Coffee for Developing Photos
Learn how coffee is now produced in Costa Rica. Pour yourself a cup of Coffee. Check out the Cafegrafia or Coffee Art that Saul Bolanos produces. Imagine Saul Bolano's Coffee Art on your walls with a copy of Higher Grounds on the coffee table and enjoy a bit of Costa Rica.
Cafegrafia or Coffee Art
What is Cafegrafia or Coffee Art?
Saul Bolaños is an artist from Costa Rica who has invented a new way of printing photographs. He calls it Cafegrafia or Coffee Art. In the late 1980's he discovered a way of using coffee as the pigment. The results give a rich brown patina to the photos evoking romantic images of times gone by.Saul Bolanos often chooses antique photographs depicting Coffee growing and processing as it was practiced about a century ago in his native Costa Rica. The coffee gives the photos a sepia tone evocative of the photo processing of that era.
Coffee Table of Contents
Photo Credit: Coffee Pigment
by Saul Bolonos Used by permission. All rights reserved.

- Cafegrafia
- How did I discover this beautiful Coffee Art Photography?
- More Coffee Art by Saul Bolanos
- Gathering Coffee in Costa Rica
- Saul Bolanos' New Book
- Organic Coffee Growing Helps the Birds
- Drinking Coffee Around the World
- Coffee on Every Wall
- Costa Rican Coffee
- Cafegrafia in the News!
- Costa Rican Coffee In the News
- How does coffee play a part in your life?
- My Favorite Coffee Lenses
- Tell me about the Coffee Art that you own or would like to own.
- Who's talking about Coffee Photography?
- Evelyn's Hands-On Learning Blog
- Meet the Author
Cafegrafia
Saul Bolaños invented the Coffee Art Process
Photo Credit: Costa Rican Oxcart Wheel
by Saul Bolonos Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Cafegrafia© was invented by Saul Bolaños in Costa Rica. This new Coffee Art Form was the result of research carried out over a long period of time in a small photochemical lab. Saul Bolaños produced more than 100 different subjects and sold about 30,000 pieces until he began the production of Coffee Filter Art. Hundreds of Coffee Print Photos were sold to tourists as souvenirs at La Plaza de la Cultura, in the heart of downtown San José, Costa Rica, where the Saul had a permanent art show from 1993 until about 1995. This was Coffee Art that the world had never seen before.
These rare Coffee Images are no longer being produced but some works may be still available. I have been trying to get a hold of Mr. Bolanos to see about the possibility of selling his work through this site. Please leave a comment below if you are interested.
How did I discover this beautiful Coffee Art Photography?
I Hang my Coffee on the Wall
I have lived in and visited Costa Rica many times. It is a place where you can still occasionally find true artists inventing and producing incredible works of art. Saul Bolaños is one of those artists.While strolling through the Plaza de la Cultura around 1990 I met Saul at his booth. His technique is so fascinating that I bought a couple of his prints and had them framed. Over the years when people come to visit they always notice and comment on them.
Cafegrafia has more information about Saul and his work.
Photo Credit: Costa Rican Oxen
by Saul Bolonos Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Cafegrafia® is permanent
Saul's Coffee Art won't fade, even in direct sunlight.
Saul Bolanos develops these images without a darkroom! Having previously treated the surface for imaging, Saul simply strokes the surface with coffee, and the subject appears. The beautiful golden tone images are produced on other mediums such as paper, wood, glass and ceramic.Cafegrafia® is permanent. After two years of direct exposure to sunlight, the images show no evidence of fading. I have had his photos on my walls for nearly 20 years and they still show no sign of fading.
Photo Credit: The World
by Saul Bolonos Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Grab a Cup of Coffee and Read On...


