Halloween cyanotypes: bats, a moon and autumn leaves

Create blue Halloween cards with paper silhouettes and autumn leaves. Follow the coating, contact-printing and exposure-test steps, with troubleshooting tips.

By Cyanoprints

October 9, 2026 4 min read

Halloween cyanotypes: bats, a moon and autumn leaves

Halloween does not have to be orange and black. White bats and a moon stand out against deep-blue cyanotype paper, while autumn leaves create a botanical border. Opaque paper masks block the light to produce pale shapes; you do not need to paint them white afterwards.

Illustrative example; follow the instructions for your own materials.

Your project at a glance

Arrange opaque bat and moon masks with flat leaves on dry coated paper. Make an exposure test, expose with close contact and rinse according to your kit instructions.

Coat
Expose
Rinse

Result: Blue cards with white silhouettes
Planning: Allow for coating drying, an exposure test and drying the finished print.

Jump to the steps →

Materials to prepare

Choose the Cyanotype Starter Kit if you need a basic set, or the Refill Kit if you already have the tools. Prepare sturdy paper such as Clairefontaine Goldline Aquapad, a coating brush, opaque dark paper, scissors, dry leaves, a suitable contact plate and a rinsing tray. Follow your kit’s mixing and safety instructions; do not borrow concentrations from a different formula.

Choose what you need

Choose the Starter Kit or the Refill Kit. Check what your kit already contains. Place the UV-transmitting acrylic contact plate over the paper and motifs; choose a size that covers the entire print. The foam brush is for coating and the gloves are for handling the chemistry.

Kit: choose starter or refillCyanotype Starter KitView product →

Kit: choose starter or refillCyanotype Refill KitView product →

Sturdy paperClairefontaine Goldline Aquapad paperView product →

Contact plate for exposureUV-transmitting acrylic contact plateView product →

Brush for coatingFoam brushes for cyanotypeView product →

Gloves for handling chemistryNitrile glovesView product →

Plan your composition for autumn light

Arrange a trial layout on ordinary paper before exposure. Put the moon above the bats and leave blue space between their wings and the leaf border. Small cut-outs can be fragile; a simple bat with broad wings is easier to keep flat. Flatten and dry leaves in advance. Keep a test strip from the same coated paper so an exposure test does not use up your design. Allow time for rinsing and drying before mounting cards.

Make your Halloween cyanotype card

Left to right: opaque masks on coated paper, exposure with close contact, the rinsed and dried blue print. Illustrative example; follow the instructions for your own materials.

Design the pale shapes. Cut out two or three simple bats and a moon. Hold the mask paper up to a light: translucent paper will not block all the exposure. Add a second layer if necessary.
Coat the paper. Apply the prepared emulsion evenly in subdued light, following the kit instructions. Use a thin layer without puddles. Dry completely, protected from UV light.
Arrange a trial composition. Use one or two leaves for the border and leave space around the moon. Covered areas remain pale; open areas turn blue. Avoid piling every shape on top of another.
Ensure close contact. Keep the shapes against the coated paper under a suitable contact plate. Curled leaves and raised masks make softer edges. Dry, flat materials give more predictable outlines.
Test the exposure. Make a small test strip in the same conditions. No single time works on every autumn day: UV intensity, cloud cover, time of day, coating and the contact plate affect the result. Use the test to choose the exposure for your card.
Rinse and dry. Remove the masks and rinse as directed until excess emulsion has been removed. Dry the print flat. Judge the final blue after drying and further oxidation.

From one test to a set of cards

Photograph a successful arrangement and record the test conditions. Keep the same coating and setup for subsequent cards, but test again when the light changes. Dry prints completely before mounting them on card. A pale border also makes framing easier.

Troubleshooting your print

Blurred bat: check contact and mask opacity first. Pale print: compare a longer exposure test and check that the emulsion was prepared correctly. Lost details: simplify the silhouette or choose a flatter leaf. Our cyanotype exposure guide explains testing. Read the cyanotype safety guide too. Use protection specified by your product instructions, work away from food and keep chemicals away from children.

Frequently asked questions about Halloween cyanotypes

Can I make this on a cloudy autumn day?

Yes, when usable UV exposure is sufficient, but do not assume a summer exposure time. Test in the actual conditions. Strongly changing light makes an identical series less predictable.

Why is the moon not clean white?

Check whether the mask was completely opaque and in close contact. Also check that rinsing followed the kit instructions. Change one factor at a time in the next test so you can identify what helps.

Do I need a photographic negative?

No, not for these silhouettes. Opaque paper shapes and leaves are your light masks. A photographic negative is another way to transfer an image, but it is not required for this simple contact project.

Finish without losing details

Trim or mount the card only after complete drying. Leave a pale border for a handwritten message. Keep test notes with the composition photograph: they are more useful next time than remembering an exposure time without its conditions.

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