Botanical prints are made on a variety of surfaces, including fabric and paper. My work is done exclusively on archival paper. The process is very messy, and is often done outdoors. An iron solution is used to prep the botanical material, and alum is used to prepare the paper before printing. Botanical material is sandwiched between two hard surfaces, which are clamped together and submerged into near boiling water to activate the print. Pressure and heat are key to releasing the minerals from plants and flowers so they will print on paper. Each plant contains different minerals and chemicals that vary in strength at different times of the year. The minerals are deposited on the surface and create an impression through heat, moisture, pressure, and time.