What makes masking tapes so convenient and widely-used is that they are a type of pressure-sensitive tape made of a thin and easy-to-tear paper, and an easily released adhesive. These are developed to help protect surrounding surfaces from overspray, to provide clean paint lines and be removed in a simple and clean way when finished. There are various different sizes available – the most demanded being the 3m masking tape. What follows are the types and their basic uses.
3M Value Masking Tape 101+
This type is a cost-effective solution for light-duty applications. It comes with a crepe paper backing which makes it easy to tear. It sticks to paper, metal, wood, glass and other clean surfaces and successfully resists lifting or curling.
The 3M Value Masking Tape 101+ is ideal for indoor uses and can help for marking, temporary holding, wrapping, sealing, and for hanging temporary signage.
3M General Use Masking Tape 201+
This type of 3m masking tape has a proprietary, solvent-free adhesive formula that when removed leaves no traces of adhesive residue. It is able to withstand surface temperatures of up to 93°C for a period of 30 minutes. The 3M General Use Masking Tape 201+ sticks to wood, plastic, glass, metal and painted surfaces. Simply put, this is the ideal everyday-use 3m masking tape.
Its design allows for the tape to conform to curved and irregular surfaces, and, finally, the recommended uses of this type include labelling, identifying, bundling, temporary attachments and marking.
3M Performance Yellow Masking Tape 301+
The 3M Performance Yellow Masking Tape 301+, similarly to the previous type also comes with a proprietary, solvent-free adhesive formula that leaves no residue, but it is different in that it can withstand higher surface temperatures of up to 107°C for 30 minutes. And on top of that, the 3M performance Yellow Masking Tape 301+ resists paint bleed-through that helps create perfect paint lines, sticks with confidence on rubber mouldings, plastic, glass, wood, concrete, metal and painted surfaces.
Furthermore, the tape remains safely in place around corners, over contours and irregular surfaces, and its yellow backing improves visibility and accuracy during paint masking. This type of 3m masking tape is the recommended tape for industrial painting, including two-shades colour application on trucks, buses, trailers, trains, fire trucks, ambulances and aeroplanes. It is easy to tear, yet strong enough to resist slivering. Besides for industrial painting, you can use this tape for MRO applications and for woodworking.
3M High-Performance Green Masking Tape 401+
As mentioned above, this tape can also be removed cleanly in one piece without any adhesive residue. This type is most similar to the yellow tape in its resistance to paint bleed-through, for improved visibility and accuracy during paint masking. When it comes to temperature resistance, the 3M High-Performance Green Masking Tape 401+ has proven to be more resistant since it withstands surface temperatures of up to 121°C for half an hour in paint bake operations.
And lastly, appliance. The 3M High-Performance Green Masking Tape 401+ is the recommended type for critical paint masking applications in the automotive industry and industrial markets – where strong holding and high-temperature performance are an everyday occurrence.
