Nature Print Paper - NPP40 Sun Activated, 5 x 7 Inches, Pack of 40 - 1006385

I was an art teacher at a museum and we used this paper to make printed faces from natural objects. This product was successful with both kids and adults. I would teach 80-100 kids a day, so this paper provided a very easy and economical art activity. This is a quick, low budget way to create a wow moment with the kids, and also a great way to sneak in some steam action into your art lessons (and art history!). The kids loved watching the paper change colors in the sun, and removing their objects to reveal the prints left behind. Here in the Florida sun it takes about 1-2 minutes to create a perfect print. Talk about instant gratification! To finish the process the kids got to soak their prints in water, which again reversed the colors of the print! Two wow moments in one twenty minute art lesson?! Awesome! Will be buying again.

So fun to play with! On my walks now I’m always on the lookout for more cool specimens. The size and quantity (half sheet, 40 pages) is just right for experimenting with. Comes with plexiglass to hold down your objects so they don’t blow away. Fun for most ages; anyone can do it, but to get the most out of the sheet kids would need guidance to fill their page. Encourage patience if you do it with young kids since you have to expose the sheet for up to 2 min (less in midday direct summer sunlight) and there’s not much to see at that point. The sheet reacts with water quickly when you want to stop the photo reaction and kids would find it cool to watch, but it takes hours for the blue to take its final deep shade. I had even more fun with it than the kids!

I picked these up to use in a summer camp for K-2 and the kids absolutely loved them. The images "develop" in water so you can watch the image appear. I would say the only draw back of these is that it's difficult to pull just one sheet from it's lightproof bag - the paper is thin and tends to stick together. It can also be unclear which side top lay upwards facing the sun. We blew through a few of these because of those factors. I had 14 kids and each of them got one page, plus we lost about 4 or 5 due to the issues mentioned above, but I have plenty left over (I bought 2 packets) and can use them again next summer. Their 5x7 size is perfect for framing and the possibilities are endless for creativity.

I love working with solar print paper, and this has been my go-to brand for a long time. It works fairly well, and I’ve gotten some fantastic prints over the years. That being said, there is a bit of a learning curve to it. Not every paper is created the same, and different areas of the world will have different intensity of solar exposure. With any solar paper, the instructions are more like…”guidelines than actual rules.” It’s a starting place, but you really need to do your own experimentation to get the best results. For instance: I live in New Mexico, and our sun is intense, so on a sunny day (which is just about everyday), I only need to expose the paper for 50 seconds. The instructions say until the paper turns white, which is a bit ambiguous, so I’ve learned that 50 seconds max for my region if I don’t want over-exposed prints…but I’ve had to put in the time to figure that out…I also just do a quick rinse (less than 3 seconds) to develop. It would’ve been good if the instructions had said that some experimentation was necessary for the best results. I have found this to be true with all other brands I’ve used. The paper is thin, but that hasn’t been a deal breaker for me. Though because it is thin, make sure not to lay it flat to dry, as it will curl, and the water may pool, wrecking your print. I’ve come back to using this particular brand because of the low cost, and the amount of paper in the package. It’s been cost effective for me to do these with students, and we’ve gotten results that are just as beautiful with this paper as we have with the expensive ones. If you’re just starting out, or doing these with students and need to buy a lot, this is a good, consistent brand.

I got this to use with young children, so was looking for something g easy to use. This fit the bill! The small paper size is good for learning how to use it, and there are plenty to practice with. After you leave the paper in the sun for just a few minutes it turns light blue and is ready to rinse in water (I added a bit of hydrogen peroxide to speed it up, but you don’t need to.) First try was perfect! Planning to make many more.

This is great for printmaking and is easy to use. Following the directions is fairly straight forward but need to follow these as timing for exposure can be critical. The prints came out very clear and it is fun experimenting with different materials. The paper is a great size for most projects. I highly recommend using plexiglass or glass over the objects you want to print, especially if they are light in weight such as feathers or plant materials.

Paper is too thin ...and the value of the blue is dull ... bit it is a good starter pack given price.

These definitely are money well spent. I would say try experimenting with the paper and levels of sunlight/UV index when you are using them as when I first did it I just followed the instructions that came with them, however I had to adjust so a tester is definitely key. They are great for all ages and this is a perfect size for fun items you can find on a nature walk etc.

Fun! Works as advertised!

This stuff is great. My 5 year old son loves it. He was introduced to it in school and asked us to get him some for home. Of course Amazon had it. Works as it is supposed to.

Although this is a great activity to do with kids it is short-lived. Once an image has been created - that light-sensitive paper means the image won't last long even in indirect light.

I gave several cyanotype workshops using this paper and its works really well with all weather, except of course rain. 1-2 minute exposure for sun or bright cloudy, 4 min. exposure for grey cloudy skies. Add a small squirt of Hydrogen Peroxide to the water wash to have the image turn dark blue instantly. More wow effect, than having to wait 3 hours for it to turn dark blue. This info is not on the instructions, but they should really add it. I tried several different types of pre coated paper and this is the best deal $20 cdn for 40 sheets. The paper is thin, but hold together well when wet.

I've tried every brand of sunprint paper and this works best for me. It makes consistently good quality prints and is easy to use. I only wish it was in stock more consistently!