What actually is the Glow Powder?
The glow powder which most of our products are based on, is actually a very small man-made crystal.
The powder is like a fine sand. It has Photoluminescent properties which allow it to absorb light and trap it. It then slowly releases it over time creating a glow.
The Green, Aqua-Blue and White powders look an off-white, slight green/blue tinge during the day. So will appear nearly invisible during the day on a white background.
Glow Powder DIY
There are so many different applications and uses for Glow Powder/Pigment. So here are some general guidelines.
Please do not hesitate to email us to ask any advice regarding your individual project/s.
Why should I buy your Glow Powder?
Our Waterproof powders (see below for more details) have a special coating that allows it to go into any medium, even water-based ones such as PVA glue and acrylic paint. If other websites don't says theirs is waterproof - don't assume it is.
We guarantee that if we say it is waterproofed - then it is. Our powders are all tested here in NZ by a NZ trained scientist. We have kilos of powder in stock from different companies that claimed to be waterproofed and has failed our internal testing. Waterproofing the glow powder costs more to do properly, and we are sure some companies cut corners. Be sure you know what you are buying.
Our glow times are impressive, 10 hours for the waterproof Aqua-blue and 12 hours for the Green glow powder at full glow. Again, glow times can vary a lot between suppliers, from usually 4-12 hours, the cheaper the paint or powder - generally the less the glow time.
Is it safe to use? How about for kids?
The powder is inert and non toxic, but in some people with delicate skin it can be a minor irritant, it feels like scratchy salt.
As with all chemicals, it is best practice to avoid skin and eye contact regardless of known toxicity. We do not recommend using the powders in makeup as it is not FDA approved.
My then 4.5 yr old son has used the powder with one on one adult supervision with no problems, he enjoyed making his own pot of paint and painting some of his toys. But I wouldn't let my then 2 year old near it! Mainly because it's so expensive and she'll spill it everywhere! But most importantly, I don't want her grabbing the powder and then rubbing her eyes - it is gritty like a fine sand.
How much is 50 grams?
At a rough estimate, 50 grams is roughly 2 tablespoons. Its quite a heavy powder.
We would use approximately 12 grams of our Green and Aqua powders to make a 60 gram pot of our 2Glow paint at 20%.
For about a 30% w/w mix 50 grams of powder into 100mls of paint is a good guideline. Every paint is different so just do a small test patch first to judge the glow results.
If you want to make your own glow paint, we recommend our unpigmented thickened paint, it dries clear to let the maximum glow out.
How do I use it?
It can be mixed with glue, paint, resin, candle wax, concrete, varnish, glass..etc... Or can be sprinkled on top of glue or something sticky to create a cool effect.
Outdoor paints contain lots of UV blockers which will inhibit the absorbtion of light to the Glow pigment, avoid these paints. Or a work around is to increase the amount of Glow pigment used, ie try 40% glow powder.
Do not tip in all the glow powder at once into your medium. Add slowly and stir in. Only make up the amount you are going to use immediately, do not store, even for a few hours/days, some mediums don't work well after this time.
Don't forget the glow powder needs to be 'charged' to glow. Expose to light, sunlight or indoor lights and it will absorb the light and slowly release it all night.
How do I get the best results?
For the best glow, use in a clear medium on a white background. If clear is unavailable, or you don't want to use it, then second best is in white or light colours, but you'll need to add more glow powder to combat the paints tinting.
If you mix it with anything then you need to add it slowly to avoid clumping. For non-viscous (watery) mediums, you will need to keep mixing it up as you use it as it is quite a heavy powder and it will sink.
The more powder you use, the brighter the glow. So for a very small subtle glow, use 5% powder, about 5grams into 95mls paint. I usually start with 20% at home in a clear medium for a decent glow. You can go much higher
depending on the medium, just add the powder slowly and keep mixing.
You'll need to do 2-3 coats of glow paint for an awesome glow. Sometimes just one will do for a subtle glow.
It is much better to do 2 or 3 coats of glow paint then 1 thick one for durability.
If mixing in a white paint you might want to go a little higher depending on the glow you want. 30% is about 50grams into 100mls paint.
