The magical colour effects of the insect world

Scarab beetle iridescent colours

Scarab iridescence is due to the fact that its shell is composed of several layers of chitin (main component of the shell) in helical structure. Each layer gives a specific color depending on the distance travelled by light. The copper, gold or silver colour of beetles depends on the number of layers and on the distance of the reflected light between the various layers. Their shell reflects light, providing beautiful iridescent, glossy and metallic colours.

Fireflies and bioluminescent deep sea fish

The light produced by these animals is called bioluminescence. It’s the result of the biochemical reaction between luciferin and luciferase, which generates a photon. For deep sea fishes, this light allows them to communicate, enable mates to come close, attract their preys or to light the ocean for hunting. Fireflies use that light to communicate with potential mates. Their organism produces a glow located at the abdomen level and that flashes on and off.

Fluorescent scorpion

Scorpions have the particularity of being fluorescent under black light. Fluorescence occurs when some materials or surfaces are hit by light and they re-emit this energy as visible light. Scorpion fluorescence is due to the presence of chemicals contained in the cuticle of their exoskeleton. Thanks to these fluorescent substances in its durable but flexible carapace, the scorpion can emit a green glow when it’s submitted to a special light called “black light”. This property is called fluorescence.

Duck bright coloured plumage

The feathers have two types of pigments, melanins (black) and carotenoids (yellow to red). Colours appear when the light hits the duck feather and comes into contact with particles of black melanin, which reflect only the blue component of light (black melanin absorbs the rest preventing reflection). At a certain angle and depending on the light meeting with yellow pigments that can distinguish a wide variety of colurs, feathers will be blue, green or black.

Shedding light on photoluminescence

Fluorescence, phosphorescence and black light are terms that are often confused.

These three different names have all different effects and are all members of the photoluminescence family.

Photoluminescent paints refer to all types of paints which molecules are excited by light and which re-emit the energy absorbed as visible light.

StardustColors manufactures a wide range of photoluminescent paints.

· Fluorescent paints

They are well known for their « flashy » colours and are used in many fields.

Main characteristic: Display intense colour during the day.
Located in a visibility area, they have the unique ability to catch the public eye thanks to their bright intensity.

What are fluorescent paints ?
They absorb the light and reflect it immediately.

The most seen colours of the light spectrum to the human eye:

– during the day the human eye is sensitive to colours from yellow to orange

– while during the night, or at nightfall, green is best perceived

StardustColors manufactures 7 fluorescent colours: white, purple, pink, red, orange, yellow, green and blue !

Note : Fluorescent paints react very strongly under black light.
Note : They are semi transparent.

· Phosphorescent paints

They work in much the same way as fluorescent ones, except that they release slowly the light.
The phosphorescent molecules, made out of natural materials, are excited by any source of light, and slowly release the energy in the form of phosphorescence.

Main characteristics: Invisible during the day, but clearly visible in total darkness

StardustColors produces by far the largest range of colours in Europe with 7 colours available : purple, blue, blue-green, green, orange, red, white.

StardustColors can help you through your project, to produce all kind of phosphorescent materials such as plastics, fabrics, adhesives and various objects.

Note: Some colours such as purple seem less strong, as their wavelength emission make them difficult to detect by the human eye. They are the shortest wavelength of visible light.

· Blacklight paint

They are also called ultraviolet or Blacklight.

These products have the particularity of reacting to waves ranges between 365 and 395nm (ultra violet light).
When exposed to UV blacklight, the paints, that were invisible, suddenly display bright colours.
Lamps, neon lighting or blacklight LED are usually used.
Used mainly in some recreational activities or in scientific fields or for security purpose (bank notes) they are quite recent.

Main characteristics: Invisible during the day, they become visible in total darkness

StardustColors creates 6 colours: yellow, pink, red, purple, blue and green (all invisible when exposed to blacklight).

Advantage: They don’t fade and their glow stays up through the entire night.
Disadvantage: They don’t resist to daylight.

· Infrared ink

Latest innovation from StardustColors, this special invisible technology, applied to scientific and medical use, glows very brightly (green) under a source of infrared light (980nm)

For further information, please contact us at : infos@stardustcolors.com