Cafe 1820 is a staple of Costa Rican households.
La Minita plantation is famous for its fanatic reputation for quality. This classically complete coffee is known for its rich body, excellent acidity as well as it's nutty and sweet undertones.
Deep and intense, Cafe Britt Organic fills the senses with earthy pleasure.
Doka Coffee makes a wonderfully balanced cup with a relatively high acidity and a medium body. You'll notice a hint of sweet tanginess.
Now you can choose from six green coffee bean varieties from U-Roast-Em.
Coffee Image Filter Paper:
With Coffee Art you can have your art and drink it too!

Coffee Images can also be produced on coffee filter paper. They have the Aroma, Color and Taste of Pure Coffee and are 90% Costa Rican Coffee with 10% humidity. There are no other ingredients. Each Coffee Filter Image is a work of art that comes mounted and suitable for framing.
Or, just put it in your coffee maker and drink your coffee art.
Photo Credit: Picking Coffee in Costa Rica
by Saul Bolonos Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Saul sells his Coffee Art to Coffee Producers for labeling their best Coffee

Custom coffee Art on the front of packages of Coffee, is an effective way to to make your product stand out and make the others look "ordinary".
Photo Credit: Costa Rican Coffee Maker
by Saul Bolonos Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Indestructible Art
Coffee Art could be the answer to preserving your family photos in case of a hurricane or house fire.

By printing his photographs on ceramic with his unique coffee pigments Saul Bolanos has made his works both water and fireproof. Since they are indestructible by the weather there is no better way to create Fine Photo Realistic Portraits that will last thousands of years.
Photo Credit: Indistructable Art
by Saul Bolonos Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Coffee
If you can't find Saul's Coffee Art, at least you can drink the coffee he drinks.


These pictures show coffee the way it was being picked and collected when I first visited Costa Rica in the late 1970's. Coffee pickers carry baskets up and down the hillsides picking all the ripe coffee beans. The beans are then taken be oxcart to the collection spot where they are measured into boxes called cahuelas and then transported to the benefio where the coffee beans are washed, dried and roasted.
When visiting Costa Rica it is still possible to see coffee being picked by hand but there are very few ox carts left. The Costa Rican Children's museum in San Jose has a wonderful hands-on exhibit for children to learn about the coffee process and is well worth a visit.
Coffee Art Question
Would you rather mount your Coffee Art Filter on the wall or Smell the Aroma and then use it for a decadent Coffee Art Party?

More Coffee Art by Saul Bolanos


Photo Credit: Costa Rican Coffee Art
by Saul Bolonos Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Not only is the process interesting but also the subjects which often show coffee processing from the beginning of the last century.


Photo Credit: Coffee Photography
by Saul Bolonos Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Coffee Picking

Photo Credit: Picking Coffee
by Saul Bolonos Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Ask most adult Costa Ricans and they will remember picking coffee as children. It was a way to make a little more money. With amount of coffee produced in Costa Rica a huge labor force was needed to bring in the coffee harvest.
Gathering Coffee in Costa Rica

Saul Bolanos' photographic methods complement the subject of preserving the photographic record of Coffee Picking in the last century.
This is an image taken in the 1870's of native Indians gathering coffee beans. The little child sits with a basket while his mother gathers coffee beans.
Saul Bolanos' New Book


Photo Credit: Saul Bolanos
by Saul Bolonos Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Saul Bolanos says that he has "written this book to be useful Today and even more tomorrow when all experts on this art will have all gone away.
It is a Valuable tool for Artists,
Scientists and Students.
It is not about Theory,
It is all about Practice with his own explicit
Working Directions & illustrations...."
- Alternative Photography | How To Make Your Own photographic Film or Plates for Negative Work
- Make the Photo Emulsion Yourself. Coat it on glass plates to make your negative film and expose in Camera. Step by Step With Figures. Alternative Photography
- Photographic Alchemy
- Learn more about the process and how to purchase the book: Photographic Alchemy by Saul Bolanos.
Drinking Coffee Around the World
People drink coffee differently all around the world. Which is your favorite way to drink Coffee?



