# Home made UV reactive paint?



## Liam

I am considering the fact that for some of my effects I hope to achieve this year, I may need a significant quantity of UV reactive paint. I had a crazy idea, but before I go screwing up my paint I wanted to see if anyone has done this before, or if anyone knows any reason not to do this.

I was wondering if it might work to add Rit Whitener to regular cheap old latex paint. I have no idea if it will, but thought it might work. Any thoughts as to whether this will or won't work, or if it will crate some amazingly dangerous chemical reaction, would be appreciated.

Thanks!


----------



## playfx

I've never mixed it with paint but we use liquid Tide in our haunt, works good under uv light.
I don't know if you mixed paint and rit if you would get any color or not under the uv, might test some first and see what happens......let us know.


----------



## arcuhtek

Playfx is you use liquid tide.....tell me about that.

Does it have to stay wet to work? If I put it on my concrete wall will it wash off?

I can test this, but you piqued my interest. I wanted to write "BEWARE" on the side of my cement stucco house with liquid tide to see if my blacklights would pick it up. I have tested it in a saucer under a black light and it works. I can test it on a small inconspicuous area...but I would like to hear how you use it.


----------



## Liam

Playfx, that's a great idea. I'll definitely use that if my paint mixing idea doesn't work out. I'm going to try it tonight and will let you guys know how it goes.


----------



## Darkside

Keep this goping, I am extremely interested.


----------



## arcuhtek

I painted liquid tide on the back of a Styrofoam tombstone tonight (DOW Blue board rigid insulation)...look at the tombstone to the left in the photo. This photos does not do it justice....the result of simply dipping an art brush in TIDE and doing a few strokes...WOW..and the GLOW......INCREDIBLY BRIGHT.










Here it is wet....I will do this again tomorrow to see if it reacts as well when cured/dry.

BTW, the rest of the tombstones have been covered on a single side with old undershirts I was about the throw away. AMAZINGLY easy way to get glow.


----------



## aznraverkid

I'm very curious to see how it turns out. It looks great but I can't have my props wet. Looking forward to your post. btw.. does it have to be a particular scent? I have HE Tide will that work? or only regular tide?


----------



## Sickie Ickie

I wonder if there's some way to seal it so the rain doesn't wash it away?


----------



## arcuhtek

I dont know for certain, but I am guessing you can use any TIDE. Thats because the glowing element is phosphor. I think TIDE uses it in all detergent.


----------



## playfx

Yes it will work when dry, its a great effect, I went in the haunt this year to set up and it still worked from the year before. Its just soap so I don't think it would hurt anything you put it on. We use it as blood on the walls and on our mad doctor, when he ( the mad doc) comes out with a skill saw we flicker the blacklight off and on for the scare.


----------



## playfx

Nice pic arcutek, I also use a spray bottle with it for a dripping effect.
SI, i've not tried to seal it, might be something to test.


----------



## aznraverkid

So awesome! Tried it tonight on 1 foam skull and 1 plastic one. Cheap and very effective!

I'm just curious to see how well it dries though. I hope it doesn't turn sticky.


----------



## arcuhtek

I assume you mean you tried liquid detergent tonight? Glad we could help!

Kevin
PS...I painted it on the side of my house in a message that said BOO....just as a test in an area low on the wall near the ground. My friends were present and they were convinced that I added something to the detergent. It looked AWESOME....just awesome. I just read on the BuckyBoneyard website that Tide FREE (no dyes) is brighter.

It rained today.....so tonight I shall see how it held up.


----------



## Aaron636r

Great idea guys. Thanks for the info


----------



## Sickie Ickie

well? how did it hold up on the side of your house?


----------



## arcuhtek

Well its been raining for DAYS in a row. Thats okay..let Mother Nature get it out of her system NOW...not next week.


It looks like its starting to clear up as I type this, so I can try it tonight.

The good news is that its rained buckets. So if that stuff is still hanging on, it will be a GOOD test for longevity of the stuff! My prediction......its all washed away. Thats okay...its just a test area.


The stuff is great, and kinda sorta free....(cheaper than paint)...and washes off easily....probably leaves your house 's exterior looking, smelling and feeling great! Whats not to like? 

Well I guess the fact that you can only apply it if the weather looks positive for sure...and at the last minute.


----------



## Sickie Ickie

It'll be interesting to see if it's still holding or not. Let us know!


----------



## arcuhtek

Okay so here is the report. The "Tide" DID hold up after five days of rain. Thats the good news. The bad news is that where I write the word "boo" on the side of my house...is now just a glowing square. So I guess if you pare painting an object this is good news. If you are writing text, this is bad news.

I am doing both. So tonight I began painting various pieces and parts of my house (it has 1922 Baroque detailing in concrete that is spooky and neat) and wow its looking good. Several people stopped by to ask how I did it.

I will be waiting until Halloween day to write the "beware" or "keep out" on the side of my house....

I did notice that if you paint Tide on something that will not absorb quickly, like the dow blue board insulation, it glows quiet brilliant for a long time. When I painted the concrete, it was brilliant, then once it absorbed and the base water evaporated, it is not as brilliant....but make no mistake, it does glow/react to blacklights.

