Print with the sun.
Create in Prussian blue.
The Jacquard Cyanotype Set turns sunlight, water and almost any object into hauntingly beautiful deep-blue prints — on paper, fabric, wood and more. No press, no darkroom, no experience needed.
The original blueprint, discovered in 1842
Cyanotype is one of the earliest photographic printing processes, invented by scientist Sir John Herschel in 1842 (Science Museum Group). Botanist Anna Atkins used it to create the first book ever illustrated with photographs — exquisite white-on-blue impressions of algae and ferns. The distinctive prints became so popular for copying plans and documents that we still say “blueprint” today.
Yet despite its 180-year pedigree, cyanotype is one of the easiest creative processes you can try. There is no darkroom, no press and no experience needed — just sunshine, water and a little patience.
And the magic never wears off: watching your first print bloom into deep Prussian blue as it rinses is a moment people remember, whatever their age.
Two bottles.
Around 65 prints.
- Part A — Potassium Ferricyanide, 0.8 oz (22.68 g). The red iron salt that gives cyanotype its famous blue.
- Part B — Ferric Ammonium Citrate, 1.9 oz (53.86 g). The light-sensitive iron salt that reacts to sunshine.
- Full illustrated instructions — mix equal parts with water, coat, expose, rinse. That’s it.
(~50 on fabric)
That works out at around 26p per print — an afternoon of making for under £17.
Sunshine in, Prussian blue out
Four simple steps from bottle to beautiful print. If you can brush water onto paper, you can make a cyanotype.
Mix
Stir equal parts of A and B into water. The solution keeps for months in a cool, dark place.
5 minutesCoat & dry
Brush or dip onto paper, fabric or wood, then dry in the dark. The pale green secret is now waiting.
Air dryExpose
Lay on leaves, lace, keys, toys — or a printed photo negative — and leave in the sun. Watch it turn bronze-green.
5–20 minutesRinse & reveal
Wash in cold water and watch the shadows bloom into deep Prussian blue as the print dries. Pure magic.
The payoffWatch the magic happen
The official Jacquard demonstration: mix, coat, expose and rinse — a complete sun print in under five minutes.
Video: “Sunprinting with the Cyanotype Set” by Jacquard Products — opens on YouTube.
If it’s natural or porous, it’s printable
One little set opens up seven different surfaces — from fine silk scarves to scavenged driftwood.
Heads-up: the chemistry is designed for natural fibres, so synthetics like polyester won’t take the print.
One set, four kinds of creative
Mixed-media artists
Layer dreamy blues into collage, book art, journaling and mark-making — every shadow becomes a texture.
Photographers
Print full-resolution photographs from inkjet digital negatives — a proper darkroom alternative, no darkroom required.
Quilters & stitchers
Print your own botanical fabrics for quilts, cushions and hoop art — every piece of cloth one of a kind.
Families & classrooms
A hands-on art-meets-science activity for all ages. Safe once rinsed, endlessly repeatable, and genuinely magical.
Customers love it
“Good product”
Five stars from a verified buyer.
Frequently asked questions
Two pre-measured bottles of sensitizer chemistry with full instructions: Part A, Potassium Ferricyanide (0.8 oz / 22.68 g) and Part B, Ferric Ammonium Citrate (1.9 oz / 53.86 g). Just add water.
Approximately sixty-five 8″×10″ prints on paper, or around fifty 8″×10″ prints on fabric — all from one set.
Any natural fibre or porous surface: cotton, linen, silk, canvas, paper and card, wood and leather. The chemistry is designed for natural fibres, so synthetics such as polyester are not suitable.
Exposure typically takes 5 to 20 minutes in bright sunshine (longer on overcast days). You’ll see the sensitizer turn a bronze-green colour when it’s ready to rinse.
Yes. Print any photo as an inverted black-and-white negative onto inkjet transparency film, place it over the sensitised surface and expose to sunlight for a full-resolution photographic cyanotype.
Rinse the print in cold running water until the water runs clear, then leave it to dry. The iconic Prussian blue deepens and fixes fully as the print dries over the next 24 hours.
Yes, with sensible precautions. Wear gloves when mixing and handling the concentrated chemistry, keep bottles out of reach of small children, and supervise younger makers. Once rinsed and dried, finished prints are completely safe to handle.
The Jacquard Cyanotype Set is in stock in the UK at our Lincolnshire warehouse and is despatched the same working day on orders placed before our cut-off time.
Start printing with the sun
In stock at our Lincolnshire warehouse — order today and it’s on its way the same working day. Your first Prussian blue print is about 30 minutes of sunshine away.
No-hassle refunds • Satisfaction guaranteed • Genuine Jacquard product (SKU F-JCY1100)