Irish Coffee_____________Spanish Cafe Con Leche________Italian Espresso
Italian Espresso
Espresso or caff%uFFFDspresso is a concentrated co more...8 points
Italian Latte Macchiatto
Hot frothed milk with a shot of espresso. It is se more...4 points
Turkish Coffee
What is Turkish Coffee? Turkish coffee is a very f more...3 points
German Milchkaffee
Literally milk coffee. A very milky latte, served more...3 points
Spanish Cafe Con Leche
Cafe Con leche is a coffee-based beverage, which t more...2 points
Cuban Coffee (Cafe Cubano)
What tequila is to liquor, cafe cubano is to the w more...2 points
Madras Filter Coffee
Also known as South Indian Coffee or Kappi. It's m more...1 point
Books about Coffee and Coffee Art
Saul Bolanos and his Coffee Art Photography process is mentioned in the book Higher Grounds.

Drink a cup of coffee, hang some coffee on your wall and pick up a great book about coffee to read. What could be a better way to spend the morning?
Coffee on Every Wall
Can there be enough coffee in your house?
I just tried painting with coffee. It makes an interesting medium.
How do you feel about Coffee Art?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byI want to drink it with my coffee.
stargazer00 says:
People are just so inventive. Creativity always finds an outlet!
Posted May 16, 2008
darr11 says:
This is the first time I've heard of this art form. Thanks so much for introducing me to it!!!
Posted May 16, 2008
LisaKnowsTheSecret says:
I can't paint but I adore coffee and probably drink far more than is good for me. These pictures are fantastic.
Posted May 14, 2008
themagickbox says:
I would love to see coffee-made designs on notebook/journal covers, especially those that use recycled or brownpaper covers. :) I know that if a journal like that existed, I'd definitely buy it!
Posted May 07, 2008
Rico2008 says:
Wow! I've never see this type of art before. Fantastic! I need to learn more about it.
Thanks for sharing!
Posted May 02, 2008
Claudia, aka Poptoplady says:
I am from Brazil; coffee runs in my veins (and arteries). Can I do both???????
Posted April 29, 2008
VeggieMom says:
The colours are lovely. Congratulations on making a beautiful and interesting lens.
Posted April 20, 2008
ZoeSPEAK says:
This is brilliant! Beautiful art, no chemicals, and great coffee, too!
Posted April 15, 2008
themagickbox says:
Have you heard of the girl in the Philippines who paints with coffee? This lens reminds me of it. :)
Posted April 14, 2008
BillieO says:
How absolutely original! I love the idea of using coffee for art. Thank you for creating such a unique and interesting page!
Posted April 11, 2008
Recoup says:
Man! You learn something every day, never knew about java art.
post your link
Posted April 11, 2008
Jonathan Franzone says:
Coffee is awesome. Art is awesome. Combine the two? Unstoppable!
Posted April 11, 2008
CreativeArtist says:
Cool lens, and as an artist I like the idea of aroma art!
Posted April 11, 2008
sainty says:
All I know about coffee is that I like it black with a touch of honey for sweetning/
Posted April 11, 2008
I need to fly to Costa Rica today.
robbell says:
First time I've heard of this process. Very interesting and a great lens
Posted December 17, 2008
Aquavel says:
Wow! This is an amazing lens. I've made spice paintings with curries, cayenne,& coffee etc but I never knew PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTS could be made with coffee!!! Great Lens! Great Art!
Posted October 12, 2008
Lorie says:
I have coffee art all over my kitchen counter, but it's not as nice as yours!
Posted September 11, 2008
annetteghallowell says:
I want to learn this incredible process WHILE I drink coffee in Costa Rica!
Posted August 14, 2008
misspatricia says:
Looks great! Wonderful Lens! I have to try painting with coffee sometime :-)
Posted June 15, 2008
SherryHolderHunt says:
Love It, I love coffee! Love to drink it and I especially like to see how creative the artists have been using it as a medium. The pictures and paintings from coffee are beautiful. Thanks for this lens, I learned a lot!
Posted June 07, 2008
Luvi says:
Fantastic lens, it's definitely something I have to try. It's unique and worth indulging some of my time in.
Posted May 08, 2008
GypsyOwl says:
I am amazed and inspired! I want to fly to Costa Rica today to visit the artist's and watch this exceptional process for myself. This is true altruism expressed through art.
Posted May 06, 2008
blue22d says:
This was new to me. I wonder if Van Gogh knew about this? Once again, I am impressed. What a great learning project for art class. Evelyn, can I be in your class? Thanks for sharing and 5 stars to ya.
Posted May 02, 2008
d-artist says:
wow awesome! I have used tea to paint...but love the coffee sepia colors...fly to Costa Rica, drink the coffee while looking at the art!
Posted May 01, 2008
NightSquid says:
Love the Aroma of Coffee
Stimulating Art that sounds appropreite.
Cheers
Posted April 24, 2008
Pastiche says:
How simply brilliant. This takes coffee house to a completely new level. I must explore this technique more.
Posted April 13, 2008
Fly to Costa Rica Coffee
Coffee on the Wall or in your Cup

