen felts that give it a distinctive random texture. It is moldmade in England, 100% cotton, calcium carbonate buffered, two natural, two tear deckles, neutral pH, acid free, chlorine free, no optical brightening agents, internally starch sized and surface sized with gelatin, with a warm color and good wet strength. It is available in 22″ × 30″ sheets of various weights and rough, cold or hot press surfaces.

Somerset Satin

This is 100% cotton, has a neutral pH, is acid free, chlorine free, free of optical brighteners, and internally and surface sized, with two natural deckles. It is buffered with calcium carbonate. Somerset comes in radiant white, white, soft white, buff, antique, cream, and newsprint.

Winsor & Newton Professional Watercolor

This 300/640 gsm 100% cotton paper is moldmade and comes in sheets and blocks, cold, hot and rough press. It is acid free, with a bright, natural whiteness without optical brighteners. [Note: Winsor & Newton Classic is made from 100% cellulose and is only cold press, and a different paper than Winsor & Newton Professional.]

Dmax—the holy grail?

Dmax is a term that refers to maximum density, or how dark the deepest tone is in a print. A densitometer is used to take numeric measurements of Dmax and thus it enables it to be quantified and compared. Greater Dmax does not mean greater virtuosity in printmaking necessarily, because Dmax is affected by a number of factors outside a cyanotypist’s control. And since color is never seen in a vacuum, some papers, though they may be lower in Dmax compared to others, will still seem beautifully dark, or as Dick Arentz of platinum fame termed it, “convincing black.” We want prints that look convincingly deep and rich, fully tonal, with fully detailed deep blues and highest highlights. To that end, there are ways to maximize Dmax:

•  Choose the right paper, and unbuffered papers or acidified buffered papers often deliver the greatest Dmax

•  If you can’t work in a humid environment, prehumidify the paper; if it is too dry the chemistry dries too quickly on the paper surface and wash off during development occurs

•  Use more ferric ammonium citrate in the mix; 15–20% FAC will deliver slightly greater Dmax than 10% though other problems may occur such as grain and washoff.

•  Use new cyanotype which often results in greater Dmax especially with sulfamic acid development

•  Dilute the chemistry less so there is more chemical on the paper (i.e. new cyanotype diluted to the standard 100 ml instead of 150–200 ml)

•  Use Tween 20™ with new cyanotype which will allow more chemistry to absorb into the paper

•  Develop classic cyanotype in vinegar or citric acid and new cyanotype in citric or sulfamic acid, the latter producing the greatest Dmax with new cyanotype

•  Develop fully and in an acidic bath but watch overall development time so it isn’t longer than necessary; with too long development, cyanotype will wash out of the print

•  Make sure your water is not alkaline; sometimes city water can be alkaline and will bleach the print. If this is the case, acidify all water washes to be slightly acid.

Dmax chart

Dmax was measured on all 136 papers. Around 30% of the papers were eliminated for various reasons such as unsuitability, unpleasing color, sizing issues, extreme grain and mottling, and even a few for cost compared to quality received.

Each paper was printed in classic cyanotype 10/10 and new cyanotype diluted to 200 ml. The particular strengths of formulas chosen was to avoid the inherent problems in each process: grain and washoff in classic cyanotype and splotching in new cyanotype. Thus if a 20/10 classic or a 100–150 ml new cyanotype formula is used, the resulting Dmax will most likely be higher.

Each formula was developed four different ways—no acid, vinegar, citric, and sulfamic—for a total of eight step wedges per paper. Whatever development produced the greatest Dmax is noted here, marked with an N, V, C, or S. For both cyanotype formulas it was often sulfamic acid development, but with classic cyanotype highlight staining has to be watched closely when using sulfamic acid, and vinegar and citric development may therefore be a better choice. Never did non-acid development produce the greatest Dmax. Vinegar development for new or swc cyanotype is not only unsuitable but rarely produced the greatest Dmax. Although none of these measurements are cut in stone—you’d have to print many step wedges of each paper in a particular developer to reliably quantify—patterns emerge suggesting the suitability of at least vinegar and citric acid development for classic cyanotype and sulfamic acid development for new cyanotype.

Dmax was measured with a calibrated X-Rite 810 Densitometer on Visual (V) mode. The column on the far right is paper Dmin measured from the paper’s “white.” Dmax - Dmin = Density Range (DR), for those who want to calculate DR.

The higher the number, the darker the blue. A difference of 0.02 is hardly noticeable. A difference of 0.05 can be seen in a side-by-side comparison. 0.10 is noticeable. All prints looked maximum blue individually, but comparatively, Dmax above 1.4 is very dark. Note that a few of my favorite Twinrocker papers don’t result in the highest Dmax. High Dmax is not always an indicator of excellent papers and, in fact, sometimes happens on unsuitable ones.

