Masking Tape vs Painters Tape - Similarities and Differences 2023

Knowing in-depth details about Masking Tape vs Painters Tape is not easy. Although both have pros and cons, most people want to buy masking tape because of its low price. But one should not compromise on quality over money. So, is masking tape the same as painter’s tape? It is a frequently asked question. These tapes are made up of crepe paper backing; there is a vast difference between the masking and painter’s tapes.

The main difference between painters’ and masking tape is the adhesion ability. Masking tape is designed to stick on the wall for a long time. On the other hand, painter’s tape is designed to be removed easily from the wall. Painters tape is a type of masking tape. Hence, I can say that all the painter’s tapes are masking tapes, but all the masking tapes are not painters’ tapes.

Difference between Masking and Painter’s Tape in Detail

While both of these tapes look similar, they have huge differences. Besides the look, multiple factors which help to differentiate them are given below in detail:

Masking Tape – An Overview

It’s an essential type of tape with extraordinary adhesion ability. It is made up of thin crepe paper and has a large width compared to the painter’s tape. It is used on areas you want to protect from paint while painting. This tape is ideal for heavy projects and large surface areas.

Painter’s Tape – An Overview

It is made of thick crepe paper back and is used on the painting to avoid bleeding and color fading issues. Its width is less and hence is useful for small-scale projects in your home or on exterior surfaces. This tape has low adhesion ability compared to the masking paint, so you can remove it easily once your project is completed.

Masking vs Painters Tape – Comparison Table

Features	Masking Tape	Painters Tape
Adhesion	High	Moderate
Price	Low	High
Uses	Useful where you want to hide a surface to paint	Useful for painting projects
Cost	Low	Moderate
Bleeding	High	Low
Durability	Low	High
Clean Line	Moderate	Sharp and clear
Ease of Removal	Low	High

Comparison Table

1) Adhesion

As I mentioned above, the main difference between both paints is adhesion. A masking tape has some extra natural adhesion substances, which firmly stick on the surface for a long time. It’s not easy to remove this tape.

Moreover, it can leave residues behind, including bleeding issues, so extra effort is required to clean the surface. Hence you can use this tape where you don’t have much problem cleaning the residues.

Professionals also recommend it for sealing different items, including the lid of your paint bottle. While the painter’s tape is straightforward to remove from the surface, you don’t need much effort. It does not leave bleeding issues or residues behind it. Hence, it saves energy and time.

2) Bleeding

Bleeding of the tape is a feature that depends upon the type of paint you are using for the specific project. Masking paint can cause high bleeding issues when you use water-based paint.

The reason is that it has natural adhesive, including resin substances which are highly attracted to water-based paints creating major bleeding issues. So, don’t try to use masking paint on the area where you are implementing water-based paint.

Painter’s tape, however, doesn’t have any bleeding issues, and it’s not dependent even on the kind of paint. If you are working on a project where starting bleeding is an issue for color fading and surface shining, I recommend using painter’s tape on those places.

When to take the painter’s tape off?

Remove painter’s tape from the surface once your project is completed. On average, a painter’s tape does not affect the surface, even if you use it for 14-20 days.

Note: if you want to avoid bleeding, buckle, and fading issues, you should use painter’s tape, which is easy to remove and reliable. If you use masking tape on walls, ensure you know enough ways to extract its residual.

When to take the painter’s tape off?

3) Cost

Masking tape is less expensive compared to painter’s tape. Tape selection depends on your project’s nature at significant scale levels. Suppose your primary purpose is to get a high-quality finish while painting projects on small or large surfaces; you should remember that compromising money over quality is not good.

In my experience, you need to spend money on painter’s tape for durable results. And if your purpose is to prevent a surface from being painted, then masking color is ideal. Masking paint is very affordable for everyone.

4) Availability

Although both of these paints are readily available at every doorstep of the marketplace, finding painter’s tape is not as easy as masking paint is. Masking paint is low in cost, and people buy it regularly, so it’s available everywhere. For painter’s tape, you may need to order it specifically.

5) Residue

The residue is also a feature that differentiates the masking and painter’s tape. This feature can identify if the tape is masking or painter-type. A masking tape will leave considerable residue even if you have removed it with great effort. To remove it’s residue permanently, you need to put in effort and energy. Still, you may face some residual issues.

On the other hand, painter’s tape doesn’t leave any residue, no matter how many layers you have used on a surface. If it goes into the rubble, it’s straightforward to remove for everyone with little effort.

6) Clean Lines

Both of these tapes create a clean line. A painter’s tape has an advantage over masking tape as it has no harm, even if the tape is on the surface for two weeks. There is no need to worry about adhesion or residue issues for painter tape, in short.

Masking tape can create residue issues when you use it for a long time on the surface, so use this tape only for a few hours and then remove it. If you want to know the leaving time on the surface for the paint, you must check the label of the color. Checking the title makes it easy to use tape according to your project type.