Bags to Tote your Coffee Art and a Journal to Keep your Coffee Art Thoughts
It is difficult to find Saul Bolanos' Coffee Art outside of Costa Rica. The following items are, however, reminiscent of his work.
Costa Rican Coffee
Drink the Best! Drink Costa Rican Coffee!


When I first visited Costa Rica in 1979 coffee pickers still used oxcarts to transport the coffee beans to the collection center.
You may not be able to buy Saul Bolanos' art but you can drink the coffee he drinks. Buy some Costa Rican coffee today.
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand byCoffee

Photo Credit: Costa Rican Coffee Maker
by Saul Bolonos Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Pour yourself a cup of coffee or espresso and indulge in the richness of your environment. In the picture above you see the way Costa Ricans typically made coffee until about 20 years ago.
The stand is made of wood and the bag is made of white cotton felt with a wire around the top to hold it open.
To use it you put coffee in the bag, put a cup under the bag and pour hot water into the bag.
What are people saying about Coffee?
When your coffee cup breaks your can tile it .- Twin flames on the road again: Art and food for the soul
- Actually, the enjoyment of arts festivals is all about the coffee being ready when you get up at 6:30 am to get where you're going. I can make coffee, ...
Cafegrafia in the News!
News about Saul Bolanos!

Photo Credit: Articles about Saul Bolanos
by Saul Bolonos Used by permission. All rights reserved.
I just got an email from Saul telling me about his newest venture. He is building a museum in the beautiful Orosi Valley in Costa Rica. He says that it will house 100's of his works that he has produced over the past 30 years.
- Costa Rica's Coffee Artist
- Photographer Saul Bolanos uses coffee as pigment for his photographs (from Tea & Coffee Trade Journal)
- Squidoo Lens of the Day: Printing with Coffee
- Printing with Coffee
Java junkies and art aficionados, this one's for you.
Evelyn Saenz's "Printing With Coffee" lens is a fascinating look at Saul Bolaños' Coffee Art -- the unique process of developing photographs using coffee instead of other chemicals. This results in nostalgic, warm, orga - It's All About Coffee Blog
- Cafegrafia: Coffee for Developing Photos Friday, April 11, 2008
Costa Rican Coffee In the News

- Costa Rican Invention Will Allow Astronauts To Make Coffee In Outer Space
- Thanks to the ingenuity of a group of students astronauts can soon be brewing coffee in outer space.
The Space Infuser developed by the students will be presented Friday, August 22, 2008 at a scientific conference in Costa Rica.
The device can also be used to develop new medicines. - Students solve space coffee problem - Telegraph
- Two Costa Rican engineering students have invented a coffee-maker which can be
used by astronauts in space.
My Favorite Coffee Lenses

