'The Tackifier' Blog by FindTape

Polyken 510 Premium Grade gaffers tape is once again available in a wide selection of colors including:

• Burgundy

• Dark Blue

• Teal

• Purple

• Tan

• Grey

• Black

• White

• and featuring NEW color - Royal Blue

The colors listed above are available in 2" and 3" wide options, shrink wrapped and on Polyken branded cores.

Take advantage of our best prices and fast shipping on all color options today at FindTape.com

Future Market Insights (FMI) this week published the market report Gaffers Tape Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2017-2027 showcasing the increasing opportunities in the gaffers tape markets.  The accompanying press release to the report stated, “One of the significant factors contributing towards the growth of the gaffers tape market is the rampant growth of (the) industrial tape industry.” This started a hearty discussion at FindTape about gaffers tape and common gaffes made in understanding the reasons people use or don’t use this versatile tape.

The Right Product for the Right Application

As the demand for packaging increases so does the need for tape. The market report comes to the same conclusion, “The introduction of gaffers tape over duct tape has provided the manufacturer a wide range of packaging advancements.” While we applaud the increasing need for tape and more advanced options it is important to note that gaffers tape may not always be the right choice for shipping packages.  

The main industry users of gaffers tape include the entertainment, photography, hospitality, theater and audio production industries. Gaffers tape - also known as gaff tape - is primarily used to secure cables to floors, walls and other surfaces where you do not want a sticky residue left behind. Clearly, this is not the packaging industry as stated in the summary report from FMI. Although it can be used for packaging, due to its water resistant backing and other factors, gaffers tape will be a costly choice. Military specifications, such as ASTM-D 5486M-99 Type IV Class I (replaced PPP-T-60E Type IV Class I) and CID A-A-1586A, are examples of where gaffers tape is the right choice. It's about using the right tape for the right application. 

Gaffer Tape vs. Gaffer-Style

The FMI press release explains that “Global Gaffers Tape market is segmented on the basis of product, backing material, and application. On the basis of backing material, gaffers tape market can be segmented into polypropylene, paper, PVC and others.” Technically speaking gaffer tape is defined as being vinyl-coated cloth with a matte finish and completely removable from most hard surfaces. Any other “gaffer” tape is really just gaffer-style.

Who's Really Making it Stick

The companies identified in the FMI market summary as "Some of the major players identified across the globe in the Gaffers Tape market are Henkel AG & Co., KGaA, 3M Company, The Dow Chemical Company, Avery Dennison, Ashland Inc. and H.B. Fuller.", is misleading. These companies are adhesive and raw material suppliers not manufacturers of the end-use product. The major players in gaffer tape manufacturing are Shurtape, Polyken and Scapa.

At FindTape.com we agree that the global gaffer tape market is strong and growing! Head over to FindTape.com and use our Advanced Tape Finder to see the largest selection of gaffers tape available for any purpose. We’ll help you avoid any tape gaffes.

Now Available - Worldwide Gaffers Tape Market Report 2017-2027

Posted on Monday, January 23, 2017 at 4:42 pm CST

Global packaging industry has witnessed a number of technological advancement from last couple of decades. As packaging is unexecuted without the use of tape, the increasing demand for packaging from industrial sector in turn is creating huge opportunity for industrial tape market. The introduction of gaffers tape over duct tape has provided the manufacturer a wide range of packaging advancement. Gaffer's tape which is also known as camera tape or spike tape is regarded as heavy cotton cloth pressure sensitive tape that delivers high adhesive properties. Through gaffers tape, now the manufacturers can use the tape on any kind of packaging material without the need for a solvent (such as water) or heat for activation. Gaffer tape is widely used in theatre, photography, film –television production and industrial staging works.

View the full press release at ReleaseWire >

Have you ever wondered what type of tape is the most popular? In the infographic below, you can find out exactly which type of tape features the highest sales in the state where you live. From foam tape to gaffers tape to duct tape, the answers range all over the board to show that Americans use a wide variety of tapes in their everyday lives. Let’s take a closer look to explore which types of tapes are popular in certain areas of the U.S.

