Table of Contents
You may know it from nightclubs where the bouncer gives you an invisible stamp on your hand, and by shining a special flashlight he can see the stamp. Maybe you’ve been to a party where, when you enter the room, patterns that previously weren’t visible start to glow in the dark. Of course, this is UV Paint.
UV Paint and UV Effects have become extremely popular, and the same goes for “rave” parties. UV Paint helps create a really cool and different atmosphere, so in this post we will take a closer look at what UV is and what it can do!
What is UV?
UV means ultraviolet. UV is a term for light that cannot be seen with the naked eye, because the light has a lower frequency – also called nanometres – than “normal” visible light. Where UV Light has its effect is when the light hits surfaces that become fluorescent under UV illumination, or as many call it: glow-in-the-dark.
There is a countless range of different products with this glow-in-the-dark capability, from paint to balloons, and the effect really helps bring your party decorations to life!
UV events
There are plenty of ways to give different events a UV touch. In this section, we share various ideas for different events that we have previously had success organising or supplying equipment for.
Rave party
A true classic. Rave culture has its roots in the electronic music scene and is characterised by hard music, colourful clothing, and a love of partying. Although rave parties primarily have their roots in harder electronic music such as trance and techno, rave parties have become more and more popular among large parts of the population in recent years.
Rave parties are for everyone, and especially the colourful UV universe that shapes the decorations and the participants’ outfits, together with the carefree atmosphere, appeals to a lot of people! In addition, the harder side of electronic music has really gained ground in mainstream culture in recent years. Even DJs and producers who make extremely hard-hitting music have a place on the big festival stages worldwide!
So dig out the rave playlist, get loads of UV party accessories, invite your friends and throw an absolute banger of a party—they’ll love it!
UV in nightclubs
In line with the rave parties, UV Effects aren’t only great for private events. If you own a nightclub or another type of venue, we can guarantee that UV Light can help boost your events!
Several UV Lamps can be controlled via DMX and can be connected directly to the club’s existing lighting setup. When you then run your UV events, all you need to do is decorate with UV-active decorations and paint, and hand out small tubes of UV face paint to your guests when they arrive—and you’re good to go!
A fun way to create a different kind of event that is guaranteed to go down well with your guests!
High school and university UV party
A high school or university party should of course have a theme. We all know the classics: masquerade balls, fancy-dress parties, etc. But why not take it up a notch and host a crazy UV party instead?
Turn the high school or university canteen into the wildest UV setting for students who will 100% accept the invitation and show up in insanely creative outfits and body paint. It will be the craziest night of the programme.
Night sports
After we’ve been to all the great parties, we also need to keep the body in shape. At SoundStoreXL, we’ve had great success with the concept “natminton”, which is guaranteed to be a sport unlike anything you’ve experienced before.
The concept is actually very simple. Find a dark sports hall, use UV Neon Tape to mark out the court, and get UV rackets and shuttlecocks. Then you turn off the lights and switch on a bunch of UV Lamps that now light up the court—then the match of the century can begin!
But it’s not only badminton that works great as a night sport! Football where you’ve made UV markings on the ball, goals and lines, and all players are painted in the team colours with UV body paint and UV fabric paint on the shirts, is also brilliant. The violet light that the UV Lamps provide is strong enough to clearly see what’s happening on the pitch, while still giving you the UV effect.
So, if you’re hosting a corporate event or simply putting on the coolest sports event of the year, UV and night sports are definitely a favourite activity with us!
UV Lamps
To even be able to kick-start the UV effects or host a UV party, you need some UV Light. There is a wide selection of lamps made exclusively to create the ultraviolet light.
Whether you need a UV Lamp you can hang on your lighting stand for your mobile disco, or you want a light strip that illuminates a design behind the bar, there are plenty of options for that.
UV Flashlights
The UV Lamps are also made in a flashlight format, which can be a really fun addition to the party. Put a UV flashlight in your guests’ hands when they arrive, and afterwards they can walk around and illuminate different designs on clothing, walls, and anything else that’s had a go with the UV paintbrush.
