Note 5 - Segment Information - Reportable Segments (Details) - USD ($)		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
		Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2019
Net sales		$ 3,134,984	$ 4,530,361	$ 9,204,615	$ 12,655,463
Cost of goods sold		2,261,205	3,118,299	6,792,709	8,805,853
Gross profit (loss)		873,779	1,412,062	2,411,906	3,849,610
Selling general and administrative*	[1]	979,773	1,347,404	3,963,100	4,068,230
Research and development*	[1]	136,520	218,467	521,334	667,774
Income (loss) from operations		(242,514)	(153,809)	(2,072,528)	(886,394)
Trade receivables		1,417,217		1,417,217		$ 2,434,718
Segment Reconciling Items [Member]
Net sales
Cost of goods sold
Gross profit (loss)
Selling general and administrative*	[1]	485,393	514,569	1,948,354	1,506,922
Research and development*	[1]	136,520	218,467	521,334	667,774
Income (loss) from operations		(621,913)	(733,036)	(2,469,688)	(2,174,696)
Trade receivables		(66,524)		(66,524)		(52,421)
Chromaline [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]
Net sales		2,051,047	2,869,664	5,635,373	8,006,121
Cost of goods sold		1,474,881	2,115,702	4,300,512	5,949,536
Gross profit (loss)		576,166	753,962	1,334,861	2,056,585
Selling general and administrative*	[1]	234,884	452,592	1,027,239	1,364,685
Research and development*	[1]
Income (loss) from operations		341,282	301,370	307,622	691,900
Trade receivables		1,082,145		1,082,145		1,916,066
Ikonics Imaging [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]
Net sales		893,064	1,117,209	2,488,963	3,164,143
Cost of goods sold		499,750	628,325	1,397,458	1,714,835
Gross profit (loss)		393,314	488,884	1,091,505	1,449,308
Selling general and administrative*	[1]	180,285	248,780	683,720	819,284
Research and development*	[1]
Income (loss) from operations		213,029	240,104	407,785	630,024
Trade receivables		299,256		299,256		304,791
DTX [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]
Net sales		62,024	84,661	223,606	290,022
Cost of goods sold		33,143	31,217	109,235	116,810
Gross profit (loss)		28,881	53,444	114,371	173,212
Selling general and administrative*	[1]	27,567	41,866	91,999	111,232
Research and development*	[1]
Income (loss) from operations		1,314	11,578	22,372	61,980
Trade receivables		34,314		34,314		13,919
AMS [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]
Net sales		128,849	458,827	856,673	1,195,177
Cost of goods sold		253,431	343,055	985,504	1,024,672
Gross profit (loss)		(124,582)	115,772	(128,831)	170,505
Selling general and administrative*	[1]	51,644	89,597	211,788	266,107
Research and development*	[1]
Income (loss) from operations		(176,226)	$ 26,175	(340,619)	$ (95,602)
Trade receivables		$ 68,026		$ 68,026		$ 252,363

[1] The Company does not allocate all selling, general and administrative expenses or any research and development expenses to its operating segments for internal reporting.