Scotchlite
Encyclopedia
Scotchlite is a retroreflective
material made by 3M
. Its primary use is in nighttime high-visibility applications, such as 'reflective tape' for cyclists, safety vests for road workers, or the front of many traffic signs. Scotchlite was invented in 1936 .
Scotchlite is designed to take advantage of the retroreflective
optical properties of the glass beads, which collect light from any angle of incidence and reflect it back in the direction it came from. The surface of Scotchlite is densely packed with microscopic glass beads (usually titanate glass). In addition, each glass bead is covered with a metallic reflective layer on its rear half, enhancing its retroreflective properties. A surface covered with Scotchlite seems to glow brightly when viewed from the light source, but appears dull gray from most other directions.
An additional application of Scotchlite is in special effects cinematography utilising the front projection effect
.
Retroreflector
A retroreflector is a device or surface that reflects light back to its source with a minimum scattering of light. An electromagnetic wave front is reflected back along a vector that is parallel to but opposite in direction from the wave's source. The device or surface's angle of incidence is...
material made by 3M
3M
3M Company , formerly known as the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation based in Maplewood, Minnesota, United States....
. Its primary use is in nighttime high-visibility applications, such as 'reflective tape' for cyclists, safety vests for road workers, or the front of many traffic signs. Scotchlite was invented in 1936 .
Scotchlite is designed to take advantage of the retroreflective
Retroreflector
A retroreflector is a device or surface that reflects light back to its source with a minimum scattering of light. An electromagnetic wave front is reflected back along a vector that is parallel to but opposite in direction from the wave's source. The device or surface's angle of incidence is...
optical properties of the glass beads, which collect light from any angle of incidence and reflect it back in the direction it came from. The surface of Scotchlite is densely packed with microscopic glass beads (usually titanate glass). In addition, each glass bead is covered with a metallic reflective layer on its rear half, enhancing its retroreflective properties. A surface covered with Scotchlite seems to glow brightly when viewed from the light source, but appears dull gray from most other directions.
An additional application of Scotchlite is in special effects cinematography utilising the front projection effect
Front projection effect
A front projection effect is an in-camera visual effects process in film production for combining foreground performance with pre-filmed background footage...
.