Masking tape is a removable adhesive tape used to provide temporary protection to an area while an adjacent area is being worked on. Originally designed to mask one part of an automobile’s two-tone paint job while the other part was being completed, masking tape has found many other uses since. Besides masking, it can be used to seal packages, splice poster board or other material, hold a drop cloth in place, bundle items together, and label material, among other uses.

How Is Masking Tape Made?

1. Components

   • Masking tape is known for its gentle adhesive, which allows the tape to be easily removed without damaging the surface beneath it. The paper is thin and easy to rip, and it can be purchased in different widths. It is often used to protect nearby areas when painting.

     There are two components to making masking tape: The thin paper and the adhesive. Some masking tape brands are made with polymer or acetate films rather than thin paper. This kind of tape is stronger and harder to tear. The adhesive on general masking tape is a synthetic based on the original rubber-based adhesives originally used.

   Assembly

   • Large sheets of paper or polymer/acetate film are laid out, and then a machine applies adhesive is applied to one side of the sheets. The adhesive and paper are actually laminated together under thousands of pounds of pressure as they pass through a series of rollers.

   Finishing

   • The sheets are allowed to dry, and then they are rolled back onto new rollers and sent over blades, which slice them into strips. The blades can be set to specific widths. Finally, these bands are wrapped around a plastic core, then packaged, depending on how and where the tape is going to be sold.