يتوهج في مسحوق داكن ممزوج بالحبر

Glow in the dark powder can be mixed with transparent colorless neutral ink for all kinds of printing, art painting etc. Screen printing is the most common application of Glow in the dark ink. It is characterized by absorbing and storing all kinds of visible light in the daytime, emitting light in the dark environment, and the brightness will fade away with time goes by.

إنها غير سامة وغير مشعة وصديقة للبيئة. يأتي المسحوق المتوهج في الظلام بألوان وأحجام جزيئات مختلفة، ويجب عليك الاختيار وفقًا لمتطلبات التطبيق والعملية الخاصة بك. إذا كان الحبر ذو أساس مائي، فيجب استخدام مسحوق مقاوم للماء.

Ink Types for Glow in the dark Applications

● Glow in the dark powders need to be mixed with colorless, transparent, and neutral ink with PH of 6-8.
● Water-based inks, oil-based inks and uv-based inks are all applicable. For water-based inks, waterproof-grade powder is required.
● Colored inks will obscure the luminous effect of the glow in the dark powder.

Common Applications of Glow in the Dark Inks

Safety signage, clothes and home textiles, toys, tableware, tapes and stickers, etc.

Safety of Glow in the Dark Powders

Glow in the dark powder is safe, non-toxic and eco-friendly. It has passed the European standard SVHC testing, ensuring they can be mixed with inks for use in toys, tableware, clothes and more.

Glow-in-the-dark ink patterns on Disney T-shirt and cup

Glow in the Dark Powder Color Options

GlowUp® glow-in-the-dark powder are available in three series, offering 19 colors totally:

  • Natural Color Series: 4 colors

Glow-in-the-dark color chart showing yellow-green, blue-green, sky blue, and purple day and night glow effects

Eight glow-in-the-dark dye colors with daytime colors and night glow effects

Glow-in-the-dark red and white dyes, featuring 6 different orange-red powders and 1 white glow powder

These colors have different properties, making them suitable for different applications and requirements.


Differences in Color Properties and Applications

1. Natural Color Series
The body color of this series is milky white or grayish white. It offers the highest brightness and the longest afterglow duration, with a minimum visual perception of 8-10 hours in a completely dark indoor environment. High brightness grade can reach 10-12 hours. This series is suitable for products that require high brightness and long-term illumination, such as safety and emergency signage, outdoor markings, or some consumer products that have high requirements.

2. Dyed Color Series
This series provides a variety of body colors during the daytime, but their glow brightness is lower and the afterglow time is shorter. They can be perceived by the naked eye for about 2-3 hours in a completely dark indoor environment. They are suitable for products requiring colorful appearance in the daytime and can accept lower glowing brightness. The applications include clothing patterns, toys, accessories, and craft items, etc.

This series is a physical mixture of the natural color series and fluorescent powders. Customers can also mix according to their own specific needs.

3. Orange-Red Series
The body color of this series is milky white or orange-red (the two orange-red powders have a distinct odor). This series has the weakest afterglow brightness and the shortest glow duration, with only a few minutes to around half an hour. Due to its cost being the highest among the three series, its common applications are art painting, jewelry, or some high-value products.


Differences Between Glow-in-the-Dark Powder and Ordinary Dyeing Pigments
For ordinary color pigments, for a certain application, customers only need to get the color card and choose what they like, but luminous powder can’t be like this. There are some differences in the characteristics and performance of different colors of luminous powder. The choice of color is determined by the usage. We will communicate with customers about their specific needs for the end products, such as daytime body color, brightness requirements, production methods, and budgets, etc., so as to accurately select the applicable colors for the customers.


Custom Colors by RAL or Pantone Code
We are unable to offer color customization based on RAL or PANTONE color codes because:

  • Color matching conditions require color stability and reproducibility in order to tailor formulations to specific color standards. However, the body color of luminous powder is significantly affected by the ambient light and cannot be reproduced and kept stable.Different intensities of irradiation light and the duration of irradiation will make the luminous powder emit different brightness of light, thus showing different body colors. When the luminous brightness is greater than the brightness of the surrounding environment, the body color of the luminous powder will appear as a brighter yellow-green. With the continued release of light for a period of time, the luminous brightness is close to the ambient brightness, the luminous powder body color will return to the body of milky white. This is a dynamic process, so the luminous powder body color will continue to change, and there is no fixed reproducibility.

Therefore, when using luminous powder to match colors, it is not possible to achieve accurate color matching based on RAL or PANTONE color numbers.