There are lots of lenses out there about coffee but these are the best.
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The Most Expensive Coffee in the World
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I've never been a coffee freak in my entire life and I can't count on how many cups I already taken in. But, majority of you may absolutely agree that nothing can beat a warm cup of coffee especially in the early morning hours when seems al...
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Drink Responsibly: Your Coffee Needs to be Greener
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Coffee is the most heavily chemically treated food on the planet. Give that a moment to sink in. Yes, that morning cup of coffee may be the most environmentally unfriendly and sociologically irresponsible thing you do all day. Not to mention the fact...
Tell me about the Coffee Art that you own or would like to own.
Congratulations!!!


Photo Credit: Transporting Coffee
by Saul Bolonos Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Thank you for helping make this lens in the Top 100 Squidoo Lenses and Lens of the Day.
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- kimmanleyort kimmanleyort Nov 8, 2009 @ 4:41 pm
- I'm always interested in different photographic techniques and you have presented this beautifully. Congrats on LOTD.
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- theraggededge theraggededge Oct 20, 2009 @ 6:16 am
- I have often used coffee for staining wood and ageing collage but never painted with it.
Fabulous lens, so much to look at. I want to stay and read through again but I really need another cup of coffee.
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- Evelyn_Saenz Evelyn_Saenz Oct 20, 2009 @ 4:15 am | in reply to 24websurf
- Thank you SquidAngel.
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- flipflopnana flipflopnana May 14, 2009 @ 7:56 am
- This is an amazing lens, very informative but also beautiful. I love all of the art that you have displayed.
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- kiwisoutback kiwisoutback Mar 13, 2009 @ 12:40 pm
- Beautiful work. Could've sworn I had visited this lens, it's excellent.
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- ElizabethJeanAllen ElizabethJeanAllen Jan 5, 2009 @ 4:44 pm
- Absolutely loved the pictures.
Lizzy
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- Evelyn_Saenz Evelyn_Saenz Dec 21, 2008 @ 4:07 pm | in reply to heehaw
- I actually prefer my coffee hanging on the wall.
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- fotolady49 fotolady49 Dec 17, 2008 @ 8:47 pm
- Thanks for sharing. I find this very interesting since I am a photographer and love the history of photography. I wasn't aware of this process so thanks for something new!!! 5***** lens.
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- Mayflowerblood Mayflowerblood Dec 17, 2008 @ 2:42 pm
- Thats awesome! =]
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- tokyobabydoll tokyobabydoll Nov 10, 2008 @ 1:30 pm
- Wow amazing pieces!
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- BigGirlBlue BigGirlBlue Oct 6, 2008 @ 6:21 pm
- I took a b & w printing class in highschool so I find this topic interesting.
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- Lizblueberry Lizblueberry Sep 7, 2008 @ 10:24 pm
- Wow!! Such a Fabulous lens. I have heard of this style of art but never seen it displayed so beautifully. Thanks for your hard work. It is truly enjoyable to read your lenses. They really are appreciated!
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- Sep 2, 2008 @ 11:09 pm
- Very nice Lens.
5 * from me.
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Evelyn's Hands-On Learning Blog

Fetching RSS feed... please stand byMeet the Author
Evelyn's Hands-On Learning Blog.
Photo Credit: Costa Rican Coffee Picker
by Saul Bolonos Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Find out what else I'm up to when I'm not hanging my coffee on the wall:
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Evelyn Saenz: Lensography of a Teacher
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My passion is teaching and finding ways to teach children in fun, hands-on, creative ways. The unit studies I make on Squidoo reflect my view that learning should be integrated and no skills should be taught in isolation. I believe that each topic s...
Printing with Coffee is on the Isle of Squid
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Printing With Coffee is now featured at the new Isle of Squid website. Isle Of Squid is a directory of the best lenses on Squidoo.com.
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