LUMENTIFY
Two colours in one pigment
The daylight colour is the colour of the pigment in light. The glow colour is the colour of the afterglow in the dark. They are related but not the same: a pigment that looks almost white by day can glow a strong natural green in the dark.
Daylight and glow colours at a glance
| Pigment | Daylight colour | Glow in the dark |
|---|---|---|
| Natural green | almost white with a slight green tint | brightest and longest |
| Blue-green | whitish mint | bright, more balanced look |
| Blue, untinted | whitish with a slight blue tint | bright, slightly weaker than natural green |
| White | very white | only briefly and rather weakly |
| Blue, tinted | strong blue | weaker |
| Violet | strong violet | considerably weaker, approx. 3 h, needs UV to charge |
| Orange, red | strong | considerably weaker; a true red is technically not possible |
The rule of thumb
The more whitish the daylight colour, the stronger the afterglow – with one exception: white has a very white daylight colour but glows only briefly. Strong daylight colours come from tinting with organic dyes. They cost brightness and do not tolerate processing from approx. 150 °C.
Which choice for which design goal?
Discreet by day, bright at night
Natural green, blue-green or untinted blue. They look restrained and light by day, glow brightest in the dark – and are heat-resistant.
Truly white by day
White. Ideal when the product has to look pure white during the day – with the compromise that it glows only briefly and weakly.
Coloured by day
Tinted shades such as blue, violet or orange. They give strong daylight colours but glow less and are only suitable for processing below approx. 150 °C.
What else affects the colour impression
- The pigment is not transparent. In clear carriers such as resin it creates a whitish sheen – the more pigment, the more noticeable.
- The carrier adds colour. Tinting the carrier changes the daylight colour but also swallows brightness. Light, transparent carriers are the best basis.
- The substrate matters. On a dark substrate the pigment looks different by day and glows less – a white primer helps.