Gaffers on the Coasts

While you can surely find gaffers tape sold across the country, there’s no denying that it seems to be especially popular along the west and east coasts of the U.S. This type of tape reigns supreme in states like California, New York, South Carolina, Oregon and Pennsylvania. There are also a few inland states where this tape is preferred as well, such as Minnesota and Oklahoma. It’s likely that this tape’s popularity on the coasts, however, is at least somewhat related to the fact that these areas are home to more of the country’s film and television industries. After all, gaffers tape is widely used in theatre, photography, and films and television production, so it makes sense that it’s the most common tape in places like New York and California.

Electrical Tape in Industrial States

Another popular tape across the country appears to be electrical tape. This is the most popular type of tape in a number of Midwestern, Southern and Western states, such as Wisconsin, Texas, Arkansas, Kentucky, North Dakota and Nevada. Since electrical tape is one of the most popular types of tape in general, there could be a variety of reasons that it’s so popular in these areas. However, it could be due in part to the fact that many of these states have thriving industrial economies where a strong, durable and reliable tape like electrical tape would be commonly used in work settings like factories and assembly lines.

ATG Tape States Across the Nation

According to this infographic, ATG tape has climbed the ranks as one of the top tape options. It is found to be the most popular in states like Michigan, Florida, Utah, Wyoming, South Dakota, Washington and Missouri. ATG type of tape used with an adhesive transfer gun (hence the acronym ATG). It’s popular with crafters as well as those who work with retail displays and other design projects, so there’s a chance that the creative industries in these states are thriving based on the high sales of ATG tape in those areas.

There are a few other tapes that made the cut for most popular in select states, such as double-sided tape, carpet tape and paper measurement tape. Whatever the reason for their popularity, it’s certainly fascinating to see which types of tape products are the most popular according to location. Does the type of tape you buy most often line up with the most popular type of tape in your state? Check the map to find out!

I'm often asked what the difference is between gaffers tape and duct tape. After all, gaffers is more expensive, and duct tape seems to be adequate for many types of jobs. Duct tape is a good option for projects that require tape to permanently hold something in place. But if the tape is only intended to be in place temporarily, gaffers may be the better choice.

Gaffers tape is preferred by people in the theater, event, and audio/visual industries because it can be removed without leaving behind an adhesive residue, but another benefit is that it doesn't reflect light.

Some applications for gaffers tapes – such as the Polyken 510 Premium Grade Gaffers Tape – include protecting and anchoring wiring in the photography and film industry; bookbinding; vinyl school bus seat repair; wrapping or bundling of wire, metals, and plastics; protecting and anchoring electrical wiring; and moisture and dust-proof sealing of equipment cases and film canisters. This is a high-tack tape that works well in both low and high temperature applications, and has a clean removal adhesive.

Other gaffers tapes, such as the Pro Tapes Cable-Path Tape or the JVCC Wire-Line Cable Cover Tape, have an adhesive-free zone in the center of the tape which allows for cable and wire to be easily pulled through – and there’s no adhesive left behind after removal. This tape is perfect for events and productions where you need to tack running wires onto floors and need the flexibility of adjusting length.

Duct tape is well known for its versatility and strength. It will hold together almost everything, making it a very reliable tape to use when you want to be sure that your project doesn't fall apart. Polyken 231 Military Grade Duct Tape is used for military and aerospace packaging and other demanding applications. Nashua 357 Premium Grade Duct Tape is the duct tape professional contractors choose when they require a consistent, trouble-free product. Its uses include HVAC (heating, ventilating, air conditioning) and refrigeration applications, the sealing of seams and joints in metal air handling systems, and the manufacture of flexible duct equipped with metal collars – among many others.

The high adhesion properties of duct tape means it typically will leave behind residue, so it's not the best choice when you need to remove the tape once your job, event or project is over.

Watch the video below and I’ll show you the difference in adhesive residue left behind by each tape.

Easter is just a few short weeks away, and church production managers and media ministry are well underway with planning some of the year's biggest productions and events.

Churches with memberships of several thousand or more already put together events of significant size. But holidays like Easter and Christmas put big demands on their creative and production teams. The holidays draw far more attendees than regular weekly services, requiring most houses of worship to hold additional services on Saturday to accommodate the larger crowds.

But it's not just the crowds that are bigger. Easter services are usually more elaborate productions as well.

Liquid Church, a contemporary Christian church in Mountainside, NJ, aims to put on a bigger, more elaborate show for Easter, along with adding Saturday services. The ministry is a multi-site church with 3,500 attendees across all sites each week. With three portable locations and one permanent in Mountainside, the church sets up three stages every week.

