Not all chemical reactions happen when solutions are mixed - some occur with heat or light. Some chemical reactions cause visible changes.

Cyanotype sun printing is a great way to make use of the summer sun, and while you can purchase pre-made sunprint paper, these often come on very thin, very low-quality paper. Plus, if you get the two solutions that combine to make cyanotype prints you can do fabric printing too!

The process will combine two solutions that are non-toxic to the touch but should be used under adult supervision. We suggest using droppers or gloves and make sure that kids don't ingest the solutions.

You have likely seen cyanotype used in real life as it was often used to create blueprints, the architectural drawings with a distinctive blue color. Cyanotype solutions, ferric ammonium citrate, and potassium ferricyanide come separately and combine to form a light-sensitive permanent pigment.

When exposed, the UV light causes the citrate in the ferric ammonium citrate to give up one of its electrons to an iron atom that originally shared three electrons (which can be written as FeIII). This additional electron turns the FeIII into FeII, an iron atom that shares only two electrons. The new FeII now reacts with the potassium ferricyanide to create a permanent blue pigment called "Prussian Blue". That means this project uses the sun to begin a chemical reaction!

Below we will walk you through the process of making your own sun print paper or fabric to create your own unique cyanotypes as you engage in this fun chemistry meets art project.