Frequently Asked Questions

A glow pigment – also called glow powder or glow in the dark pigment – stores light and releases it in the dark as a glow, without electricity. Our pigments are made of strontium aluminate doped with europium and dysprosium and coated with SiO₂. The powder does not dissolve; it is stirred into a carrier such as resin, varnish or paint.

Fluorescent materials only glow while they are illuminated – under black light, for example – and go out as soon as the light is switched off. Phosphorescent materials store the light and keep glowing in the dark afterwards. Our glow pigments are phosphorescent; under UV light they also glow particularly intensely. More in Afterglow explained.

Both glow equally brightly. Zinc sulfide glows for only a very slightly shorter time. Almost all our pigments are made of strontium aluminate; the orange glow powder is a sulfide (calcium sulfide) for special applications.

Green and yellow-green – the natural glow colour of strontium aluminate. Blue-green and untinted blue follow closely. Tinted shades such as orange, red, pink, purple or bold blue glow more weakly and for a shorter time. Purple can practically only be charged with UV light. A true red is not possible with glow pigments. All shades with their daylight and glow colours are listed in the overview of glow pigments.

No. Like all modern glow pigments, ours are not radioactive. Radioactive luminous paints were used on watches in the early 20th century and are no longer used for this today. How radium paints were replaced is shown in the timeline on Afterglow explained.

Any light source. Guide values for a full charge: UV light from 365 nm 2–4 minutes, sunlight 6–9 minutes, fluorescent lamp 20–24 minutes, incandescent bulb about 25 minutes.

No. Our glow products charge with any light source, such as daylight, sunlight or room lighting. UV light from 365 nm is simply the fastest: 2–4 minutes instead of 6–9 minutes in sunlight. Purple shades are the exception: they only charge properly with UV light, and the Purple-Blue glow spray also with sunlight. How charging and fading are connected is explained on Afterglow explained.

After a full charge and in complete darkness: pigments with a light, whitish daylight colour (green, yellow-green, blue-green, blue) up to 12 hours, lightly tinted shades up to 4 hours, dark tinted shades and white up to 2 hours. The glow is most intense in the first few minutes; after one to two hours it fades to a faint glimmer that is only visible in real darkness.

Usually for one of these reasons: the surroundings are not dark enough (even a street lamp outshines the glimmer), the material was not fully charged, the carrier is too dark or opaque, or it contains too little pigment. Your eyes also need a few minutes to adjust to the dark. Afterglow is an aid for orientation and effects, not a light source.

As often as you like. The pigments age only very slightly and can be charged with light again and again.

As a starting point, approx. 20% pigment relative to the carrier – so about 20 g for 100 ml of clear varnish. In opaque carriers such as white wall paint, 30–50% is needed. More pigment glows more intensely, but above about 30% in clear carriers the gain is small. Always test the mixture on a small sample first. The mixing calculator works out the amount for your quantity.

With almost any carrier that is light or transparent once dry: epoxy and casting resin, clear varnish, acrylic binder, glue, wallpaper paste, wax, silicone, plaster or modelling compound. The more transparent and lighter the carrier, the stronger the glow. Dark carriers and varnishes with UV filters absorb glow.

Yes, preferably into light paint such as white or pale yellow, with 30–50% pigment. Prime dark surfaces in a light colour first. For the most even effect, apply the pigment in clear varnish in several thin coats over the paint. Ready mixed, our acrylic-based glow in the dark paint also adheres to wallpaper.

Glow in the dark paint is an acrylic paint with glow pigments in a 100 g bottle, made for motifs and pictures, also in tinted shades; you apply it in 2–3 thin coats. Glow in the dark varnish is an almost transparent coloured varnish on an acrylic base in a 250 ml tin. It is applied in 3–4 coats of approx. 40 µm each and suits larger areas that should hardly stand out in daylight. Neither is weatherproof; outdoors, both are sealed with clear varnish.

Clean and degrease the surface and prime dark substrates in a light colour. Shake the can vigorously for one minute and, at 20 °C or more, spray two to three thin coats from about 30 cm instead of one thick one. The coat is touch-dry after 15–20 minutes and dry after 25–35 minutes. A 400 ml can of glow spray covers approx. 3 m², depending on the surface and the number of coats.

Those are the glow pigments. They are heavier than the paint or varnish and sink over time. So stir thoroughly right down to the bottom before painting; shake glow spray for one minute until you can hear the balls rattle. Close bottles tightly after use. Our instructions & videos show how processing works in practice.

In thin, runny resin the pigment sinks, and then mainly the underside glows. Let the mixed resin thicken briefly before stirring in the pigment – or add it only to a top layer. Use the pure pigment for resin, not ready-made glow paint.

Yes, that is possible. However, this does not create a new shade as with painting colours, but both glow colours side by side.

Our fine pigments with a particle size of 5–15 µm are made for this; our standard pigments in natural shades are approx. 70–85 µm. For screen printing, stir them into transparent screen printing ink and use meshes from 32T to 80T. For airbrush, apply them in transparent varnish in several thin coats. The fine grain stores less light and therefore glows for a shorter time and more weakly than coarser pigments.