The Body Color of Dyed Glow Powders May Not Always Match Their Glow Color

Basically, for dyed glow powders, the body color and glowing color are nearly the same, but there are a few exceptions.Take the pink-red dyed glow powder as an example. This glow powder is made by natural yellow-green with pink fluorescent powder physically mixed together.

For body color: The natural yellow-green has a milky white body color, but when mixed with pink fluorescent powder, the base color appears pink, which is the pink-red color.

For glowing color: The natural yellow-green ones emit a yellow-green glow. However, when mixed with pink fluorescent powder, the two colors combine, resulting in the final glow color as orange.

This example shows that some dyed glow powders may have a different base color and glow color. This phenomenon is determined by the properties of light combination, and it’s important to keep this in mind when using these powders in practical applications.

Glow Powder Proportion in Inks

The proportion of glow-in-the-dark powder in inks directly affects the product’s glowing performance.

  • Normally, the recommended proportion is 15%-40%. Around 30%-40% is the most common choice since it can provide a relatively better glowing effect.
    • Here, 40% means:

      40% luminous pigment + 60% clear ink = 100% finished glow ink.

  • Less than 15%: The glowing effect may not be very noticeable.
  • More than 40% (e.g., 50% or 60%): The brightness won’t improve much, but the cost will still increase. Therefore, 40% is considered the reasonable maximum proportion.

In practical applications, you need to decide the proportion based on the desired glow effect and cost considerations.

Glow-in-the-dark ink mixed with varying addition rates, showcasing glow effects

Glow Powder Compatibility with Different Printing Techniques

In various glow-in-the-dark ink printing processes, the choice of glow powder plays a critical role in achieving the best glowing results. Below are detailed recommendations for selecting glow powders based on different printing techniques:

1. Screen Printing
Screen printing is one of the most common techniques in glow ink applications. It is widely applied in the production of safety signage, textile printing, and home or tableware decoration.

To achieve the best glowing quality, it is essential to match the mesh count of the screen with the glow powder. Clients should provide the mesh count used in production, and we will recommend the most suitable glow powder type based on these details. This will ensure the powder can pass through the sieve completely and disperse evenly in the ink, resulting in a stable and bright glow effect while maintaining the clarity and detail of the design.

2. Spray Printing
When using a spray gun for application, a top-feed spray gun is recommended. The nozzle size is the key factor in determining the appropriate particle size of the glow powder.

The nozzle size affects the amount of ink sprayed and the atomization effect, which in turn influences the dispersion and adhesion of the glow powder. We will recommend the most suitable size of glow powder based on the nozzle size to ensure the entire coating can be evenly sprayed out and dispersed well.

3. Flexographic Printing
Flexographic printing is commonly used for packaging, labels, and textiles.

This process demands high ink transferability and fine detail, so it usually requires ultra-fine glow powders. In practice, glow powders with a particle size range of 5-15μm prove to be the most suitable. This particle size enables the glow powder to flow smoothly through the printing plate, ensuring the design is transferred precisely and the post-printing glow effect remains distinct. This will meet the visual and functional needs of the printing products.

4. Gravure Printing
Gravure printing is used for magazines, catalogs, stamps, etc.

This process requires very precise image details and color fidelity, and as such, the particle size of the glow powder must meet strict standards, being even smaller than that for flexo printing.

Currently, the application of glow powder in gravure printing is relatively scarce. This is primarily because of the particle size challenge. However, we have set up a project, and its research and development have been established as one of our main focuses.

Important Considerations When Making Glow in the Dark Ink

Glow-in-the-Dark Powder Physical Properties and Mixing State

Glow-in-the-dark powder is in the form of tiny particles with a hard texture. In the process of mixing with ink, it is only suspended and dispersed in the ink and will not melt.

Settlement Problems and Solutions

Glow-in-the-dark powder has a high density of 3.6g/cm³ and is prone to settling if left for a long time after mixing with ink. To ensure the quality of the product and the effect of use, it is recommended to use it soon after mixing.

If, due to special circumstances (for example, when manufacturing luminous ink for sale and the ink must be stored for a certain period of time), it is necessary to adjust the viscosity of the liquid system. This will help address the sedimentation issue, ensuring that the luminous powder is uniformly distributed within the ink.

Choosing Mixing Tools and Key Operation Points

  • Avoid using iron mixing rods or containers to mix ink and glow powder. Glass or ceramic tools are preferred.

  • Using iron tools can cause friction due to the hardness of glow powder particles. The impurities will be mixed into the ink, affecting the product quality.

