about the process

the photographic term "alternative process" refers to non-silver processes, some of which use sunlight for exposure, such as van dyke brown (rich chocolately colored prints), gum bichromate (prints any color that can be mixed with watercolors), and cyanotype (deep prussian blue). all three processes also involve a liquid, paint on emulsion and use water for development.

wei h. has been suntanning and sharpening her skills with the 19th century cyanotype process which is one of the most archival photographic processes.

briefly, these are some steps that go into making alternative process print greeting cards:

• paper is cut to size and then cyanotype potion is brushed onto the paper in a dimly lit room.

• after the potion dries, the image negative is sandwiched between the paper and a sheet of glass, clamped tightly and then exposed to sunlight for approximately 10 minutes.

• the paper is then washed in water, soaked in a solution of hydrogen peroxide and water to deepen the blues, washed again in water, and dried.

each handmade card is an original little work of art!