In addition, UV Flashlights are extremely popular among amber hunters, who use them to go amber hunting at night, where pieces of amber light up when hit by the UV Light. So if the party gets too boring, you can always go on a spontaneous amber hunt!
UV Paint
Although UV Light in itself can be cool enough, it becomes a bit too tame without lots of colours. Here we need some of the special UV Paint to create the perfect UV effect. There are insanely many variants, each with its own intended use.
UV body and face paint
UV body paint and UV face paint are gentle paints designed for face and body. The paint is available in many different colours and is perfect for creating various designs, with yourself as the canvas.
The paint is easy to wash off afterwards with warm water and soap, so you’re ready for Sunday brunch without neon colours all over your head. UV Paint comes in countless neon colours, and can also be used as regular body and face paint without using UV Lamps, just without the glowing effect!
UV makeup
UV makeup follows on from face paint. The only difference is that these products are specially developed for use on lips, eyelids and similar areas. The paint is broadly the same product, but comes in packaging that makes application easy.
UV makeup can easily be used for purposes other than UV parties. UV makeup has a screaming neon colour and can also be used as a festive touch for other occasions, adding a bit of colour even to grandma’s 85th birthday!
UV fabric paint
UV fabric paint is perfect for giving a boring white T-shirt new, colourful life. The paint is easy to apply and, after drying for around 24 hours, it’s ready to be ironed on the reverse side—and ready for a party.
UV fabric paint is also available as markers, making it extra easy to draw on all kinds of fabrics. It’s easy to apply and iron on the reverse side—then you’re ready to hit any UV dancefloor.
UV fabric paint doesn’t wash off, and can withstand washing at up to 60 degrees. So don’t draw on clothes you don’t want to be your UV party outfit forever.
Universal UV Paint
Universal UV Paint can be used to paint on virtually all surfaces: walls, paper, wood, cardboard, etc., and can be used to decorate a room in neon colours which, if you shine UV Light on them, become glow-in-the-dark. It’s a unique way to create extra depth in wall decorations.
The UV Paint is available both as regular paint applied with a brush or roller, but also as spray paint, which provides extra possibilities for unique effects in different types of graffiti artworks.
UV stamp liquid
UV stamps are the kind you know from any night out. The invisible stamp you get on your hand when you enter a club, so the bouncer can keep an eye on who is allowed in and who isn’t. UV stamps are completely invisible and only light up when illuminated by a UV Flashlight. A fun gimmick if you want to create a nightclub vibe with “bouncers” at your event!
Top UV Paint
UV decorations
Now we’ve talked quite a bit about paint. But there are also plenty of other effects you can use to decorate for your UV party. UV decorations are a fun way to create a festive atmosphere for your party, where even the decorations react to the light.
UV Balloons
UV Balloons are completely ordinary, regular balloons with UV colour mixed into the rubber. UV Balloons are a fun and different way to add light to the party. They are suitable for use instead of traditional lamps, as they light up the room well when the UV Light hits them.
Neon Tape
If tape is needed, you might as well do it elegantly. That’s where Neon Tape helps. Neon Tape comes in many different neon colours and reacts to UV Light. The Neon Tape can also be written on with regular markers, making it ideal for labelling, for example, flightcases, so you can always recognise your gear among many others.
UV plants
If you’re having flowers or plants at the party, why not make them glow along with all the other UV Effects? UV plants glow when they are hit by the UV lamps and really help complete your UV party, making it something guests will remember for a long time.
Glow Sticks
In addition to UV Paint and other UV equipment, there are also many other effects that can help add extra light to the party. One of the most classic is the glow stick. Glow Sticks or glowsticks as they are also called, are a plastic tube with two liquids that are sealed inside and therefore kept apart. When the casing is snapped and the liquids meet, a chemical reaction occurs and the liquid starts to glow. Glow sticks are a really popular choice and can be found at loads of parties and events, where they create a festive sea of light.
We hope this blog post has inspired you to take your party to the next level. There are endless possibilities to give your party a truly special touch and make it the one that will be remembered for many years to come.
If you have any questions or need guidance, our customer service team is always ready to share their knowledge across all our product categories!