Technical Director Joel Freeman, who oversees all the audio/visual systems and gear, says they'll bring in a lot more lighting for the weekend Easter services. And because the productions are more elaborate, they'll require bigger props.

At Easter, as he does throughout the year, Freeman will work with members of the creative team to understand what they need to put together the production and whether a new staging or video element is required.

His biggest challenge is time and complexity, something that is more challenging at Easter. "We want to do the best show we possibly can," he says.

That's especially challenging at Easter - a time to focus on families. That means fewer volunteers than usual, and Freeman needs to lean more on regular staff to get sets, lighting, and props in place in a short amount of time - and on multiple stages.

With about three hours to get ready for each production, set up needs to go smoothly and quickly. At Easter, the ramped up complexity includes more doorways to cross and more lines to prep. Freeman uses Scapa 425 gaffers tape in 2- and 3-inch widths to hold down wires, trussing, and cables, and to hold carpets together so that no seams are showing. His teams use it to mark off the stage for props and performers, as well as to hold back drapes.

Scapa 425 is one of the most adhesive gaffers tapes we sell. It adheres longer and more securely than other gaffer tapes, and also has high tack, high tensile strength, and an easy unwind. It has an extremely low gloss finish which causes it to reflect the least amount of light. This makes it a good choice for stage production.

Every Easter production is slightly different, although all are likely to require lighting, audio, and video. The choice of tape will vary depending upon the type of set up and individual preferences. Here are a few tips and suggestions for helping your Easter service run smoothly by choosing the right tape for your needs.

Start planning early

A great way to begin is to ask what worked and what didn't in your last production, according to Shaun Miller in Church Production Magazine. This applies to the type of pressure-sensitive adhesive tape you used. Did you have enough for what you needed? Did you have the right type of tape for each job?

For example, a gaffers tape like Pro Tapes Pro-Gaff Gaffers Tape is ideal for holding down wires and carpet, removes cleanly from most surfaces, and is available in a wide array of colors. Because it's very dependable, it’s used throughout the entertainment industry and is a good choice for large productions.

Map Your Lighting

Creating a visual for your stage production will help you better understand the types of lighting supplies and materials you'll need.

"If you are doing a dramatic production that will have different lighting requirements from a normal service, consider working up a lighting plot. A lighting plot is a drawing of your stage area along with each light and its location," suggests Mike Sessler at ChurchTechArts.org.

Setting the Stage

Keeping performers safe as they move on and off the stage is a priority. Shurtape P-661 Glow-In-The-Dark Gaffers Tape can be used to mark stairs and exits. It's hand tearable, so it's easy to use and quick to apply. An added benefit is that is photoluminescent after the tape is activated by an artificial or natural light source.

Plan Your Media Production

Video producers will also map out their camera angles and shots ahead of time. Once you've created your shot list, you can work out the path of wires and have a better understanding of what needs to be marked and what needs to be invisible. Commonly referred to as AV cord tape, JVCC J90 Low-Gloss Duct Tape is a good economical choice.

Budgeting For Your Needs

Once you've settled on the type of tape needed for your production, you can visit FindTape.com to order the right sizes and amounts. If you need help, contact us at questions@findtape.com, and we'll work with you to place your order.

GES Trend Tracker

Each year, GES, the global event marketing company, releases its Trend Tracker white paper, identifying 50 emerging trends in the trade show and event industry. The 2015 report was released in January, and it covers four areas: budgeting and planning, marketing, technology, and design.

This year, the report noted one very big overarching trend: Brand Experiences. Marketers are aiming to connect and engage attendees with their brands and with each other. As a result, GES says, "marketers will go 'all in' on experiential with bolder budgets, bolder strategies and bolder experiences that tie together creative, execution and data analysis."

High-tech, including gamification, drones, and next generation audio/visual, will also be front and center during 2015. In a post-report follow-up blog post, Paul Wedesky, the senior vice president of Audio Visual Services for GES, describes several additional audio visual trends for 2015.

Here are a few of our favorite insights both from the report and from Paul's post.

A Moveable Exhibit

Exhibit booths are being designed both to incorporate technology and to be re-purposed. According to GES, designers are being challenged by clients to create experiences that can be taken on the road after the event, to be used by the sales team. This includes not only product display elements such as digital catalogs, but also exhibit booths.