PAPER NAME	CC-Dmax	NC-Dmax	Paper Dmin
Arches Aquarelle	1.55s	1.53s	0.06
Arches Cover	1.48s	1.38c	0.05
Arches Johannot	1.35v	1.54s	0.05
Arches Lavis Fidelis	1.50c	1.46s	0.05
Arches Platine	1.52v	1.52v	0.04
Arches Platine Lightweight	1.59s	1.54s	0.06
Arches Text Wove	1.47c	1.39s	0.08
Arnhem 1618	1.49s	1.49s	0.05
Awagami Platinum Gampi	1.64s	1.66v	0.20
Bee Watercolor	1.41v	1.56s	0.04
Bergger Cot 160	1.42s	1.35s	0.04
Bergger Cot 320	1.42c	1.46c	0.06
Bienfang 360	1.35s	1.46s	0.09
Bockingford	1.44c	1.57c	0.03
Canson Bristol Recycled	1.49s	1.59s	0.06
Canson Edition Etching	1.36s	1.43c	0.05
Canson Heritage	1.42v	1.63s	0.04
Canson Mi-Teintes	1.60v	1.35s	0.09
Canson Mix Media	1.45s	1.49v	0.07
Canson Montval	1.47s	1.49s	0.04
Canson Opalux Vellum	1.48s	1.54v	0.38
Canson Pro Layout Marker	1.22v	1.43s	0.14
Canson Universal Sketch	1.25v	1.44s	0.09
Canson Vidalon Vellum	1.55s	1.52s	0.38
Canson XL Watercolor	1.53s	1.58s	0.04
Clearprint 1020HP Vellum	1.42s	1.45s	0.18
Fabriano Artistico	1.50v	1.48s	0.03
Fabriano Tiepolo	1.36s	1.41c	0.05
Fabriano Tiziano	1.46v	1.57s	0.09
Fabriano Unica	1.50s	1.46s	0.07
Fluid 100 HP	1.45s	1.51s	0.05
Garzapapel Drawing	1.43s	1.38s	0.06
Garzapapel Ink-Pen	1.42v	1.59s	0.07
Hahnemühle Bamboo	1.34c	1.49s	0.05
Hahnemühle Cézanne	1.49s	1.55s	0.04
Hahnemühle Lanaquarelle	1.48s	1.62s	0.04
Hahnemühle Platinum Rag	1.50c	1.63s	0.04
Hahnemühle Sumi-e	1.52c	1.59s	0.13
Hahnemühle Turner	1.60s	1.56s	0.05
Indigo 100% cotton	1.34c	1.26s	0.06
Japanese Mulberry/Heavy Kozo	1.50c	1.62s	0.11
Khadi Cotton and Plant Paper	1.43c	1.44s	0.13
Khadi Cotton Rag	1.48s	1.50s	0.09
Khadi Cotton Rag Lightweight	1.38s	1.58s	0.13
Legion Bamboo	1.53s	1.32c	0.04
Legion Coventry Rag	1.43s	1.49s	0.04
Legion Domestic Etching	1.48v	1.49s	0.07
Legion Folio	1.42v	1.74s	0.05
Legion Goyu	1.40c	1.58s	0.25
Legion Lenox 100	1.59s	1.49s	0.04
Legion Masa	1.55s	1.65s	0.15
Legion Parchtone	1.45c	1.57s	0.17
Legion Revere Platinum	1.37c	1.53s	0.04
Legion Rising Barrier	1.31s	1.38s	0.03
Legion Rising Drawing Bristol	1.45c	1.62s	0.05
Legion Stonehenge	1.40s	1.42s	0.05
Legion Stonehenge Colors	1.42c	1.43c	0.06
Legion Thai Kozo	1.45c	1.66s	0.24
Magnani Acquerello Portofino	1.44s	1.56s	0.04
Magnani Pescia	1.48s	1.43s	0.05
Magnani Revere Book 175 gsm	1.52v	1.54s	0.05
Magnani Vergata	1.59s	1.18v	0.11
Pergamenata Parchment	1.53s	1.55s	0.22
Rives BFK 280 gsm	1.33v	1.26c	0.04
Rives BFK Heavyweight 175 gsm	1.51v	1.63s	0.06
Rives de Lin	1.50s	1.49s	0.04
Rives Lightweight 115 gsm	1.32c	1.46s	0.05
Ruscombe Mill Chateau Vellum	1.47s	1.37s	0.08
Ruscombe Mill Herschel Pl	1.28s	1.46s	0.06
Saunders Waterford	1.36s	1.48s	0.07
Schut Noblesse	1.61s	1.42s	0.03
Somerset Satin	1.34v	1.40s	0.04
St. Armand Colors	1.44c	1.50s	0.04
St. Armand Old Masters	1.25c	1.37s	0.07
St. Armand White Rag	1.44c	1.39s	0.04
Strathmore 500 Bristol	1.42v	1.51s	0.05
Twinrocker B-Buff T	1.32c	1.04c	0.09
Twinrocker Biscuit HT	1.26s	1.28v	0.12
Twinrocker Bleached Abaca HT	1.46c	1.46c	0.11
Twinrocker Bone T	1.25s	1.27s	0.12
Twinrocker Cream LA	1.32c	1.30s	0.06
Twinrocker Da Vinci T	1.26s	1.28s	0.12
Twinrocker Dickinson TT	1.25c	1.24s	0.15
Twinrocker May Linen LA	1.47c	1.28s	0.07
Twinrocker Oyster HT	1.34c	1.44s	0.10
Twinrocker White Cotton Rag TT	1.16c	1.21c	0.10
Twinrocker Yale T	1.39s	1.37s	0.11
Velke Losiny Moldau	1.53c	1.41s	0.05
Velke Losiny Moravia	1.42v	1.48s	0.04
Velke Losiny Prague	1.51s	1.44s	0.09
Winsor & Newton Watercolor	1.53s	1.56s	0.04
Wyndstone Vellum	1.51c	1.60s	0.38
Zerkall Book	1.41s	1.47s	0.09
Zerkall Frankfurt	1.49c	1.44c	0.09
Zerkall German Ingres	1.43c	1.53s	0.10
Zerkall Nideggen	1.43c	1.53s	0.25

