No amount of coloring inside the lines during childhood can prepare us for actual painting projects and DIYs in adulthood. Good thing there’s handy-dandy tape to help us out. But, which is the best tape for painting, you might ask.
The answer to that, is well it depends. What kind of project will you be doing? Start with that question and you’ll be able to find the right kind of tape for painting that is best for you and your DIY plan.
Below, we’ve listed some of the best types of tape for painting for different sorts of projects you might get into:
Best Tape for Painting Walls: Duck Brand Clean Release
Whether you are painting indoor or outdoor walls, the Duck Brand Clean Release Painter’s Tape does the job. Aside from painted walls, you can use them on glass, wood, or metal walls.
Are you the type who starts a painting project and then gets distracted with another DIY midway? Or maybe, life just gets in the way? Not to worry as the Clean Release Painter’s Tape from Duck Brand can stay on surfaces for up to 14 days and will not leave any residue. Just make sure your project is away from sunlight. This medium-adhesion tape is easy to put on and remove.
Best Masking Tape for Painting: Scotch Contractor Grade
The Contractor Grade masking tape from Scotch is excellent for all types of painting projects. It’s the best masking tape for acrylic painting and you can place it on surfaces such as carpets, metal, plastic, and vinyl.
Just make sure that you don’t use this strong adhesive on delicate surfaces, and you’ll be good to go! Also, this tape is for quicker jobs, so make sure you only leave it on for up to 3 days. If you go beyond 3 days, just re-apply fresh tape but never place a new one on top of the old one.
Best Tape for Canvas Painting: Artist Tape for Canvas
Creating a masterpiece on canvas isn’t as easy as getting inspiration and starting to paint. What some people fail to know is there’s a lot of prep for painting, from getting your brushes ready and of course, your canvas.
Tape is a must for use with canvas, it helps stretch out the material and also keeps the corners and lines neat. But you can’t do away with just about any type of tape, you need specifically for canvas. The wrong type might not stick or worse cause color bleeding.
Good thing Scotch has created artist tape for canvas. You can create crisp and straight lines on the canvas and you shouldn’t worry about colors bleeding through. This tape offers a strong bond but when you remove it, there shouldn’t be any residue. The Artist Tape for Canvas conveniently comes in a plastic dispenser for easy tearing.
Best Tape for Painting Straight Lines: FROGTAPE
With more and more people opting for wall paint instead of wallpapers and tiles, geometric designs are taking shape. You might have noticed trends wherein rooms are split horizontally into 2 colors, or have a pinstripe effect, and more popularly geometric designs like triangles and irregular rectangles.
To achieve these looks, it’s highly important to make sure all of the lines are straight and the color distinctions are clean. It looks like a job for FROGTAPE. This patented painter’s tape boasts PAINTBLOCK technology, wherein the edges of the tape are sealed. This in turn gives you that crisp and clean lines and colors.
You can use FROGTAPE for other hobbies and projects, you can apply it to glass, metal, and wood trim too. (Looking for some color? Check out the best paint for wood crafts) For interior projects, FROGTAPE can stay on for up to 21 days. But for projects under direct sunlight, it should only be on for up to 7 days.
Best Painting Tape for Textured Walls: Scotch Extra Strength
Do you need to paint over some bricks? Maybe your ceiling is sporting the 70s trend popcorn ceiling. Either way, it’s going to be rough (pun intended). But luckily, Scotch came out with extra strength painter’s tape, which is specifically for use on rough surfaces.
Aside from bricks, you can use this tape on other rough surfaces, like stucco, wood, and concrete. It offers aggressive bonding but removal is clean. There shouldn’t be any residue left behind or any damage (as long as the usage is within 5 days).
Best Tape for Painting Shoes: Scotch Masking Tape
It gets annoying when a brand new shoe release drops and you end up wearing the same pair as everyone else. It’s no wonder shoe customization is becoming more and more popular these days. If you plan on painting your shoes, then you are definitely going to need tape.
Scotch’s General Purpose masking tape is an excellent option, especially for canvas shoes. It’ll be easy for you to follow the lines and shapes on your shoes that you want to cover up. For the rubber sole, you might want to get a vinyl tape.
Best Masking Tape for Spray Painting: Scotch Blue
Let’s face it, painting with a roller or a brush can take up a bit of time. Sometimes, the best way to do things is to spray paint. But with spray paint, you need to be extra careful with the splatters (unless that is the look you are going for).
Opt for Scotch’s multi-surface painter’s tape with a thickness of 36mm. You can use it on lightly textured to smooth surfaces, glass tiles, trim, baseboards, and walls. It has a 21-day clean removal plus it is resistant to UV and sunlight.
Tape Must Knows
Before you start hoarding all kinds of tape for your upcoming DIYs, there are some things you need to know about them.
Storage Life
Technically, there is an expiration to tape, so it’s not advisable to buy a lot and just add them to a stockpile. At one point, the tape will no longer be sticky. Or worse, it would all bunch up together and will be hard to remove.
Manufacturer’s Instructions
Always, always check the instructions and warning labels from the manufacturer. Some kinds of tape are not meant for use on specific items. If you don’t want to ruin your walls or furniture, be sure to read and follow the instructions or guides written on the tape’s packaging.
Water-Resistance
Unless stated otherwise, most masking and painter’s tapes are only water-resistant and not waterproof. So, if you accidentally spill water or a ton of paint on the tape, it may no longer adhere to surfaces properly. This will in turn cause the tape to fall off or cause color bleeding.
Conclusion
When it comes to tape, you can’t go wrong with Scotch Tape. The brand’s name is synonymous with adhesive and has been in the industry for over 90 years. Scotch Tape offers a wide range of pressure-sensitive tape that you can use for general DIYS or specific painting projects.
Did you enjoy our tips on the best tape for painting? Then be sure to check out our other buying guides, such as the best degreaser for kitchen cabinets and the best wood filler for painting! Thank you for reading!