Ready to Glow: New Alternatives in Glow Materials Selection

Most of us remember “glow in the dark” or photoluminescent materials from when we were kids.  Toys and decorative elements such as glow in the dark stars bring back magical memories of nighttime fun.

While these glow materials may be cool and magical, they are typically not used in serious product design. Many have a dull gray daytime appearance and a weak green glow that dissipates quickly in darkness. Traditional glow in the dark products are not intended for high performance in either glow or longevity.

One big obstacle is that this glow does not last very long-usually less than 2 hours. Also, it’s difficult to integrate these materials into finished products. With these technical drawbacks, designers often struggle to find ways include illuminating features into product designs.

Fortunately, high performance photoluminescent materials have progressed to now offer brighter glow, longer glow output of 8+ hours, a wide selection of glow colors, and new forms that make it easier than ever to integrate an illuminating glow into creative designs.

New alternatives from Lunabrite are now available for both soft and hard lines product development.

For cut and sew operations, new round glow trim offers consistent, long lasting glow in multiple color choices. Round glowing trims offer a sewable edge that can be attached to most surfaces using sewing or gluing methods with fabric.

Another option is flat, flexible glow ribbon in a CPSIA compliant polymer base that provides larger surface areas and brighter illumination.  Glow ribbon can be used with commercially available die cutting or laser cutting equipment.

Both glowing rope trim and glow ribbon are machine washable and can be dried in conventional washer/dryers with no loss of glow output after multiple wash cycles.

Designers looking for glow fabric, glow sheets may be a good alternative. With a large workable surface area, this flexible vinyl material offers a glow that is 3 times brighter than other alternatives.  Glow sheets are completely phthalate free and can be used in combination with other glow materials.

For injection molded or extruded parts, new glow in the dark resin was recently introduced.  These glow in the dark resin materials allow designers to explore new ways of adding a bright, long lasting glow to molded or extruded resin parts without the “graying off” of traditional glow in the dark resin products.

As many designers know, one challenge with injection molding is the inline processing of photoluminescent materials. Lunabrite offers a wide range of glow in the dark resins featuring a proprietary encapsulation technology. This technology ensures a clean bright glow that is consistent with every run. Some of the new resins are available as either a concentrate form/master batch or precolor resin format that is ready to go. The company also offers these materials with coordinating Daytime colors for even more design versatility.  

Whether designers desire to add a safety feature, brand identity, or to create an accent or a magical fun element; there are new materials to help them succeed.  It is easier than ever to see the possibilities of designing with new glow materials!

For more information about designing with glow, Lunabrite offers a new free guide called “Designers Guide to Glow”. This booklet is available on the Lunabrite website or by contacting the company.