**IMPORTANT** Some painters say that 90% of the job is the preparation work, we agree here at illuminous innovations! Make sure what you are painting is clean and dry and this will extend the paints life.
Will my project work?
We recommend that you purchase a small quantity first of any intended product, to see if it is suitable for your application. We can advise what we think about the project, but ultimately there are too many variables for us to say for sure whether it will or won't work. That is up to you to test under your conditions.
What is Waterproof and nonWaterproof Glow powder?
Waterproof (WP), is the best powder for the everyday user. It has a special coating over the particles of powder to protect it from moisture (its main enemy!). WP powder is essential in NZ, as we are yet to find a place with no water and 0% humidity year round!
Each of the Green and Aqua powders come in WP.
WP can be mixed with basically any paint or glue including PVA, acrylic and enamel oil-based paints, it is also the best for outdoor applications and will have a much longer life span.
So why buy nonWP powder at all? It glows a bit brighter than nonWP powder. Mostly we sell the non waterproof powders for art purposes. Remember it should only go in True oil-based glues and paints. Be aware of oil-based paints with a water component though. Some say 'enamel' but are actually water based! Only buy this one if you are absolutely sure of what you are mixing is truely oil based. nonWP will lose it's glow over time if exposed to water. It is best for a dry area and a project that needs extra glow with less durability.
Our unpigmented thickenened paint is ok to use with the nonWP powders if used immediately once stirred in and allowed to dry as it contains only a very small amount of actual water.
How do I make it glow? How does it recharge?
To make it glow, simply expose to direct light. For maximum glow time, expose for 30 minutes in direct light.
You can recharge the glow powder by re-exposing to more light. In theory, it can recharge hundreds of thousands
of times!
It is very Eco friendly, make your own Eco glo home!
I'm going to a Club/Party with UV lights, is your powder Blacklight (UV) light reactive?
Yes, all our products are blacklight reactive. If you are familiar with traditional glow in the dark stuff from 20 years ago, still available at some cheap dollar shops - that was made from Zinc sulphide to make a little glow under blacklights.
Our new technology, is second generation glow in the dark Pigment made from Strontium aluminate instead of Zinc, and is up to 10 times brighter.
People who are painting with our powder use a blacklight to see where they have been painting to get a nice even coat.
Can this powder be mixed with water?
No, this powder is like a fine sand and will sink to the bottom. It is not a dye and the glow powder will not dissolve and still glow.
Also if you try and paint with it, water has no adhesive properties and all the powder will rub off when the water dries. It needs to be in paint or glue, preferably clear so that the glow can shine through uninterrupted.
There is a small black spec in my Glow Powder/Paint
The crystals are made in a special oven at a very high temperature. A by-product of manufacture is small carbon specs that may be present in the photoluminescent products such as our paint and stones. Whenever spotted we remove any black specs immediately from our powders, and is not considered a manufacturing fault, it is just the nature of the product.
Glow Powder in RESIN, extra information
Here is some general resin and glow powder info:
You can buy CLEAR resin, although the slightly cloudy ones in my opinion don't generally look too bad and give a more diffuse glow. *Quick setting* resins are also better for the glow powder to prevent settling.
The 2 biggest problems most people have when making resin and glow powder objects are:
1. Not drying the equipment enough. Some resins react with moisture and this causes frothing. I've had some interesting glowing photo blobs sent to me!
2. Sinking of the glow powder. It is quite heavy as you can see and will settle given the chance.
There are 2 main ways to combat sinking powder:
1. Wait until the resin is tacky and then add the glow powder and stir in carefully not to introduce bubbles. This is quite a skill in itself! I have talked to one artist who preferred this way over the other by a mile! It apparently sets a lot better and quicker than adding thickeners.
2. Add a thickener. At illuminous innovations we have used colloidal silica with great success. It is slightly cloudy, but that diffuses the glow a bit and we think it gives a more even glow. The silica is very very light and should be used with a mask and gloves to prevent aspestos type lung injury. I think you may be able to get it in liquid form now, much easier and safer, but we haven't tried it ourselves yet.
As always, read all the information that comes with resins, their hardeners, and additives. The hardener in particular needs careful attention. Eye protection should be worn.