For me....its cheap fun....why not!


----------



## pyro

thanks all i was wondering how to make some greyish cloths glow---so now i have one more prop to make glad i didnt go for the rit now to get some tide free


----------



## azpaul

Did anyone try adding this to the latex paints? Will it still luminate the color of the paint or just blueish white? 

Great post though. Very informative!


----------



## The Archivist

From the quick research I've just done, you CAN mix Rit whitener to Latex paint. As for the effectiveness, I don't know. I will continue to look around for answers.


----------



## azpaul

The Archivist said:


> From the quick research I've just done, you CAN mix Rit whitener to Latex paint. As for the effectiveness, I don't know. I will continue to look around for answers.


I am just curious if the paint will retain it's color?


----------



## The Archivist

The quick research I did, didn't specify whether or not the paint will retain its color. It would seem to me that it would keep the color. If someone will remind me, I'll use some of the mis-mix paint that I found and try it out during the off-season.


----------



## Lunatic

For all its worth, here are my thoughts.

I develop water based textile coatings for a living and we use optical brighteners in some of our white coatings. It is also used in the construction of some fabrics. An optical brightener flouresces under UV light which makes cloths look brighter! It also creates a nice glow under Fl black lighting. That is why white undergarments look so bright under a black light. The additive we use is in liquid form and isn't available for retail.

I can't see any reason why you can't add Rit to water based paint. The brightest appearance would be in a white color. I don't have any Rit to evaluate but I would try mixing a little of it with paint to see if it might gel. If it mixes smoothly it will probably be ok. I'm not sure if Rit will cause the paint to gel over night so I would mix it and use the same day. Keep in mind that adding any additive including a soap derivitive (like Tide) can affect the paints water resistant performance to some point. You don't need much optical brightener. I would say only 1-2%. You'll have to experiment.

I personally wouldn't use liquid Tide or any type of soap as a paintable coating for anything. It will wash away and probably remain somewhat tacky. But if it works for you then go for it.

What about fluorescent hair spray? The solvents might melt styrofoam though.


----------



## azpaul

How did this come out? I went to buy the RIT today and ony found the brightener in a powder form?? Is there supposed to be a liquid form? 

If I mix this with water, can I add it to the paint?


----------



## azpaul

I tried diluting a box of the RIT Powder Whitening and adding it to white paint. It did not work very well. It made the paint to thin and runny. I used the same RIT Whitening on the cheese cloth for my Crank Ghost and it luminated beautifully. 

I am still searching for a good alternative for a white paint for some ghosts I have on a sign. I tried adding a little blue UV Paint and the non luminous paint over powers the blue luminous paint. Buy the time I get it luminating enough, it is too dark of a blue. 

I also did try using the RIT in a little cup with some water. This did not work as well as I thought t would. Although better than adding it to the latex paint, it was too thin to show up enough. Hints were detectable. 

Any one else out there paint anything white to have it glow? I also have some skeleton parts that I bought at Michaels. They are all dark in the UV lighting. Any ideas on how to get them to be highlighted? 

4 Days left to get the rest done and I still have the magic mirror to build. Sheesh, time flies when your having fun!

Thanks!


----------



## Lunatic

Azpaul, sorry to see that you're experiencing technical difficulties. I've never used Rit before and didn't know it's in powder form. I don't know what the pH of the Rit is when dissolved in water. If it's on the acid side then it might be affecting the thickener in the paint causing the viscosity to drop. a little ammonia will increase the pH and perhaps thicken it. 

I am not aware of any consumer type optical brighteners. It sounds like there is a market for it. I wonder if DayGlo has anything to offer. I'll look around and let you know if I find anything.


----------



## Lunatic

Check this website out. I found this UV dye the seller claims can be used in paint for theatrical effects. Optical brighteners are expensive so if products are pricey you'll know why. Let me know if anyone tries it out. Remember that a lot goes a long way for optical brighteners so typically you only need 1-2% in paint. Good luck. Try the DayGlo website, too!

http://www.riskreactor.com/mm5/merc...&Product_Code=IFWB-C01oz&Category_Code=IFWBOZ


----------



## arcuhtek

AZPAUL, I agree....I think we all got off topic for this post. If anyone knows if the tide free (or other additive) can be used in latex paint to successfully yield a UV reactive paint, PLEASE post your information here.


----------



## Lunatic

What? We got off topic? I don't know exactly where this thread got off topic. I was giving some insight and making suggestions on the best way to achieve UV fluorescence using optical brighteners. I'm a chemist and sure you can likely add liquid Tide to paint. I suggest someone try it out. It affects the paints water resistance though. Try this out. Blend a few different levels of tide in your paint starting at 5%-15% and brush them side by side on some cardboard or paper. Once dried see how the different levels of Tide fluoresces under UV light. You probably don't have to wait until it's totally dry in order to see the effect.

