Vandyke brown kit

Description

Three solutions for silver-iron contact printing: a warm brown image on paper, exposed by ultraviolet and developed in water.

What the process is

Vandyke is a simplified relative of the calotype: iron salts under UV reduce silver directly in the paper fibres. The image is not silver-gelatin but embedded in the sheet, which is where its matte depth and the warm brown tone it is named for come from.

In practice

You need a contact negative the size of the print, unbuffered paper and a UV source. After exposure the print is washed, fixed and washed thoroughly — the washing is what decides how long it lasts.

Questions and answers

Can a Vandyke be toned?

Yes, with gold or selenium — which both shifts the tone cooler and markedly improves permanence.