The UV light is most intense and the angle of the sun will help print a crisp picture. But you wont be creating an image for construction. Blueprinting on a Clear Summer DayThe best time of day to print your fabric is around noon when the sun is overhead and the sky is clear. All youll need are gloves and perhap an apron or old clothes and a drop cloth to keep things from being stained. Youll be working with treated fabric. Next, I print the negative on a transparency sheet. If you leave your fabric to dry outside, it will fade over time. You may also choose to pin the objects to the treated fabric. Put a piece of glass or acrylic non-UV coated on top of the design.Dry flowers and leaves pressed flatRibbons and feathersStencilsFilmImages drawn or stamped on clear acrylicPhotos negatives printed on clear transparenciesI use photo imaging software to change a scanned or digital photo to a negative. Preparing to Make BlueprintsBlueprinting on fabric begins with the fabric being saturated with a solution of two chemicalsammonium ferric citrate and potassium ferricyanide water soluble iron salts, which react to UV light producing the compound Prussian blue. If the acrylic or glass is not at least as large as the fabric, lines will print. It is best to use a natural fiber such as cotton, rayon or silk. With white fabric, youll see the print appear in white and blue. Loveland, Colorado: Interweave Press, 1995. Also, select a place that is wind-free; any movement will produce a fuzzy picture. Try to do this quickly. Consequently, movement will be prevented and light wont be able to expose the covered area. Also, before you begin your project, wash the fabric to remove sizing and conditioners, which would interfere with the chemical reaction.After thoroughly rinsing the fabric, hang it to dry inside.The fabric color will appear in non-exposed areas after rinsing if the objects covering those areas are opaque. If you have fuchsia fabric, the print will be purple and fuchsia; yellow fabric will produce a green and yellow print; turquoise will produce a blue-green and turquoise print. If you use a fabric of cotton and polyester blend, the background color will Dry Wipes Material Suppliers not be a rich indigo blue and may fade in time. It is better to hand wash than machine wash.How to Make Blueprints on Fabric Using the Sunby: Diana ClarkeIf youre looking for something fun and creative to do this summer, consider blueprinting, an alternative photographic process. If you use a powder detergent with phosphate, your print will fade or contain yellow or brown blotches. Care of Your Printed FabricWhen you need to wash the fabric, always select a non- phosphate liquid soap such as Woolite or Dove. You should be indoors away from the sunlight when you do this. Fixing the BlueprintAfter 2-15 minutes (depending upon the time of day and year when your fabric becomes dark green, bring the fabric inside and rinse it in a tub of water. Kids would also love to do this easy and fun activity.The blueprinting process or cyanotype was invented in 1842 by an English astronomer, Sir John Herschel. Although you will have a few minutes, the treated fabric will start to change color slowly. Blueprints on Fabric: Innovative Uses for Cyanotype. Today the standard blueprint process contains blue lines on a white background. This will help maintain close contact between the design and the treated fabric. In this way, shadows and a fuzzy picture can be avoided. When you are ready to begin, place a large piece of plywood or foam board on a table and take the treated fabric out of the lightproof bag. With gentle care, your fabric will fabric will Source: Hewitt, Barbara. If you want to have it drycleaned, take a swatch to the cleaners for testing. The treated fabric is safe to use. Keep rinsing until the water is clear. The non-exposed chemicals will rinse out. If the sun is low in the sky, youll need to prop up your treated fabric so that it will be perpendicular to the sun. You may wish to design a scarf, t-shirt, or any other garment or fashion accessory. Place the fabric on the support and add to the fabric the objects that will create a design. But it wasnt until the industrial revolution that the process was used widely to copy drawings by architects, builders, and engineers. You can also make an art print to frame and display. If the objects are transparent or transluscent, light will get through and expose that area of the print. Instead, youll learn how to use the sun to transform a design into a work of art on fabric. A blueprint used to contain white lines on a blue background. Therefore, you wont need to mix any chemicals. After that, I place the sheet on the fabric and cover the transparency and fabric with non-UV coated acrylic.