SoLaT Digital Negatives
Digital Negative Creator
The Tool:
The Cyanotype Network
The Workflow
1 · Load your source image
Load an image, then set its orientation.
• Rotate ↺ / ↻
• Flip ⇋ / ⇅
**Flip matters for images with text**
2 · Tone
Applied to the whole image equally.
Gamma adjusts the Midtones without touching the base white and black.
• Exposure [Brightness] (−100 to +100, default 0)
• Contrast [Punch] (0.40 to 2.40, default 1.00)
• Gamma [Midtones] (0.30 to 2.80, default 1.00)
3 · CLAHE
Contrast-Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization
The tone sliders from above adjust all pixels across an image the same.
CLAHE divides the frame into a grid and adjusts each grid tile against the grid tile neighbors, resulting in a more ‘local’ contrast
• Apply CLAHE [Small regions of contrast] toggle (on by default)
• Clip limit [How much extra contrast] (1.0 to 10.0, default 3.0)
• Tile grid [Size of the grid] (1 to 16, default 8)
4 · Sharpen
Smaller radius = Finer details
larger radius = Thicker lines
• Amount [Edge definition] (0 to 200%, default 0)
• Radius [How far past the edge] (1 to 6, default 2)
5 · Tone curve
• Linear
• Highlight rolloff (Compresses the bright end)
• Lift shadows (Raises the dark end)
• S-curve (Adds contrast through the mid’s)
6 · Output & invert
A negative exported at 0–255 will print with dead shadows. Tighten in each side to reflect Histogram located below the image preview.
• Out black (0 to 255, default 0)
• Out white (0 to 255, default 255)
• Invert to negative
The Output Histogram
This bar shows the distribution of the final negative with a marker on the mean. The data should sit visibly inside the frame with empty space at both ends. If it’s jammed against either side wall, your caps are still too wide and you’ll lose some details.
Logs
The Log tracks each setting:
Note these details for future negative creation reference points and to recall individual print details.
Orientation 90° ·flipH
Tone ev 12 · con 1.18 · γ 0.86
CLAHE clip 3.4 · 8×8
Sharpen 65% · r2
Curve 5 pts
Output 32–228 · inverted
7 • Export
The preview is downscaled for speed. Export re-runs the entire pipeline at your source image’s native resolution, so the file you get is full quality.
The Tool
The Cyanotype Network
F.A.Q.
The print is far too pale overall.
Lower “Out white”, or raise “Exposure” in the Tone panel. Also check your UV exposure time.
The print is too dark, with no white anywhere.
Raise Out white, or lower Exposure in the Tone panel. Accommodate UV exposure accordingly
Shadows are a single flat blue with no detail.
Raise “Out black” in the Output panel.
Fine areas look noisy or grainy.
CLAHE clip limit is too high for the image. Lower it, or drop the tile grid.
The image text is mirrored/backwards after developing.
Flip ⇋ in the Source panel, and check which way up you’re laying the film.