The glow powder which most of our products are based on, is actually a very small man-made crystal.
The powder is like a fine sand. It has Photoluminescent properties which allow it to absorb light and trap it. It then slowly releases it over time creating a glow.
The Green, Aqua-Blue and White powders look an off-white, slight green/blue tinge during the day. So will appear nearly invisible during the day on a white background.
Glow Powder DIY
There are so many different applications and uses for Glow Powder/Pigment. So here are some general guidelines.
Please do not hesitate to email us to ask any advice regarding your individual project/s.
Why should I buy your Glow Powder?
Our Waterproof powders (see below for more details) have a special coating that allows it to go into any medium, even water-based ones such as PVA glue and acrylic paint. If other websites don't says theirs is waterproof - don't assume it is.
We guarantee that if we say it is waterproofed - then it is. Our powders are all tested here in NZ by a NZ trained scientist. We have kilos of powder in stock from different companies that claimed to be waterproofed and has failed our internal testing. Waterproofing the glow powder costs more to do properly, and we are sure some companies cut corners. Be sure you know what you are buying.
Our glow times are impressive, 10 hours for the waterproof Aqua-blue and 12 hours for the Green glow powder at full glow. Again, glow times can vary a lot between suppliers, from usually 4-12 hours, the cheaper the paint or powder - generally the less the glow time.
Is it safe to use? How about for kids?
The powder is inert and non toxic, but in some people with delicate skin it can be a minor irritant, it feels like scratchy salt.
As with all chemicals, it is best practice to avoid skin and eye contact regardless of known toxicity. We do not recommend using the powders in makeup as it is not FDA approved.
My then 4.5 yr old son has used the powder with one on one adult supervision with no problems, he enjoyed making his own pot of paint and painting some of his toys. But I wouldn't let my then 2 year old near it! Mainly because it's so expensive and she'll spill it everywhere! But most importantly, I don't want her grabbing the powder and then rubbing her eyes - it is gritty like a fine sand.
How much is 50 grams?
At a rough estimate, 50 grams is roughly 2 tablespoons. Its quite a heavy powder.
We would use approximately 12 grams of our Green and Aqua powders to make a 60 gram pot of our 2Glow paint at 20%.
For about a 30% w/w mix 50 grams of powder into 100mls of paint is a good guideline. Every paint is different so just do a small test patch first to judge the glow results.
If you want to make your own glow paint, we recommend our unpigmented thickened paint, it dries clear to let the maximum glow out.
How do I use it?
It can be mixed with glue, paint, resin, candle wax, concrete, varnish, glass..etc... Or can be sprinkled on top of glue or something sticky to create a cool effect.
Outdoor paints contain lots of UV blockers which will inhibit the absorbtion of light to the Glow pigment, avoid these paints. Or a work around is to increase the amount of Glow pigment used, ie try 40% glow powder.
Do not tip in all the glow powder at once into your medium. Add slowly and stir in. Only make up the amount you are going to use immediately, do not store, even for a few hours/days, some mediums don't work well after this time.
Don't forget the glow powder needs to be 'charged' to glow. Expose to light, sunlight or indoor lights and it will absorb the light and slowly release it all night.
How do I get the best results?
For the best glow, use in a clear medium on a white background. If clear is unavailable, or you don't want to use it, then second best is in white or light colours, but you'll need to add more glow powder to combat the paints tinting.
If you mix it with anything then you need to add it slowly to avoid clumping. For non-viscous (watery) mediums, you will need to keep mixing it up as you use it as it is quite a heavy powder and it will sink.
The more powder you use, the brighter the glow. So for a very small subtle glow, use 5% powder, about 5grams into 95mls paint. I usually start with 20% at home in a clear medium for a decent glow. You can go much higher
depending on the medium, just add the powder slowly and keep mixing.
You'll need to do 2-3 coats of glow paint for an awesome glow. Sometimes just one will do for a subtle glow.
It is much better to do 2 or 3 coats of glow paint then 1 thick one for durability.
If mixing in a white paint you might want to go a little higher depending on the glow you want. 30% is about 50grams into 100mls paint.
