Luminous paint is very fun and can be used to create many different things. If you have ever had a Halloween shirt that glows in the dark, you may have been intrigued as to how glow in the dark paint works. Before learning how it works and how it is used, it is important to know what it is.

What is Luminous Paint?

What makes this paint glow is the europium crystals that contain Strontium Aluminate. These crystals are suspended in a clear medium that uses direct light to help them grow. When this type of paint was created, the glow did not last very long because of the size of the crystals and the other minerals used; however, more modern paints can glow longer due to the other minerals used.

Even Strontium Aluminate with Europium crystals will fade out and stop glowing, unless it is recharged. When UV light is shone on the Europium crystals, they will recharge the crystals and make them glow again. This is why most luminous paint requires you to place it on a sunny windowsill for a few hours. The longer the paint is in the sun, the longer the glowing feature will last in the dark. If you have ever had something with luminous paint, you will probably remember that in summer, it was extraordinary bright, but in winter, it seemed almost dull. This is because the sun has weaker UV light in winter. If you are interested in keeping your luminous paint glowing all year round, you might want to invest in a UV black light.

Are There Any Side Effects or Health Risks using Luminous Paint?

As long as you use luminous paint properly, there are no health risks involved. Many people fear that luminous paint is radioactive or has radioactive properties, yet this is not true. Luminous paint is non toxic. Luminous paint on clothing is specially coated so it will not react with water. The same is true of luminous paint that is used on the body; so, it is able to be washed off. However, luminous paint for walls and artwork doesn’t contain this special coating so it will react with water, but the reaction is still not considered toxic.

Use of Luminous Paint on Walls and Clothing

Using luminous paint on clothing is simple. You simply take the bottle of paint, and outline whatever you want to outline. Let it dry, and you have luminous paint clothing. However, use of this paint on walls and ceilings are different.

If the wall is already painted the preferred color and is sealed properly, all you have to do is choose the luminous paint you want and paint it on the wall or ceiling where you want it to go. Use very thin, even layers. You may need to paint more than one layer, depending on how bright you want the luminous paint to be.

If you are redoing ceilings or walls, you will need to first apply a sealing layer, especially if the wall or ceiling is not smooth. Consider using a water or solvent base for the sealing layer. Next, you will need the base color layer, unless you are interested in painting your entire ceiling or wall with luminous paint. This is generally not done because of the cost and the end result; everything will glow in the dark. Finally, you will paint the last coat with luminous paint. This can be used to create small or large shapes.