Richard Rankin Photography
- Contact Prints
Processes such as Van Dyke and Cyanotype, along with other 'alternative' printing processes use a technique called contact printing. Originally, this was the only method of making photographic prints from a negative.
In contact printing, the negative and sensitised printing paper are sandwiched together, usually under heavy glass, and printed under the sun or another UV light source. The resulting print size and the negative size are the same. So, if you want a larger print, you have to first make a larger negative.
You can make contact prints using enlarger lamps and even room lights, depending on the printing paper in use. These prints can use negatives similar to those used for alternative printing processes, and can be toned, bleached, etc the same as other prints.
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