Three fibre-optic strands curving through darkness, each glowing along its length in blue and turquoise and flaring to a bright white point at the tip.

Side glow fiber optics are optical fibers designed to emit light along their length rather than only at the tip, creating a continuous, linear glow. Their structure allows light to gradually escape from the fiber, producing an effect similar to neon tubes, with brightness strongest near the light source and adjustable through light input and placement.

Composition

Fiber optic cable

Handling Notes

  • Flexible plastic and 5 mm diameter
  • Compatible with e-textile and illumination—when lit with a powerful LED, it has a nice glowing effect
  • Keep the bend radius gentle; kinking disrupts light transmission

Applications in Craft

Keywords

Provenance

AdaFruit, New York. Acquired 2024.

In Use

Have you used this material?

Please contact Mellanee Goodman, Program Director, Curator, and Materials Specialist, to start a conversation about submitting your work for inclusion on this site.

mgoodman@centerforcraft.org