How to select the correct clear medium for glow in the dark projects

This article describes how to select the correct type of clear medium so you can make your own glow in the dark paint or objects.

Water based clear is the most basic clear and quite suitable for indoor glow in the dark paint. Now there are many brands and variations of this type of clear and they are not all the same or as suitable to glow in the dark paint. When deciding to purchase you should look for the following:

Will the clear dry to a non milky (water clear) appearance: This is important as a milky clear will dull out and severely diminish your otherwise long and bright glow effect.

How long does it take to get a touch dry surface: If you have a paint that has a long tack off period your glow crystals may settle within that film and you will end up with a very uneven glow coating so choose a clear with a fast touch dry time. It will not matter if your clear takes 24hrs or more to fully cure as long as the touch dry time is short say from 5 to 15 minutes.

Is the paint suitable for spraying: As I am only talking about a spray glow in the dark paint and not a brush type it is important that the paint you get is suitable for spraying, make sure that the tin has directions for using the clear as a spray paint and follow the thinning directions exactly.

Lets say you are wanting to paint some glow in the dark decals on your vehicle. You are going to need to select an an automotive clear like Solvent based acrylic or 2 pack poly urethane. These clears are well suited to harsh outdoor weather extremes especially the 2 pack clear.

Both of these clears are non milky (Water clear) and designed for spraying and the acrylic is fast drying. When using the 2 pack clear make sure you use a fast hardener or maybe the medium in very hot weather otherwise you will be risking settling within the film.

It is important however that unless you are experienced in auto shop painting that you stay away from the 2 pack urethane type clears as they contain very dangerous isocyanates and should only be used by professional painters with the correct full breathing gear and spray booths.

The above paint clears are fine for doing glow in the dark films but when it comes to making glow in the dark objects that you can hold in your hands you will need to use a specialist medium.

Firstly the Polyester family is huge and without the right knowledge you will not know what to ask for. To make things easy just give your supplier the following information: