Luminous

Description

The property of appearing to give off light or glow. Luminous paints, textiles and paper contain phosphorescent pigments to make them appear bright. The phosphorescent pigments, such as such as barium, zinc sulfides emit visible light when irradiated with ultraviolet light. These pigments are also called whiteners and brighteners.

Authority

• Ralph Mayer, A Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques, Harper and Row Publishers, New York, 1969 (also 1945 printing)

• The Dictionary of Paper, American Paper Institute, New York, Fourth Edition, 1980

• E.J.LaBarre, Dictionary and Encyclopedia of Paper and Paper-making, Swets & Zeitlinger, Amsterdam, 1969