Our luminous paint for watch hands: a ready-mixed glow paste on an acrylic base with a particularly fine grain, approx. 2 g in a glass vial. Apply it with a fine needle, a toothpick or a thin brush; two coats glow considerably more intensely than one. Prime dark hands in a light colour first. Because of the fine grain, the paste glows slightly more weakly than coarser pigments; the natural shades glow for up to 12 hours after a full charge in complete darkness.

Yes, with resin printers that cure with UV light around 405 nm (DLP, SLA, LFS, LCD and LCS). Our glow-in-the-dark 3D printing resin in green or green-blue prints glowing objects directly; alternatively, stir approx. 20% glow pigment into the clear printing resin and check the mixture with a test print. Start with your printer's standard settings. Because the pigments settle, shake the bottle vigorously for at least 2 minutes before each pour.

Yes, the glow pigments are water-resistant thanks to their SiO₂ coating. The 1 mm glow granules, on the other hand, are not waterproof: they more or less dissolve in water and lose their glow. For use in or near water, use the 4 mm granules (bound in synthetic resin) or pigments embedded in resin or clear varnish.

Yes. Embed pigment or granules in a weather-resistant clear varnish or in epoxy resin, and seal heavily used surfaces with a transparent top coat. Cover glow paint and glow film outdoors with clear varnish or protective film.

The pure, untinted pigment withstands up to 1,200 °C. Tinted pigments should no longer be used above about 150 °C.

For painting and brushing on solid surfaces, ready-made glow paint is the easiest. For stirring into resin, varnish, glue or silicone, use glow powder. For sprinkling, pressing into fresh surfaces or as decoration, granules are suitable – for concrete, for example, pressed into the fresh surface and sanded. For ideas from finished work, see our customer projects.

In concrete, glow granules and glow stones only work at the surface: mixed into the bulk, the concrete covers them. So press them into the still-wet surface and sand it flat after curing, or embed them in a transparent, walk-on layer of epoxy or exterior varnish. Outdoors, choose a spot that gets light during the day.

Stick the glow in the dark stickers onto a clean, dry surface free of dust and grease, without tools or extra glue: peel off the backing, position the motif and press it smooth from the centre outwards. They adhere to smooth surfaces and to woodchip wallpaper that is not too coarse, on walls as well as ceilings. The fairy-tale stickers and several motif sheets can be removed again, the glow stars with little residue according to the product information; on delicate wallpaper, peel them off slowly and carefully. Whether an item is described as removable is stated in its properties.

Our strontium aluminate pigments are not classified as hazardous under CLP; details are given in the safety data sheet. Avoid dust and contact with skin and eyes when processing larger quantities. The exception is the orange calcium sulfide pigment: it is labelled as a hazardous substance and must not be mixed with water. You will find all data sheets under Safety data sheets.

The raw pigment is not a toy. Our glowing building bricks are tested to EN 71, as required for toys. Stickers and glow films are decorative items; age information is given on the respective product pages.

Within Germany we ship with DHL in 1–3 working days. Shipping costs €3.90 and is free from an order value of €150. For deliveries to other countries the price depends on the country; from €250 shipping is free there too. Details under Shipping and payment.

Yes, to all EU countries as well as Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Norway. Deliveries to Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Norway are subject to import charges, which the carrier collects on delivery. We do not deliver to the United Kingdom from this shop. Shipping costs per country are listed under Shipping and payment.

You can pay with PayPal, credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or Klarna, or in advance by bank transfer. Businesses, public authorities and educational institutions can also buy on invoice. The payment methods offered depend on the delivery country. For payment in advance, we ship as soon as the payment has been received; details are under Shipping and payment.

Yes. As soon as we ship your order, we send you an email with your invoice as a PDF; for parcels, it also contains the DHL tracking link. More about shipping under Shipping and payment.

You can withdraw from your contract using the Withdraw from contract form; you do not need a customer account. We confirm receipt of your withdrawal by email. You bear the direct costs of returning the goods. Deadlines and all further details are set out in the cancellation policy.

Yes, our gift card is available with a value of €20, €30, €50 or €100. You receive the code by email; if you wish, the card can be sent directly to the recipient with a message. It is redeemed at the checkout of this shop, and any remaining balance is kept. It cannot be redeemed on Amazon or eBay.

lumentics is a small company from Altenburg in Thuringia, founded in 2015. It is run by Dr. Falko Böttger-Hiller & Lars Ehrhardt Leuchtstoffe GbR – a chemist with a doctorate and a business information systems specialist. Our glow in the dark paints, varnishes and sprays, the luminous paint for watch hands, the glow watercolours and the powder coating are made in Germany; we ship from Altenburg. Find out more under About us.

In addition to this shop, you will find our products on Amazon and eBay.

Yes. Bulk quantities, raw materials and industrial enquiries are handled by our sister brand Lumentify (lumentify.com). Some products such as glow candles and glow silicone are made on request for larger quantities. You can also send us your enquiry using the form under B2B / industrial enquiries.

By email at info@lumentics.de, by phone on +49 151 55687366 or via the contact form. We are happy to advise you on carrier, mixing ratio and processing.