How to get a better glow from Glow in the dark filaments

Bambu Filament and Accesories Filament
1

I’m looking for some sort of direction on how to use the glow in the dark filaments better.
Ever since getting my x1, I bought 2 colors of the PLA glow in the dark, blue and orange, and have experienced the same issue with both - they are not nearly as efficient at glowing as the cheapo stars we buy for our kids at a dollar store. I mean, I honestly have wall decor made with the GitD filament on walls facing the opposite side of the room to get full daylight, and by the time is dark, they are not glowing.

I tried everything, place it at the window, getting a strong LED flashlight and placing right against it for a full minute, keeping the flashlight shining over the entire thing for over 10 minutes, etc, and every time the result is the same:
It glows, not super strong, for about 15 to 20 minutes, and then fades away.

TLDR:
What does one have to do to get most of the glow in the dark effect from the filament?

2

Easiest solution would be to buy a different glow in the dark filament brand (there are plenty to choose from) to test, after thoroughly reviewing the experiences shared by other users. Depending upon your location, some brands might be easily accessible (and perhaps even cheaper).
I’m using eSun, Sunlu and Polynaker filaments for such prints, and except for occasional “hiccups” (sh1t does happen), I’m pretty satisfied with the results.

3

Green will glow the longest, red the shortest.

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4

I bought a roll of Amolen RED Glow in the Dark from Amazon. Totally worthless piece of ■■■■. You can’t tell it’s glow in the dark. I even put it outside in direct sunlight, then into a dark closet. No glow at all. Absolutely a total waste of money.

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5

Which filaments?

Problem is the density of particles can’t be anywhere near as high as injected parts or the filament would be unprintable/break.
I’ve been deceived with the one I’ve got too because it’s barely noticeable with light around, but actually in total darkness it does stay visible for quite a while if the parts are thick enough…

6

I did exactly the same and had the identical response.

The problem is the faked photos they use to say theirs will work well in the dark without anything other than natural light to charge it.

One the general topic, this article is helpful.

https://all3dp.com/2/glow-in-the-dark-filament-brands-compared/

Greens feature well in the results, they tend to respond well under normal conditions.

7

For GITD, I’ve only tried Echen so far.
I chose them because it doesn’t need a hardened nozzle.

Glow in The Dark Blue, Green and Red

8

Thanks everyone for your answers…
I guess what I was looking for is more along the lines of what @Kilrah replied above, so probably higher number of walls or infill means better glow… or maybe smaller nozzles too?
I have not used a UV light to charge my prints, as I don’t have one and don’t want to buy one just for that - I’ll just accept the fact that its just not ready for a prime time yet.

9

Sorry, forgot to reply, the filaments I have used are the Bambu PLA Glow Orange (15300) and the Glow Blue (15600).

10

I might guess that less bubbles will result in a less obstructive path, therefore large nozzle sizes and squished layers may be best. I’d google “how-to-print-glass” for a rough template on a more homogeneous structure.

11

I think best way to get them to glow is direct sunlight or UV light. LED or other bulbs may not charge it enough.