**IMPORTANT** Some painters say that 90% of the job is the preparation work, we agree here at illuminous innovations! Make sure what you are painting is clean and dry and this will extend the paints life.
Will my project work?
We recommend that you purchase a small quantity first of any intended product, to see if it is suitable for your application. We can advise what we think about the project, but ultimately there are too many variables for us to say for sure whether it will or won't work. That is up to you to test under your conditions.
What is Waterproof and nonWaterproof Glow powder?
Waterproof (WP), is the best powder for the everyday user. It has a special coating over the particles of powder to protect it from moisture (its main enemy!). WP powder is essential in NZ, as we are yet to find a place with no water and 0% humidity year round!
Each of the Green and Aqua powders come in WP.
WP can be mixed with basically any paint or glue including PVA, acrylic and enamel oil-based paints, it is also the best for outdoor applications and will have a much longer life span.
So why buy nonWP powder at all? It glows a bit brighter than nonWP powder. Mostly we sell the non waterproof powders for art purposes. Remember it should only go in True oil-based glues and paints. Be aware of oil-based paints with a water component though. Some say 'enamel' but are actually water based! Only buy this one if you are absolutely sure of what you are mixing is truely oil based. nonWP will lose it's glow over time if exposed to water. It is best for a dry area and a project that needs extra glow with less durability.
Our unpigmented thickenened paint is ok to use with the nonWP powders if used immediately once stirred in and allowed to dry as it contains only a very small amount of actual water.
How do I make it glow? How does it recharge?
To make it glow, simply expose to direct light. For maximum glow time, expose for 30 minutes in direct light.
You can recharge the glow powder by re-exposing to more light. In theory, it can recharge hundreds of thousands
of times!
It is very Eco friendly, make your own Eco glo home!
I'm going to a Club/Party with UV lights, is your powder Blacklight (UV) light reactive?
Yes, all our products are blacklight reactive. If you are familiar with traditional glow in the dark stuff from 20 years ago, still available at some cheap dollar shops - that was made from Zinc sulphide to make a little glow under blacklights.
Our new technology, is second generation glow in the dark Pigment made from Strontium aluminate instead of Zinc, and is up to 10 times brighter.
People who are painting with our powder use a blacklight to see where they have been painting to get a nice even coat.
Can this powder be mixed with water?
No, this powder is like a fine sand and will sink to the bottom. It is not a dye and the glow powder will not dissolve and still glow.
Also if you try and paint with it, water has no adhesive properties and all the powder will rub off when the water dries. It needs to be in paint or glue, preferably clear so that the glow can shine through uninterrupted.
There is a small black spec in my Glow Powder/Paint
The crystals are made in a special oven at a very high temperature. A by-product of manufacture is small carbon specs that may be present in the photoluminescent products such as our paint and stones. Whenever spotted we remove any black specs immediately from our powders, and is not considered a manufacturing fault, it is just the nature of the product.
Glow Powder in RESIN, extra information
Here is some general resin and glow powder info:
You can buy CLEAR resin, although the slightly cloudy ones in my opinion don't generally look too bad and give a more diffuse glow. *Quick setting* resins are also better for the glow powder to prevent settling.
The 2 biggest problems most people have when making resin and glow powder objects are:
1. Not drying the equipment enough. Some resins react with moisture and this causes frothing. I've had some interesting glowing photo blobs sent to me!
2. Sinking of the glow powder. It is quite heavy as you can see and will settle given the chance.
There are 2 main ways to combat sinking powder:
1. Wait until the resin is tacky and then add the glow powder and stir in carefully not to introduce bubbles. This is quite a skill in itself! I have talked to one artist who preferred this way over the other by a mile! It apparently sets a lot better and quicker than adding thickeners.
2. Add a thickener. At illuminous innovations we have used colloidal silica with great success. It is slightly cloudy, but that diffuses the glow a bit and we think it gives a more even glow. The silica is very very light and should be used with a mask and gloves to prevent aspestos type lung injury. I think you may be able to get it in liquid form now, much easier and safer, but we haven't tried it ourselves yet.
As always, read all the information that comes with resins, their hardeners, and additives. The hardener in particular needs careful attention. Eye protection should be worn.