On occasion I've made my own UV reactive paint at work for a few props. I mixed in a clear optical brightener into a white paint at 2%. Unfortuantely the additive is not available for retail. The only retail additive I found so far on the net was listed in my last post. It shows a website that sells a UV reactive dye additive that can be mixed into paint for UV reactive theatrical effects. I don't know if they offer the correct color but what choice do you have. Here's the site
http://www.riskreactor.com/mm5/merc...&Product_Code=IFWB-C01oz&Category_Code=IFWBOZ

Azpaul, it sounds like you may want a fluorescent colored paint. Maybe I'm wrong in understanding your situation. DayGlo has a website that sells bright flourescent colored paints that glow brilliantly under UV lighting.

My experience in developing fluorescent fabric paints is that it's a difficult balance to get a good glow under UV lighting and still maintain the exact color that you want when using only a clear UV additive. It's usually a trade off. The color usually gets muted by the brightness of the UV reflectance. If you're looking for a specific color under black UV lighting then it sounds like your only choice is a DayGlo fluorescent colored paint for those specific colored areas. It will fluoresce Brilliantly!


----------



## arcuhtek

Lunatic, my apologies. I posted without realizing there were additional pages to the post...I am very interested. Thank you for your contributions.


----------



## arcuhtek

Oh an BTW I have used the UV reactive tracer dye from the site Lunatic linked. It is INCREDIBLE. I pour just a drop in my water fountains on Halloween night and then put a black light near them....the water is fluorescent green and it even fluoresces in the daylight (or so it appears to..maybe it is just brilliant green).

I bet you could add that to paint as stated and arrive at a nice homemade paint.


----------



## alteridiom

New around here. So let me get this straight. I can write something on the side of my house with Tide, put a blacklight near it, and it will glow very brightly. Then, I can just wash it off by scrubbing it with some water and it won't damage my vinyl siding?


----------



## Lunatic

Arcuhtek, Nice! So you have used the UV reactive tracer dye. Excellent. I'm glad you said that because I wondered how well it works. Good to know. Have you tried it in latex paint?


----------



## nixie

I just tried mixing laundry detergent with paint, it didn't work. I wondered if I could find help here, searched and found this thread... sounds like were in the same boat.


----------



## nixie

I'm going to try to mix it with a clear coat... I'll keep ya posted.


----------



## Arastorm

Thought I would give some links of things that I have come across hope they help:

http://chemistry.about.com/b/2009/02/17/glow-in-the-dark-slime-instructions.htm

http://www.clearneon.com/cart.php?m=product_list&c=2

http://www.ehow.com/how_4886076_make-own-black-light-paint.html#

http://www.halloweenblacklight.com/halloween-blacklight-tips.html


----------



## Lunatic

Nixie, that's a good idea. The paint pigment and fillers might be muting the UV glow. I'm not sure how well Tide will perform in any coating though. Let us know how it looks. I found that a clear UV reactive coating, with an optical brightener...not Tide, over a white paint works well for me. I haven't tried any other color.

BTW, I bought a gift for me today at Spirit...a 4-foot UV blacklight. I just had to share my excitement because my wife wouldn't fully understand it. Actually, no one I know would care either. But I expect the people here to understand. It ain't Halloween without some UV, Man!


----------



## Optym

What a nice treasure of knowledge! My porch this year using blacklighting. I have been using glow in the dark acrylic from the dollor store but ran out this evening. Thanks


----------



## pyro

Arastorm said:


> Thought I would give some links of things that I have come across hope they help:
> 
> http://chemistry.about.com/b/2009/02/17/glow-in-the-dark-slime-instructions.htm
> 
> http://www.clearneon.com/cart.php?m=product_list&c=2
> 
> http://www.ehow.com/how_4886076_make-own-black-light-paint.html#
> 
> http://www.halloweenblacklight.com/halloween-blacklight-tips.html


wow what great info ---thanks


----------



## Lunatic

Arastorm, Great info! Thanks for sharing.


----------



## Arastorm

I use Blacklight hairspray that can be purchased at the Spirit Store, and its washable.

http://www.halloweenexpress.com/blacklight-hair-spray-p-4541.html

http://www.lynchs.com/item--HairsprayBlackLightHairspray--801.html

The second link is the brand I use.


----------



## arcuhtek

Lunatic said:


> Arcuhtek, Nice! So you have used the UV reactive tracer dye. Excellent. I'm glad you said that because I wondered how well it works. Good to know. Have you tried it in latex paint?


I thought I would start a thread about the dye, so I did so here:
http://www.hauntforum.com/showthread.php?t=19182

I dont know why, but I have never tried to mix it with anything, but maybe I should!

Herfe is a photo of the dye in my water fountain..


----------



## Lunatic

I do remember that thread. Looks good!


----------



## The Archivist

Lunatic, thanks for the links. I've been wracking my brain trying to come up with ideas to search for stuff to make the UV reactant latex paint, but apparently you've solved the problem. Now the only thing I have left to do is actually make enough to sell to the people over at Ghost Train. (I intend to make them pay for the treatment I received this year.)


----------



## Terrormaster

I know this thread is old. But has anyone had success getting fluorescent tracer dyes to work with water based latex paint?

Has anyone used this stuff?

http://www.theatrefx.com/store/commerce.cgi?keywords=UV83


----------