Overall, painter’s tape is easy to use when you want perfect clean lines without spots and bleeding issues. It is because of the availability of an absorbent polymer barrier, which helps to create sharp lines by absorbing extra damaged chemicals on the surface. Hence, removing painter’s tape is easy, which leads to clean, solid lines.

7) Uses

How these tapes benefit the specific work is all about their uses. All you need to know is the paint quality and the project’s purpose.

A masking tape is not good enough to use in places where you want a clean line.
A masking tape type is versatile to use on places, including windows, glass, and other metal surfaces like this. The reason is that masking tape is easy to remove and clean from glossy surfaces.
A painter’s tape is helpful for heavy projects and places where leaving the tape for hours is not a big deal. In the areas where you want to get a clean line, painter tape is ideal to use.

So, Is Masking Tape the Same as Painter’s Tape?

No, masking tape is not similar to painter’s tape. Unlike painter’s tape, masking tape has extra adhesion power, which sticks on the wall and is not easy to remove. It causes residual issues. Hence I don’t recommend using it on the surfaces where fading or bleeding is not suitable for a shiny appearance.

Painter tape is straightforward to remove from the surface, and it does not cause any residual issues on the surface. It offers sharp, clean lines due to the availability of enzymes and polymers added as significant parts of the chemical composition.

How to Apply Masking or Painter Tape?

The process of masking and painting tape is similar. Here are some specific steps to follow for it!

Carefully clean the surface with the help of soap and water or sandpaper. It helps to remove dust and dirt particles and to clean the surface, offering extra sharp, clean lines.
Now open the tape bundle and start applying it by holding it from the edges. (the process is similar to the mask or painter tape) You can cut the tape into small sections if handling the lengthy tape hinders the process.
As long as you are applying the tape in the area, press down it by implementing pressure with the help of hand fingers, a knife, or any other item.

How to Apply Masking or Painter Tape?

How to Remove Masking Tape Residues?

Masking tape leaves noticeable residues on the surface, no matter how carefully you remove it from the surface. Here are some ways which help to sweep off the residues besides removing painter’s tape without peeling paint:

Take a piece of newspaper that may be old or new, dip it in the fresh solvent (water or alcohol), and wipe it on the surface of the residue.
After you have used the newspaper, use a knife or plastic scraper to remove the additional residue of the newspaper.
Similarly, you can use a piece of cotton cloth and soak it in a fresh solvent; now, apply it to the surface where you find the residue. Put some force with your hands and wipe off the residues with the help of a soaked cloth.
In the end, apply warm water and soap. Warm water helps to dissolve the glue which came from the masking tape. Rinse the surface with warm water and see the results.

Note: Still, if you face the residues on the surface, repeat the above ways until all the residual is removed easily from the surface.

How to remove masking tape?

Best Tapes for Painting Projects

Most people find getting the best painting tapes from the market challenges. Here are some top-rated tapes for painting projects which are recommended by our professionals based on their experience:

1) Frogtape Multi-Surface Painter’s Tape

It is a type of painter’s tape that performs excellent tasks for painting projects. It’s available in green color and is readily available in the market. It sticks on the surface for 7-10 days without leaving any residue and is easy to remove from the surface.

Frogtape is helpful for all types of surfaces, from minor to large-scale projects. Metal, glass, wood, walls, and all other surfaces create a shiny layer after painting them once you use this tape. Moreover, it makes a sharp, clean line due to enzyme availability.

2) ScotchBlue Original Painter’s Tape

This tape is very similar to the above one; its color is blue. When it comes to knowing about adhesion, it has less power than the Frogtape and can stick on the surface for 14 days or more without residual or cleaning issues.

It does not allow the sunlight, UV rays, and other outside chemicals to absorb on the surface as it’s resistive to these chemicals. It is because it’s helpful for all characters, including canvas, walls, glass, metals, and other materials that face direct sunlight.

Masking Tape vs Painters Tape- Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, masking tape can easily damage the walls due to residuals it leaves on the surface. This residual is not easy to remove, and if you try to remove it by putting in some effort, it can damage the shining paint and the wall itself. I recommend allowing the masking tape only for a few hours to avoid this issue. If shining the wall is your primary concern, don’t use this type of tape.

Yes, you can use masking tape for painting but keep in mind the points of residual and the effort to remove it. For better results, you can use it only for glossy surfaces, i.e., windows, glass material, and small-scale projects. Also don’t go for long-term projects, as you can face issues regarding the shining of the surface.

Painter tape is the best alternative to masking tape, which performs the painting projects without bleeding or color fading issues.

Final Verdicts

Hence, the main difference between masking and painting tape is the adhesion and residual ability. Masking tape is sticky and causes residual issues. The surface on which mask tape is used is not easy to clean, while the painting tape is straightforward to clean, and the surface where you use it does not face residual issues.

If your primary concern is to enhance the efficiency of the painting projects, then using painter’s tape is an ideal choice and if you want to hide a surface from paint, then using mask tape is good. However, it would help if you kept in mind that masking tape means you should be ready to clean the residuals and the surface.

For more information on painting projects and tips, keep reading our latest blogs here.