Quick peek paper chart

This is a summation of the various papers tested. As always, a caveat: take this chart as an overall guide but YRMV—your results may vary.

Although the chart is self-explanatory, there are a few things to note. One, sizing is not always specified and often proprietary, but a vegan customer can always ask if the paper is vegan friendly and get an answer (which means it is or is not sized with animal gelatin). Two, whether or not and how a paper is buffered is often not specified, or specified generically (pH neutral, acid free) but some manufacturers do say their paper is calcium carbonate buffered and it is best to pre-acidify these papers if possible. Three, under cc? note three answers: yes, acidify, or B. The B signifies the paper printed well enough unacidified with classic cyanotype, but was perhaps borderline in need of acidification. Four, although all papers listed are good for classic cyanotype (unsuitable papers have been eliminated from this chapter), darker green highlighted papers are good for both classic and new cyanotype and lighter green are good for both but may require citric acid added to the new cyanotype formula if fogging is a problem.

Endnotes

1. Ware, Mike. Cyanomicon II, History, Science and Art of Cyanotype: photographic printing in Prussian blue. Buxton: self-published, 2016, pp. 177, 276.

2. My tests consisted of Stouffer’s step wedges printed at a baseline printing time (BPT) of 30 minutes on each paper for classic cyanotype, 10 minutes for new cyanotype. From this initial exposure time I could then determine the standard printing time (SPT) for each paper, as papers have different exposure speeds, with some papers printing very slowly and some quite fast. I then developed the step wedges five different ways at first: in plain water, and in water acidified with vinegar, citric, hydrochloric, or sulfamic acid. Halfway through the testing I eliminated hydrochloric acid because of its outgassing nature and sulfamic acid’s equal benefits. From these tests I could observe how the acid development affected paper speed, the color blue it printed, how dark the blue was (Dmax), the exposure scale of the paper whether short or long, if the paper printed grainy or smooth, and which acidified water development worked the best for that particular paper. Finally I used one particular image that has a tonal range from extremely bright highlights to deep shadows, and printed it on each paper, using that paper’s SPT and the acid development that looked best.

3. Paper descriptions have been culled from various websites and catalogs, the paper manufacturers, and most often Legion Paper, Dick Blick, Jerry’s Artarama, and Talas. Most of the time the information is consistent and appears to be paper manufacturers’ official paper descriptions, but if there are mistakes, may the reader forgive me.

4. Bilici, Serdar, “Sulfamic acid for paper acidification”: 2013 http://www.apug.org/forums/forum42/118153-sulfamic-acid-paper-acidification.html. Serdar Bilici wrote up an excellent summation of the sulfamic acid pre-bath and I owe him thanks for all his testing of this chemical. All of the sulfamic acid information is his. There are other chemicals that people use to pre-acidify paper—citric, acetic, hydrochloric, oxalic—and Bilici found sulfamic acid to be the best.