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Alternative process

Van Dyke Brown

BeginnerModerate hazard
An iron-silver printing-out process producing warm brown tones reminiscent of Flemish painter Anthony van Dyck. Relatively simple chemistry with moderate archival permanence when toned.
Difficulty
Beginner
Hazard level
Moderate
Category
Iron based
Reading time
12 min
Invented
1895

Moderate hazard

Silver nitrate is corrosive (causes serious eye damage) and an oxidiser; its skin stains wear off as skin renews. Ferric ammonium citrate and tartaric acid irritate eyes. Gloves and eye protection.

At a glance

Image characteristics

Warm brown tones on cream base; printing-out process with visible image during exposure; soft highlight rendering

Key chemicals

  • Ferric ammonium citrate
  • Tartaric acid
  • Silver nitrate

Historical Context

The process descends from Sir John Herschel's argentotype of 1842. Its direct ancestor, the "Braundruckverfahren" (brownprint), was patented in Germany in 1895 by the Frankfurt firm Arndt & Troost. The name "Van Dyke brown", after the brown pigment named for the Flemish painter Anthony van Dyck, came into use much later, in the late 1930s or early 1940s. It is also called "brownprint" or "sepia print".

Chemistry

Three-Solution Method

Solution A — Ferric Ammonium Citrate

ComponentAmount
Ferric ammonium citrate (green)27 g
Distilled water100 ml

Solution B — Tartaric Acid

ComponentAmount
Tartaric acid4.5 g
Distilled water100 ml

Solution C — Silver Nitrate

ComponentAmount
Silver nitrate12 g
Distilled water100 ml

Working Solution Preparation

  1. Under subdued light, add Solution B to Solution A and stir
  2. Slowly add Solution C to the combined A+B, stirring continuously
  3. Filter if any precipitate forms

Shelf Life: Van Keuren reports 6 months to a year or more in a dark brown bottle. After about a year the sensitiser may no longer give rich continuous tone, though it can still serve for high-contrast images. Discard it if a heavy precipitate forms.

Procedure

  1. Paper preparation: Select a smooth, well-sized cotton paper; Arches Platine, Bergger COT 320, BFK Rives and single-ply Strathmore 500 are used by Van Keuren (she advises against two-ply Strathmore 500). Some practitioners pre-shrink paper by soaking and drying.

  2. Coating: Under subdued tungsten light, apply sensitiser with brush or rod. Van Dyke is a printing-out process so the paper colour indicates sensitivity—it should be pale yellow-tan when dry.

  3. Drying: Dry in darkness. Dry for at least 10 minutes in the dark, then finish with a hairdryer if you like (Van Keuren). Dry the paper completely before exposing.

  4. Exposure: Contact print under UV light. This is a printing-out process—you can see the image forming. The print looks underexposed before processing: expose until the upper mid-tones just begin to show detail, because the image darkens considerably during processing and drying. Judge test strips only when fully dry.

  5. Water rinse: Immediately after exposure, rinse in cool water for about 2 minutes, with agitation, to remove excess sensitiser (Van Keuren).

  6. Fixing: Fix for 2 minutes with agitation in a non-hardening paper-strength fixer diluted 1:20 (Van Keuren uses 3 oz of fixer in 60 oz of water, without alum hardener). Longer fixing can bleach the image.

  7. Washing: Wash thoroughly in cool running water. Van Keuren's class average is about 10 minutes; thick, soft papers such as BFK Rives take longer than thin, hard ones.

  8. Toning (recommended): Gold or palladium toning improves archival stability and can shift colour. It goes between the water rinse (step 5) and fixing (step 6); see Gold Toning below.

  9. Drying: Air dry or blot and dry flat.

The contact printing frame for a printing-out exposure: negative emulsion side down, coated paper against it, glass towards the light. A split back lets you lift one half to watch the image form.

Fixing and Archival Concerns

Van Dyke Brown prints have historically had archival concerns due to incomplete fixing leaving residual silver salts that can continue to print out or degrade. Proper fixing and toning are essential for permanence.

Fixing Bath Formula

ComponentAmount
Paper-strength fixer, non-hardening1 part
Cool water20 parts

Fix for 2 minutes only. Replace the fixer after about every 8 x 10 in print plus a test strip (Van Keuren). Over-fixing can bleach the image.

Gold Toning (Recommended)

Gold toning before fixing dramatically improves archival permanence:

  1. Rinse exposed print in water
  2. Immerse in the gold toning bath and agitate. For cooler tones let the print tone until no further change is seen; for warmer red-brown tones pull it earlier (Bostick & Sullivan). Prints without gelatin, like Van Dyke, tone much faster than gelatin POP paper
  3. Rinse briefly
  4. Fix normally
  5. Wash thoroughly

Gold Toner Formula

ComponentAmount
Distilled water1 litre
Gold chloride (0.2% solution)50 ml
Ammonium thiocyanate (2% solution)50 ml

If toning before fixing causes staining, try toning after fixing and rinsing instead.

Comparison with Kallitype

Van Dyke and kallitype are often confused as they produce similar results:

AspectVan Dyke BrownKallitype
Iron compoundFerric ammonium citrateFerric oxalate
Process typePrinting-outDevelop-out
ControlLessMore (via developer choice)
ComplexitySimplerMore complex
Tonal rangeGoodExcellent

Troubleshooting

ProblemLikely CauseSolution
Image too lightUnderexposure; over-fixingIncrease exposure; reduce fixing time
Muddy highlightsOverexposure; contaminated paperReduce exposure; use fresh paper
Uneven tonesUneven coating or dryingImprove technique
Fading over timeIncomplete fixing; no toningTone prints; fix properly
StainingInsufficient washing; contaminationExtend washing; use clean trays

Safety

ChemicalHazardPrecautions
Ferric ammonium citrateCauses skin and eye irritationGloves and eye protection
Tartaric acidCauses serious eye damageEye protection; gloves
Silver nitrateCauses severe skin burns and eye damage; oxidiser; very toxic to aquatic lifeGloves and eye protection essential; keep away from combustible materials; do not pour down the drain. Black skin stains are not permanent and wear off as the skin renews
Sodium thiosulfateLow toxicityStandard precautions
Gold chlorideCorrosive: causes skin burns and eye damage; may cause an allergic skin reaction; harmful if swallowedGloves and eye protection
Ammonium thiocyanateHarmful if swallowed, inhaled or in contact with skin; releases very toxic gas in contact with acidsGloves; keep away from acids

Further Reading

Don Nelson, Kallitype, Vandyke Brown, and Argyrotype: A Step-by-Step Manual of Iron-Silver Processes Highlighting Contemporary Artists (Routledge, 2023) Part of the Contemporary Practices series. Over 40 papers tested, extensive toning chapter covering gold, platinum, palladium, and selenium. The definitive modern reference for Van Dyke Brown.

Christina Z. Anderson, Gum Printing and Other Amazing Contact Printing Processes (self-published, 2013) 336 pages with 500 illustrations. Contains coverage of Van Dyke Brown alongside kallitype, cyanotype, argyrotype, and other iron-based processes.

Christopher James, The Book of Alternative Photographic Processes, 3rd Edition (Cengage Learning, 2015) The definitive comprehensive text on alternative processes, with detailed coverage of Van Dyke Brown.

Mike Ware's website (mikeware.co.uk) Free downloads of technical papers covering iron-silver processes and their chemistry.

Sources

This guide combines established practice with community experience. Always follow safety precautions and cross-reference with primary sources before mixing chemicals.