The terms “masking tape” and “painters tape” are often used interchangeably. But, there are some differences in products when it comes to the kind of painting you are doing.

Backing

The backing type can influence how conformable the tape is, and if it will hold the proper shape around corners and irregular surfaces. If the backing is too stiff, you won’t have as crisp of a paint line when you peel the tape up.

For intricate painting, our Application Specialists recommend Killer Bee® due to its thin paper backing and exceptional conformability.

Adhesive

A different tape may be selected for indoor vs outdoor masking. For indoor, the UV resistance of the product doesn’t matter as much as if the tape were to face direct sunlight exposure. 

BT-190 is often referred to as a blue painters tape, and features 14 days of UV resistance. Killer Bee® is also UV resistant up to 30 days outdoors (and up to six months indoors).

No matter which term you prefer, it’s always important to make sure you have the right product for your application!