A number of industrial processes (including printing) frequently employ liquid hydrocarbons that may become volatile when used. Even though most industrial applications provide an option for their recapture and re-condensation a reliable process for monitoring volatile hydrocarbons may be required. This paper presents a broad approach to volatile hydrocarbon sensing based on infrared absorption measurements. The demonstrated sensor prototype shows a wide range of detection capabilities ranging from a few to several thousand of ppm and a high measurement speed (a few milliseconds response time). These capabilities have been achieved at a very low cost making it an attractive alternative to commercial gaseous hydrocarbon sensors.