  • If a stainless-steel mixer is necessary, set the mixing speed to the lowest level and use intermittent stirring to reduce friction and prevent impurities from forming.

Bottom Coating Layer

A white base coat is recommended as the bottom layer. White coating has excellent reflective properties, enhancing the glow effect and maximizing brightness. Dark-colored bases should be avoided as they absorb light, reducing the glow’s brightness and weakening the luminous effect.

Potential Problems and Solutions

Issue 1: Luminous Ink Appears Layered After Mixing, the Bottom is Bright, but the Top is Not

Possible Reason:
Glow-in-the-dark powder settling.
Glow-in-the-dark powder has a high specific gravity of 3.6g/cm³. If it is left for a long time after mixing, or the viscosity of the ink used for mixing is low, the glow-in-the-dark powder will settle under the action of gravity. This settlement makes the luminous powder in the mixed system distribute unevenly, with a large amount aggregating at the bottom. As a result, the bottom has higher brightness, while the upper part has less luminous powder content and insufficient brightness.

Solutions:

  1. It is recommended to use the mixture immediately after mixing to maximize the uniform distribution of luminous powder.
  2. In the mixing process, adjust the viscosity of the system by adding thickeners, anti-settling agents, and other additives to effectively inhibit the settlement of luminous powder. When implementing viscosity adjustment, consider the following three key factors:
    • Emulsion Properties: Different chemical compositions, molecular structures, and physical properties of the ink affect viscosity and the response to thickeners and anti-settling agents.
    • Glow-in-the-dark Powder Particle Size: Larger particles may require higher system viscosity to maintain suspension, while finer particles can be stabilized with lower viscosity.
    • Proportion: A higher proportion of luminous powder requires higher system viscosity to achieve a good mixing effect.

Issue 2: Glow Ink Fails to Pass Through Screen Mesh

Possible Reasons:

  1. Glow Powder Particle Size is Too Large:
    Particles that are too large will clog the screen mesh, hindering the normal flow of ink.
  2. Ink is Too Thick:
    High viscosity reduces ink fluidity, increasing resistance when passing through the screen.
  3. Proportion is Too High:
    Excessive glow powder changes the ink’s physical properties, compromising flowability and dispersion.

Solutions:

  1. Use glow powder with a smaller particle size to ensure smooth passage through the screen mesh.
  2. Dilute the ink using a thinner to reduce viscosity and improve flowability.
  3. Reduce the glow powder proportion to maintain good flowability and ensure it can pass through the screen mesh.

Issue 3: Insufficient Glow Brightness in Final Product

Possible Reasons:

  1. Dark Base Color:
    Dark colors absorb light, reducing perceived luminous intensity.
  2. Low Proportion:
    The glow powder proportion may be too low, or there may not be enough printing layers.
  3. Low Brightness Glow Powder:
    The glow powder used may have a low brightness level.

Solutions:

  1. Use a white or light-colored base to enhance perceived brightness.
  2. Increase the glow powder proportion or print more layers to improve the glow effect.
  3. Switch to higher brightness grade glow powder.

Issue 4: Sparkling or Spotty Glow Shows on the Final Product

Possible Reason:
The glow powder has not been mixed evenly, causing clumping of the powder particles.

Solutions:

  1. Extend Mixing Time:
    Ensure the luminous powder is fully dispersed in the mixing system.
  2. Add Glow Powder in Small Batches:
    Add luminous powder in small amounts and multiple times to ensure uniform integration.
  3. Use a Dispersant:
    Add an appropriate amount of dispersant to reduce particle attraction and improve dispersion.

Issue 5: Uniformly Mottled Glow Appearance on Finished Product

Possible Reason:
The particle size of the glow powder is too large, leading to lower coverage.

Solution:
Replace the glow powder with smaller particle size. Smaller particles provide higher coverage and more even distribution, resulting in a better luminous effect despite lower individual brightness.

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أسئلة مكررة

يمكن استخدام جميع أنواع الأحبار الشفافة عديمة اللون ذات PH5-8، بما في ذلك الأحبار القائمة على الأشعة فوق البنفسجية والحبر القائم على المذيبات والحبر القائم على الماء. أي لون صلب سيغطي التوهج.

يتم استخدام الطباعة على الشاشة والطباعة الحفرية والطباعة الفليكسو عادة، ولكنها تحتاج إلى أحجام مختلفة من جزيئات الصبغة المتوهجة.

يتوفر لدينا 16 لونًا مختلفًا، لكن لكل منها خصائص مختلفة. يُرجى الاتصال بنا لتزويدنا بالتطبيق. وسنقدم لك التوصيات.