Cyanotype is a photo process discovered in the 19th century. A surface, like paper or fabric is coated with chemicals and once it dries, it becomes sensitive to light. The white areas are not exposed to light, while the dark blue areas are exposed to light. This creates a design or an imprint in the final piece.

A lumen print is created by exposing light sensitive photo paper to light and putting it in a chemical fixer, leaving a design on the finished piece. There are different variables that can be altered to create different colors and effects, such as toning and wetting the paper, adding cyanotype chemistry, or changing the exposure time.