For the past few summers I have been casually experimenting with cyanotype prints. I like the process, I like mixing the solution, coating the paper and washing out the final prints. I love the atmosphere created by the deep blue. It's very hands-on, it's very immediate. It's very me.
This summer I didn't want to have to wait for a sunny day to print, and I wanted more control. You can make a simple exposure device with a UV bulb and a cardboard box, but I wanted more than that. So I started sketching, looking at the wood we had lying around from previous DIY projects, and making a cyanotype exposure unit/paper storage cabinet.
Initially, the concept was to have four plan chest-style paper drawers on top, including one with a hinged door to be light-safe for storing coated papers. Below, there would be four adjustable shelves so paper of different sizes could be exposed at different distances from the bulb.
Close to the bulb for small prints and quick exposure times, and further away for larger prints with longer exposures.
As I started to build it, it became apparent that three storage drawers and three shelf heights were going to work better. A good build, like a good print, is fluid in its making and you've got to make changes as you go. The first sketch is a rough guide, not a rigid plan.
Each shelf is adjustable. It's useful to have shelves on each level so the cabinet can also be used to leave coated paper to dry in a light-safe environment. You can see blue marks on the shelves where coated paper has been left to dry.
Also worth noting is that I painted the inside white and used white shelves. This helps reflect the UV light onto the print and helps keep exposure times down.
Here you can see the light-safe drawer with its door hooked open. I was keeping coated paper in here. Once the paper was coated and dried, I kept it between sheets of cardboard and then wrapped it in a black rubble sack. This keeps the paper as light-safe as is needed for cyanotypes.
I'm really pleased with how this worked out, I have a few minor tweaks to make for next summer but this is a massive upgrade on making the prints outside in the sun!
I made a whole series of different prints with unit, these are detailed in a separate blog post!