Helping your salesperson recreate this experience on the road is a lot easier if you have the right adhesive tape to tamp down wires and secure media equipment. We recommend packing a roll or two of JVCC GAFF30YD Gaffers Tape, an economical and popular general-purpose gaffer tape, along with the booth.

Open Floor Plans With More Media

With clients looking to create more inviting spaces, exhibit structures are becoming more open. At the same time, they're demanding interactive features, including more LED displays, touchscreens and tablets.

To keep wires under control and out of the way, but also have flexibility of movement, you can use JVCC Wire-Line Cable Cover Tape. The adhesive-free zone in the center of the tape allows for cable and wire to be easily pulled through, and no residue will be left behind on your cables.

An Artist's Space

More marketers are forging partnerships with artists, incorporating more creative and cultural elements into their events. For example, GES noted that "TD Bank commissioned artists to turn its storefronts into mini art galleries."

In case you're wondering, you can create some amazing artwork with adhesive tape. Check out some examples HERE. And to see a list of tapes used in the examples click HERE.

3D & 4K Monitors

More high-tech monitors are reaching the trade show floor in 2015, according to Paul Wedesky. He has noticed 3D and 4K monitors being using at medical and pharmaceutical trade shows to enhance the brand experience, and he believes that 3D eventually will become the norm.

For protecting and anchoring the monitors' electrical wires, we recommend Polyken 510 Premium Grade Gaffers Tape, which has a softer adhesive than most other gaffers tapes so it adheres better to carpets.

Projection Mapping

Another trend in audio visual Wedesky has noticed is an increase in projection mapping, in which special software is used to spatially map a design or scene onto an object, such as a building. The design usually fits the shape of the object.

When constructing your object, an ultra-high bond tape will help keep your structure together and stable. The 3M 4941 VHB Tape is a good multipurpose option, as it's ideal for use in many interior and exterior structural bonding applications. It's strong enough to replace rivets.

Low-Res Prototyping

As a way to test ideas and manage budget more effectively, event planners are creating prototypes of their space. "It allows decision makers to visualize the concept, and for changes to be made quickly without impacting the budget," GES says.

A good all-purpose duct tape will work for temporary structures. We recommend Polyken 2280 General-Purpose Duct Tape, which is often used for bonding and holding applications and bonds well to a wide variety of smooth and rough surfaces. It's easy to unwind and tear, so it's perfect for manual applications. The tape is also available in a variety of colors.

Electronic Brochure Kiosks

Printed product brochures have long fallen out of favor, but show attendees are still interested in receiving more information. Kiosks designed to deliver electronic brochures can be incorporated into the exhibit or as a standalone. Attendees can download only the material they want.

Robotics Technology

Creating and deploying a robotic attendee, as EventMobi did at IMEX, might be on every event planner's list now. If you plan to have your robotic ambassador travel the show floor, you can create a suspension system using double-sided sticky tape. By attaching the wheel servos using double-sided sticky tape such as Scapa S301, all four wheels will remain even on an uneven plane.

Finally, when you're packing up your exhibit, be sure to have plenty of Shurtape HP 500 on hand to seal your boxes. This tape is ideal for sealing cartons, and is recommended for overstuffed or underfilled boxes. It's perfect for trade shows, when you're likely to be re-packing older cartons or taping up bulky or odd-shaped materials.

Gaffers tape, which is also referred to as gaffer tape, is a form of adhesive tape that has numerous uses. Gaffers tape can be purchased in rolls that come in varying lengths as well as widths. The traditional color of this tape is a matte black but you can find them in several other colors such as blue, white, burgundy, gray, fluorescent pink and so on.

Gaffers tape is quite similar to duct tape in the sense that it can be useful in an array of applications. However, unlike duct tape, this tape will not leave any adhesive residue when it is peeled off a surface plus it offers a matte finish.

So, what are some of the numerous uses of gaffers tape?

Mark Positions
A common use for gaffers tape is in positional marking. It is commonly used in the theater industry to mark positions on the surface of the floor that will indicate where props are supposed to go. It is often used in the theater and TV industries to mark actors' starting positions. What’s great about this tape is its durability. It won’t easily wear down due to foot traffic. In addition to marking starting positions, it can also be used to coordinate props since it comes in a wide variety of colors.

Manage Cables
Production studios, and convention halls also use gaffers tape to manage cables. Many cables in one area can prove to be a hazard as people could easily trip over them and have a nasty fall. With this tape the cables can be firmly affixed to the floor thus lowering the chances of any accidents happening. And when it is time to remove the cables and wires the tape will not leave them sticky like a duct tape would.

