What went wrong?
My cyanotype prints wash out pale
The blue is weak or the image fades in the wash, leaving a pale print.
Check this first
Did the sensitised paper look bronzed and greyish-blue in the shadows before you washed it?
Likely causes
- 1.
Underexposure
Common- How to tell
- The shadows never turned bronze-grey before washing.
- Fix
- Expose longer. Use a step test, and expose until the shadows look bronzed.
- 2.
Alkaline wash water or paper
Common- How to tell
- The blue bleeds or fades in the wash. Common with hard water or buffered papers.
- Fix
- Add a little citric acid or white vinegar to the first wash, and use an unbuffered paper.
- 3.
Sensitiser not absorbed, or old sensitiser
Occasional- How to tell
- Uneven or patchy blue even with good exposure.
- Fix
- Use fresh mixed sensitiser, a sized paper, and let the coating dry in the dark.
Avoiding it next time
- Run a step test for each paper.
- Acidify the first wash in hard-water areas.
Go deeper
Last checked October 2026. Seen something different? Tell us.