 Black light fluorescent paints were first developed by Fluor-S-Art Co. in the 1930s. | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Paint and pigments production |
| Predecessor | Switzer Brothers, Inc. |
| Founded | 1946; 78 years ago (1946) in Berkeley, California, United States |
| Founders | Robert and Joseph Switzer |
| Headquarters | Cleveland, Ohio, United States |
| Area served | Worldwide |
| Key people | Sully Sullivan, President |
| Products | Fluorescent paints |
| Website | www |
The Day-Glo Color Corp. (also styled as DayGlo) is a privately held American paint and pigments manufacturer based in Cleveland, Ohio. It was founded in 1946 by brothers Joseph and Robert Switzer and is currently owned by RPM International. It specializes in fluorescent paint and pigments, such as those used in safety applications, artwork and signage. It invented black-light fluorescent and daylight fluorescent paints and nondestructive testing methods using fluorescent dyes.
History
Robert and Joseph Switzer of Berkeley, California began investigating fluorescence in the 1930s using a black light to identify naturally occurring fluorescent compounds. By mixing these compounds with shellac, they invented the first black light fluorescent paints. Joseph used these paints in his amateur magic show and sold magic kits based on the black light fluorescent costumes they created.
The brothers established the Fluor-S-Art Co. in 1934 to develop and sell black light paints for advertising purposes. They later partnered with Continental Lithograph (a subsidiary of Warner Brothers Pictures) of Cleveland, Ohio, to develop fluorescent paints for movie posters and advertising displays. In 1936, they moved the company to Cleveland, a center of the paint industry.
In 1938, they invented Zyglo and Magnaglo, two flaw-detection processes using fluorescent dyes. The dyes are suspended in fluids which emphasize defects in parts (by penetrant action in the case of Zyglo and by the attraction of magnetic particles in the case of Magnaglo), both allowing the defects to be detected by inspecting the parts under black light. After a dispute with Continental Lithograph over the rights to Zyglo and Magnaglo, the brothers established the independent Switzer Brothers, Inc. in 1946 to continue developing and marketing new uses for fluorescent materials. The company changed its name to Day-Glo Color Corp. in 1969.
In the 1940s, the company began developing a new class of pigments that fluoresced in daylight by converting ultraviolet light to visible light, resulting in brighter colors than other types of pigments. These daylight fluorescing pigments are also known as DayGlo.
During World War II, DayGlo products were used extensively by the U.S. military where high visibility was required. U.S. ground troops in North Africa used daylight fluorescent fabric panels to identify themselves and prevent friendly fire bombings, and DayGlo paints were used on aircraft to prevent midair collisions. Navy aircraft carriers used DayGlo's black light fluorescent paints to allow planes to land at night, an advantage enemy pilots did not have. Military equipment manufacturers, particularly those of aircraft parts, employed DayGlo's Zyglo and Magnaglo processes to identify defects in fabricated metal parts.
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After the war, advertisers used daylight fluorescent paints to make their products more visible to consumers. Tide detergent became known for its fluorescent packaging beginning in 1959, but other products such as clothing, posters and hula hoops also used fluorescent colors. Daylight fluorescent pigments were also used in safety products such as construction cones, street signs and safety vests due to their high visibility.
DayGlo pigments were popularized in the 1960s by their extensive use in psychedelic art, such as the album artwork for Cream's 1967 album Disraeli Gears. In February 1969, the company changed its name from Switzer Brothers, Inc. to DayGlo Color Corp.
In September 1985, the Nalco Chemical Company of Oak Brook purchased Day-Glo Color for approximately $40 million. They then sold it to RPM International in 1991 for an undisclosed price.
In 2012, Day-Glo Color Corp. was recognized as a National Historic Chemical Landmark for its development of daylight fluorescent pigments.
The company has manufacturing plants in Twinsburg, Ohio; Cudahy, California; and Houthalen, Belgium.
Community involvement
For its annual DayGlo Show, Day-Glo donates its paint to artists in Northeast Ohio who use it to create original two- and three-dimensional art that is displayed in a gallery lighted with UV light (black light).
References
- ^ "Company Overview of DayGlo Color Corp". Bloomberg. 8 May 2017. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
- Ensminger, David (July–August 2015). "Black Light Panthers: The Politics of Fluorescence". Art in Print. 5 (2): 16–19. JSTOR 26350859.
- ^ "DayGlo Fluorescent Pigments National Historic Chemical Landmark". American Chemical Society. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
- ^ Johnston, David Cay (29 August 1997). "Robert Switzer, Co-Inventor Of Day-Glo Paint, Dies at 83". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
- ^ Bing, Liesa (1991). The story of Switzer Magic Day-Glo. Old Lyme, CT: L. Bing. OCLC 40583099.
- ^ "SWITZER, ROBERT C.". Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. Case Western Reserve University. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
- "Martin Sharp – obituary". The Daily Telegraph. 2 December 2013. Retrieved 29 March 2016.
- Rielly, Edward J. (1 January 2003). The 1960s. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-313-31261-8.
- "Cream Disraeli Gears Album Review". Rolling Stone. 21 January 1972. Retrieved 29 March 2016.
- "Nalco Now Owns Day-glo". Chicago Tribune. 27 September 1985. ProQuest 290866443. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
- Wang, Linda. "Landmark Achievement for Day-Glo Color". Chemical & Engineering News. cen.acs.org. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
- "Day-Glo Color Corp". Manta.com. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
- "Day-glo Buys Belgian Firm". Chicago Tribune. 12 August 1987. ProQuest 291047125. Archived from the original on 24 May 2018. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
- ^ Usmani, Josh (3 January 2017). "Fifth Annual DayGlo Show Will Color Walk All Over Waterloo". Clevescene. Scene. Retrieved 8 May 2017.