UV & glow guide

UV-reactive vs. glow-in-the-dark

UV-reactive (fluorescent) colors light up while a UV or blacklight is shining on them. The neon filaments soak up the ultraviolet and give it back as bright visible color, so a panel that looks bold in daylight turns electric under a blacklight. Switch the UV light off and the effect stops.

Glow-in-the-dark (phosphorescent) filament stores light and releases it slowly. Charge it with daylight, a lamp or a UV light, turn the lights off, and it keeps glowing on its own. The glow is brightest in the first few minutes and fades gradually.

Every piece here is UV-reactive. Most also have glow-in-the-dark layers. The Daylight / Blacklight / Afterglow switch at the top of each page shows all three looks.

Which pieces glow

UV-reactive and glow-in-the-dark: Octo Funkedelic, Cosmic Eye, Mushroom Cathedral, Bass Frog, World Turtle, Lunar Moth, Taurus, Cancer, Zombo, Arachnomancer, Jack o' the Shadows, Out for a Walk.

UV-reactive only: Nine Lives, Aries, Slayer.

Lunar Moth comes in two colorways: Signature Glow, which glows, and Matte Alternate, which does not.

Getting the best blacklight look

Any blacklight works, but a 365 nm UV light gives the strongest fluorescence with less purple haze than a 395 nm one. Aim the light across the relief rather than straight on and the raised layers throw shadows, which is where the depth comes from.

For the strongest afterglow, charge the piece under a UV light or in bright light for a few minutes, then switch everything off.

Blacklight and afterglow photos on this site were taken under special lighting. They show the effect, not how a piece looks in a normal room. Color and glow vary with your light, how long the piece was charged, the filament batch and your screen.

What they are made of

Each piece is a multicolor relief printed in PLA on a Bambu Lab P2S, in house, in small batches. Every color is a separate raised layer, up to 12 mm deep, so it is a real three-dimensional surface rather than a flat print.

Hanging and care

Every piece has a built-in hanging hole, about 4 mm, that fits a small nail or picture hook. Hardware is not included.

PLA can soften with heat, so keep pieces away from radiators and out of hot cars and long hours of direct summer sun. Dust with a soft dry brush or cloth. Do not soak them or use solvents.

Ordering

All pieces are sold through the Lumen Lore Works Etsy shop. They are printed to order and usually ship within 3–5 business days.