WORKSHOP: Miniature Cyanotype Printing

Sunday, December 20th, 10am – 5pm, 2026
$75  Non-Members
$65  VCP Members
(Register online below)

Think small. Print blue.

Brattleboro is going tiny for the Festival of Miniatures, and we’re joining in with a workshop devoted to very small photographs.

Invented in 1842, cyanotype is one of photography’s earliest printing processes and still one of its most magical. Coat paper with a light-sensitive solution, expose it to UV light, rinse it in water, and watch a rich Prussian blue image appear. There’s no darkroom experience required and no complicated equipment to master, just a little chemistry and the fun of seeing what develops.

We’ll start with the basics, showing you how to mix cyanotype chemistry and coat your own paper. Since freshly coated paper needs time to dry, we’ll have pre-coated materials ready so you can start printing right away.

Then it’s time to make lots of tiny things, including:

• Note cards for sending a little handmade joy
• Bookmarks for your current read or a friend’s
• Shrinky Dink paper, for when small just isn’t small enough
• Other pint-sized surprises

Cyanotype is wonderfully forgiving, and part of the pleasure is in the experimenting. Try an idea, see what happens, and try again. With small formats, you can do that many times in one session and go home with a stack of one-of-a-kind prints to keep or give away, just in time for the holidays.

Bring a few small, flat objects to print with, such as leaves, lace, keys, or anything else that catches your eye (we will also have plenty of materials to play with). 

All ages are welcome, and no previous experience is necessary. If you’ve never made a photograph by hand, this is a great place to start. Some of the best things come in very small packages, and now you can make them yourself.

 

Find a complete list of upcoming workshops and events at VCP here. 

 

Online Registration