A Sticky Situation: Which Tape To Choose?

We’ve all been there: stuck trying to figure out what tape is best suited for your project. More often than not, it’s hard to remember all the different purposes of each one. So, to help save time and money, after all there’s nothing worse than buying the wrong tape for your project, I’ve compiled a quick an easy reference guide of some of the more commonly known tapes.

In case you’re in need of a very quick rundown, here’s a brief chart before we go into more detail:

In (estimated) order from least adhesive to most adhesive tapes: drafting tape, masking tape, artist tape, painter’s tape, gaffer tape, high tack bond tape, gummed paper tape.
If you’re looking for a tape suitable for a DIY or painting project, try: masking tape, artist tape, painter’s tape, or gummed paper tape*.
If you’re looking for a tape best suited for non-painting related purposes, try: drafting tape, gaffer tape, gummed paper tape*, or high tack bond tape.

*Despite its properties (which we’ll talk about more in depth below), gummed paper tape is often used by watercolor painters to tape their paper to boards.

I feel as though artist tape is our most sought after variation of tape. And for good reason too; it can be cleanly removed and repositioned without damaging the surface or leaving behind sticky residue! It’s often sought out by artists as it rarely has the paint bleed through and it won’t buckle or warp when painted over. Though artist tape is also commonly referred to as drafting tape, drafting tape is a different product.

While both artist and drafting tape share a lot of similar properties, it’s important to remember that they are different products. Drafting tape is typically a thin, removable tape best suited for more delicate surfaces, like tracing paper or blueprints. This makes it significantly easier to remove than artist tape, but this can also be considered a drawback. Most drafting tapes have lower adhesion than artist tape, making it harder to stick to certain surfaces or materials.

Unlike artist and drafting tapes, masking tape is not entirely suitable for painting. It tends to warp, wrinkle, and buckle when used in larger painting projects. It’s also more likely to tear the surface, cause paint to seep through, or peel paint off once removed.

Masking tape does have a strong hold, like artist tape, but it also tends to leave residue after removal. To prevent this, it’s suggested to remove masking tape shortly after its application. Despite these traits, masking tape isn’t all bad! It’s best suited for achieving straight lines on smaller paint projects, can be used for DIY projects, or for making simple and cheap labels!

If you’re looking for another tape similar to artist tape, but notably wider, then try painter’s tape. Both can be removed with little to no residue or damage to the paint; the paint won’t bleed past the tape; both tapes won’t warp or crinkle from the paint; and both are great for creating crisp, clean paint lines.

However, the most notable difference is that painter’s tape is best suited for surfaces like walls, floors, ceilings, and windows! Also, it’s not advised to leave painter’s tape on your surface for more than 14 days as it may begin to leave tacky residue. Overall, painter’s tape can be used for art projects, but it’s best to save it for larger projects, such as interior and exterior paintings (including murals).

Despite the unique name, FrogTape is actually just a brand name version of painter’s tape. Just like how Scotch/3M’s iconic blue painter’s tape is just a name brand version of painter’s tape. Both brands, therefore, share similar properties. So, it’s mostly up to personal preference on which you deem to be superior and/or beneficial for your project.

In terms of specialized tapes, unless you’re in the film industry, you probably won’t have a need to use gaffer tape. Gaffer tape (also known as gaffers tape or gaff tape) is a cotton cloth tape commonly used by photographers and people associated with the theater, movie, and television industry. Though, even if you aren’t in those industries, gaffer tape does have a few benefits that the other aforementioned tapes don’t have.

For instance, they can be used on almost any surface, including fabric, with great adhesion! And like most of the tapes mentioned it won’t warp, curl, or leave residue after being removed. Moreover, it’s fairly water and heat resistant, but, that does not mean that they are water or heat proof! Too much exposure to water or heat can ruin the adhesion or damage the cloth backing.

Gummed paper tape is the most unique variation of tape as it can only be adhered once wet! Think of the tapes used to seal Amazon and other delivery boxes; those tapes used are gummed paper tapes. If you choose to use gummed paper tape do be careful with how much water you use when you activate it. Too much saturation and it won’t be able to adhere properly, too little water and it’ll have a weak adherence. However, when properly activated it creates a very, very strong adhesion and bond to the surface. The bond is so strong, in fact, that it’s near permanent once dry! So use caution if you decide to use this tape as you may not be able to remove it (at least not easily).

One of the more underutalized tapes is high tack bond tape, but that’s probably because it’s not as commonly known as the others. But firstly, it’s important to understand what the difference is between tack and adhesion. Tack is the initial stickiness of the tape, whereas adhesion is the long-term stickiness. So, a tape with low tack and low adhesion would mean that it can be easily removed (like a standard clear Scotch tape). But with high tack tapes, they’re practically permanent the second they come into contact with the surface (like duct tapes). Side note, while all duct tapes are high tack tapes, not all high tack tapes are duct tapes.

In terms of the properties of high tack bond tape it’s pretty similar to gaffer and gummed paper tape. In the sense that it can stick to plenty of surfaces (including fabrics and metals) and has a strong adhesion bond. Similarly to gaffer tape, high tack tape is often used in specialized industries, typically used for mounting, sealing, and patching in the automotive and construction industry.

Sources:

A Sticky Situation: Which Tape To Choose?

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