Have you ever wondered what happens to a medal after the lights go out?
Most medals shine brilliantly under daylight or spotlights, but once darkness falls, they silently fade away. Yet there exists a special category of medals endowed with another kind of life—when light retreats, they begin to awaken, using their stored glow to tell their own stories in the darkness.
Today, let's explore this mysterious craft: Luminescent Baking Enamel.
Luminescent baking enamel builds upon traditional baking enamel technology by incorporating luminescent powder materials into transparent or colored enamel at precise ratios. After high-temperature curing, the filled areas gain the ability to "absorb light - store light - emit light."
The core principle isn't mystical:
Light Absorption: Under natural light, artificial light, or UV light, the phosphorescent particles in the luminescent material absorb and store light energy
Light Storage: The energy is "locked" within the material's crystal lattice in a stable form
Light Emission: When ambient light disappears, the stored energy is slowly released as visible light, lasting for several hours
This is not radioactive luminescence, but a pure photophysical phenomenon—safe, environmentally friendly, and repeatable.
2024 Eastern Siberia Weightlifting Cup – Glow as a Symbol of Grit
Glow in the Dark Ammonite Medals
We paired intricate 3D relief (the roaring bear lifting a barbell, a nod to Siberia’s wildlife and the sport’s intensity) with glow-in-the-dark enamel accents. Key text (“Восточной Сибири 2024”, “VII”) and subtle decorative lines were filled with cyan luminescent enamel, while the bear’s musculature and barbell featured bold red/orange standard enamel for daytime impact.
We opted for a matte black nickel-plated base with full glow-in-the-dark green enamel filling for the ammonite’s spiral pattern and lettering. The single luminescent color created a sleek, modern look by day and a striking green glow by night—echoing the brand’s focus on renewable energy and environmental awareness.
Step 1: Mold Design and Stamping
The medal's base shape, text relief height, and recess depth all need to accommodate subsequent luminescent filling.
The Cyrillic text on these medals featured intricate strokes and included both large and small font sizes. Mold design had to ensure:
Minimum stroke width ≥ 0.3mm (otherwise luminescent material cannot flow properly)
Recess depth controlled at 0.5-0.8mm (too shallow yields weak luminescence; too deep increases material costs and curing difficulty)
Step 2: Base Plating Treatment
The medals undergo overall electroplating (antique silver, black nickel, or matte gold) to provide a dark background that contrasts with the luminescent areas.
Step 3: Luminescent Enamel Filling
This is the most critical stage.
Material Proportioning: The mesh size (particle fineness) of luminescent powder, addition ratio, and compatibility with transparent/colored enamel all require precise testing. Too low a ratio results in weak luminescence; too high affects enamel fluidity and adhesion.
Manual Color Filling: Every area requiring luminescence is filled by hand by experienced craftsmen. The complex curves of Cyrillic letters and fine strokes of small fonts tolerate no overflow or deficiency.
High-Temperature Curing: Filled medals enter a curing tunnel at 150-200°C. Temperature and timing must be precisely controlled—insufficient temperature leads to poor adhesion; excessive temperature may degrade luminescent performance.
Step 4: Surface Finishing and Quality Inspection
After curing, medals undergo surface polishing to remove any excess material, followed by final inspection. Under UV light, every luminescent area is carefully examined to ensure uniform glow, no bubbles, and no defects.
Questions & Answers on Glow in the Dark Medals
Luminescent materials typically emit yellow-green or blue-green light. If the background is light-colored, the daytime appearance may confuse with the luminescent areas. A dark background allows luminescent zones to "disappear" during the day and emerge only at night—exactly the "surprise element" we want.
It is influenced by the quality of the luminous powder, the filling thickness, Light Absorption Conditions, and the environmental temperature factors.0.5mm thickness vs. 0.3mm yields significantly different glow effects; Full exposure to strong light vs. weak indoor light produces completely different results; Low temperatures extend glow duration but may slightly reduce brightness.
Under standard conditions (30 minutes of full natural light exposure), high-quality luminescent enamel can achieve:
First 30 minutes: Clearly readable text glow
30 minutes to 2 hours: Visible light aura, text positions recognizable
2 to 4 hours: Faint afterglow, still perceptible in darkness
Night Events and Activities
Night marathons, winter evening ski competitions—medals that glow in darkness become the most unique mementos for participants.
Outdoor Adventures and Military Training
Wilderness survival training, military exercises, scout activities—glowing medals represent not just honor but a metaphor for the experience: "Shining even in darkness."
Technology and Innovation Themes
Corporate annual awards for tech companies, innovation competition commemoratives—luminescent craft itself symbolizes the spirit of "illuminating the unknown."
Special Commemorative Significance
Marking moments of "emerging from darkness" or periods of "waiting for the clouds to part"—luminescence becomes the physical embodiment of emotion.
During the production of these Cyrillic text medals, we deeply realized:
Luminescence is not a "gimmick"—it's an extension of design language.
The designer chose to make the text glow, not the background; chose to make complex Cyrillic letters glow, not simple geometric patterns—this itself conveys a message: "The meaning carried by these words deserves to be read even in darkness."
We take pride in every luminescent area on these medals. Not because the craft is complex, but because we're using craftsmanship to respond to a specific and sincere need.
Send your artwork to the ArtiGifts craftsmanship team. Let us evaluate the optimal implementation solution for luminescent enamel. From material selection to craft details, we'll respond to your every expectation with professional expertise. Contact us today to start your custom project.
Best regards | Zhongshan Artigifts Premium Metal & Plastic Co., Ltd.
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Post time: Feb-27-2026