Bus Seat Repairs
Since this adhesive tape is a vinyl-coated cloth product it pairs nicely when covering tears and rips in vinyl seating like on buses. It comes in wide widths like 3 and 4 inches wide and in colors such as burgundy and dark green which works great for matching common bus seat colors and making repairs.

Book Binding
Gaffers tape is also widely used when binding books since its matte appearance is preferable to the shinny look you would get back with a duct tape. Its cloth backing also makes it very conformable so as to wrap nicely around a book binding. Typically a high tensile strength gaffers with good adhesion is used for book binding applications such as Shurtape Professional Grade (P-672) gaff.

Other Uses
Gaffer tape is not only used for positional marking in the theater industry, it can be used in plenty of other places. For example, it can be used to mark a hazard area, an incline, flights of stairs, and so on. FindTape.com sells gaffers tape in all its varieties.

Because of the popularity of the 2-inch wide gaffers tape test pack our converter has recently made available a new test pack that contains a variety of 3-inch wide nominal (actual cut 72mm) black duct tapes. FindTape DUCT-TEST-PACK Duct Tape Test Pack consists of 8 rolls of 3-inch (72mm) wide x 10-yard long tape. The tapes range in thickness from 9 to 13 mils; longitudinal tensile strength from 22 to 50 pounds per inch; and peel adhesion from 39 to 80 ounces per inch. The lower adhesion tapes are sometimes used as a less expensive alternative to gaffers tape in the hotel and meeting industries.

Currently the specific duct tapes offered in the pack include: Shurtape PC-600 General Purpose Grade Duct Tape, Polyken 223 Multi-Purpose Duct Tape, Polyken GP2280 PolyNash General-Purpose Duct Tape, Shurtape PC-618 Industrial Grade Duct Tape, JVCC DT-CG Contractor Grade Duct Tape, Shurtape PC-622 Contractor Grade Duct Tape, Nashua 357 Premium Grade Duct Tape and Polyken 231 Military Grade Duct Tape.

Also please note the GAFF-TEST-PACK was recently increased to 10 rolls of 2-inch wide x 10 yard long tape and the current lineup includes: Scapa 125 Economy Grade Gaffers Tape, Polyken 510 Premium Grade Gaffers Tape, Scapa 225 Premium Grade Gaffers Tape, Shurtape PC-628 Industrial Grade Gaffers Tape, Pocono GT-226 Clear Adhesive Gaffers Tape, Pro Tapes Pro-Gaff Gaffers Tape, Shurtape P-665 General Purpose Gaffers Tape, Scapa 425 Pro-Grade Gaffers Tape, Shurtape P-672 Professional Grade Gaffers Tape and JVCC J90 Low Gloss Gaffer-Style Duct Tape.

Some gaffers tape manufacturers have recently announced that they are discontinuing colors in a few product lines.

Berry Plastics will no longer be providing dark blue and green in their Polyken 510 product (olive drab and burgundy had already been discontinued). Limited inventory in a few sizes of dark blue and green are still available on the web site. For gaffers tape in those colors please see Pro Tapes Pro-Gaff.

Scapa will no longer be making Scapa 225 in blue, brown, burgundy and green. Limited inventory in a few sizes of blue and burgundy are still available on the web site. Scapa has also discontinued Scapa 200N (fluorescent gaffers tape) which comes in four neon colors - green, orange, pink, and yellow. Our converter currently has a good supply left in all four colors so it should remain for sale on the site for several months. After it runs out Polyken 510 will then be available for sale in those 4 fluorescent/neon colors.

Shurtape will now only be offering P-672 Professional Grade in standard colors: black, grey and white (similar to what they did last year in their P-665 product). However, inventory still remains for the non-standard colors. In the future for 2 inch red you can see Shurtape P-68 and for the other colors see Pro Tapes Pro-Gaff.

Shurtape has recently introduced a new glow-in-the-dark gaffers tape called P-661. It has the same adhesiveness and clean removability characteristic of Shurtape P-665 gaffers, but gives you the added benefit of being photoluminescent after the tape is activated by an artificial or natural light source. It is also hand tearable just like a traditional gaffers tape. It has numerous uses including, but not limited to basic stage safety marking (e.g. exists and stairs).