The process
How a flat sheet of paper holds light for ten hours.
Nothing about these posters is electronic. The glow is chemistry: a phosphor layer that stores energy from ordinary room light and lets it back out slowly once the room goes dark.
- 01
Black-core stock
We start with 240gsm matte archival paper with a black core, so the unlit print stays genuinely dark instead of muddy grey. Contrast in the dark depends entirely on how black the paper is in the light.
- 02
Seven ink passes
Line work, mid-tones and detail are screen-printed first in matte pigment. Registration is checked by hand between every pass because the final layer has to sit exactly on top of the art.
- 03
The phosphor layer
The last pass is a heavy strontium aluminate phosphor. It absorbs photons and re-emits them slowly — no batteries, no electronics, no coating that wears out. It is non-toxic and does not contain radioactive material.
- 04
Charge and release
Ten to twenty minutes under any household lamp fully saturates the layer. It reads brightest for the first hour, then settles into a steady glow for eight to ten hours before fading to nothing by morning.
Living with a glow poster
- Best light source
- Daylight or a cool white LED charges fastest. UV or blacklight is brightest but not required.
- Framing
- Use UV-filtering glazing, matte if possible. Glass slightly dims the charge but protects the layer.
- Longevity
- The phosphor does not deplete with use. Keep it out of direct sun to protect the pigment layers.
- Cleaning
- Dust with a dry microfibre cloth only. Never use solvents or water on the phosphor surface.
Pick the wall, we'll handle the dark.
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