Introduction: DIY Ultraviolet Light Indicator Strips
Make your own ultraviolet sensitive paper without any fancy tools or electronics!
You will need:
Just the other day I purchased a set of PH indicator strips. They work well when you need to know the approximate PH of a liquid. There are more advanced ways to measure such a thing but these type of strips are easy to use and cheap. This got me to thinking if there was a similar product for detecting UV light, but I only found one commercial example online. Since I happened to have a Lumi Inkodye kit laying around, which reacts to ultraviolet light, I decided to make ultraviolet indicator strips. Here's how!
You will need:
- A suitable work surface (remember, Lumi inks will stain; that's the whole point of them)
- A waterproof container, perhaps with a lid that you can put on halfway
- Paper towels
- One Lumi Inkodye Kit
Just the other day I purchased a set of PH indicator strips. They work well when you need to know the approximate PH of a liquid. There are more advanced ways to measure such a thing but these type of strips are easy to use and cheap. This got me to thinking if there was a similar product for detecting UV light, but I only found one commercial example online. Since I happened to have a Lumi Inkodye kit laying around, which reacts to ultraviolet light, I decided to make ultraviolet indicator strips. Here's how!
Step 1: Get Ready & Go
You want to make sure everything is ready before you start the process. Minimizing premature exposure to UV light is the key to a successful outcome. When you feel confident that you can perform these steps in less than one minute, proceed.
I created this Instructable because ultraviolet light intrigues me and I've wanted to do more projects involving it. I have a dozen or so UV LEDs laying around that I'd like to use in my next project so please + Follow and stay tuned! I also thought it would lend well to the Build My Lab Contest, so please Vote if you like it!
- Lay out the paper towel on a surface that you do not mind staining permanently.
- Pour a good amount of ink all over the paper towel and roll it around evenly. I used 1/4 of the bottle.
- Carefully peel up the paper towel and lay it in your container loosely along with three or four dry paper towels.
- Close the container loosely, allowing some air circulation and place it in a dark closet for a few days.
I created this Instructable because ultraviolet light intrigues me and I've wanted to do more projects involving it. I have a dozen or so UV LEDs laying around that I'd like to use in my next project so please + Follow and stay tuned! I also thought it would lend well to the Build My Lab Contest, so please Vote if you like it!