

Painter's tape and masking tape may look and feel almost exactly alike, but their differences can be evident on a paint job. It is, however, a cheaper alternative to painter's tape, and when used carefully and removed quickly, it will help you create a straight line on small paint projects. It's common for a bit of paint to bleed through the edges and even some paint to come up with the tape as you remove it. While masking tape is often used for paint jobs, it comes with some risks. So, it's best used for projects where the tape is meant to stick around for a bit. The residue builds quickly and can be a little frustrating to clean up.
#Painters tape skin
When removed from any type of surface, masking tape leaves behind a residue that's similar to the results of removing a Band-Aid that's been on your skin for a few days (without the pain, of course). Given it has a stronger adhesive than painter's tape, it's good for making labels, fixing lightweight items and in some circumstances, painting.īut its sticky strength has a downside. Recognized for its off-white color and relatively light weight, masking tape is somewhat more versatile. But it's worth considering the time and headache you'll save from not having to touch things up and clean off the leftover residue.


Painter's tape is more expensive than masking tape, so it can add up if you have a large paint job. The one downside is how it might hit your wallet. The color also helps it to stand out against most paint colors during application. So, why is painter's tape typically blue or green? The distinctive colors were chosen to create brand identification and to easily differentiate it from all the other tapes on the market.
#Painters tape crack
And due to its thin, extra layer of paper backing it's less likely to rip or crack as you pull it off the wall.
#Painters tape windows
While it's always best to remove tape as soon as the paint has dried, you can leave painters tape on the walls, floor, ceiling or windows for up to 14 days before it'll cause any major issues. Since the adhesive isn't as strong or sticky as it is on regular masking tape, painter's tape peels off residue-free and doesn't take any extra paint with it. It contains a water repellent surface so as not to crinkle and ruin the quality of the line edge when a painter is using water-based paint. Standing out with its bold blue or green color, painter's tape is valued by do-it-yourselfers and professionals alike for its ability to create crisp, clean paint lines - without the chance of paint bleeding past the edges. But on the flip side, not all masking tapes are painter's tapes. In fact, they're technically from the same family - all painter's tapes are masking tapes. But for two of the most commonly used tapes - masking and painter's - the differences aren't as obvious.Īside from the painter's tape name easily giving away its specialty, both masking tape and painter's tape are made with a crepe paper backing, have similar weights and, in a pinch, can be used for the same jobs. After all, wrapping the kids' birthday presents in black electrical tape is definitely gonna draw some looks. Most of those tapes look and feel so different that it's easy to decide which one is right for the job. Go to any hardware store and ask where to find the tape, and you're sure to be met with a question about which type you want: duct, masking, adhesive, cellophane, electrical, painter's, double-sided, plumber's, etc. HireAHelper/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)/Howstuffworks Does it matter whether you use painter's tape or masking tape for your DIY project? Well, that depends on what your project involves.
