It has been a busy stretch of trail walks around here, which means it is also tick season. Meet the reason this post exists: Juneau and Finnegan, our two golden retrievers and FindTape's least-paid product testers. Between the tall grass, the wood line, and the general enthusiasm goldens bring to rolling in things, summer is hard on a dog, so we put together the kit we actually reach for. Here is what is in it.

Juneau, supervising.

Before the walk: keep the bugs off

Ticks and mosquitoes are the whole reason we are careful in the summer, so prevention starts before we head out. Natrapel Pets & People Essential Oil Insect Repellent is a DEET-free spray built around thyme and lemongrass essential oils, and per the manufacturer it is safe for dogs and the whole family when used as directed. It has a fresh scent, a non-oily feel, and it is made and independently tested in the USA. As always with anything you put on your dog, follow the label directions and check with your vet if you have any questions.

After the walk: the lint-roller tick trick

This is the tip worth the price of admission. When the dogs come back inside, before they settle in, we run a wide lint roller over their coat. Unattached ticks are still crawling around looking for a spot to bite, and a few passes with a sticky sheet lifts a surprising number of them (plus burrs, grass seed, and loose fur) right off the coat before they ever embed.

The one we keep by the door is the Scotch-Brite Extreme Clean Lint Roller in the 8 in. wide size. The extra-wide sheet covers a lot of dog per pass, and the Extreme Clean adhesive is 50% stickier than a standard roller, so it grabs more with less rolling. You pull off a used sheet, ticks and all, and you are down to a fresh one instantly.

One honest caveat: a lint roller is a fast first pass, not a replacement for a real tick check. It catches the ones still on the move, not the ones already attached. After you roll, still run your hands through the coat, and check the usual hiding spots (ears, armpits, between the toes, under the collar). If you find one attached, remove it properly and keep an eye on the spot.

Finnegan, at the wood line where the ticks live. This is exactly the spot we roll him after.

When something goes wrong on the trail

Cut paw pads, a snagged nail, a limp that shows up a mile from the car: it happens. The Adventure Dog Medical Kit [Trail Dog] is built for exactly the injuries dogs pick up on the trail, most of them to the paws. It weighs less than a pound, tucks into a pack or the glove box, and includes supplies for wounds, cuts, ticks, and sprains, plus a Pet First Aid Handbook that walks you through what to do if you are not sure. It is the one thing on this list we hope to never open.

The tapes that hold it all together

We are a tape company, so you knew this was coming, but these two earn their spot in a dog kit.

3M Vetrap Bandaging Tape is the self-adherent wrap you have probably seen at the vet. The trick that makes it perfect for animals is that it sticks firmly to itself but not to hair, so you can hold a dressing on a paw or leg without shaving fur or taping skin. It is breathable, tears by hand, comes in a range of sizes and colors, and it is cheap enough to keep several rolls on hand. Use it over a dressing, never so tight that it cuts off circulation.

For the working and older dogs, there is also kinesiology tape made for animals. It is the stretchy therapy tape you see on human athletes, formulated to support muscles and joints and help with recovery. We carry the Kinesio Canine Kinesiology Tape for Dogs and the VetkinTape Equine & Canine Kinesiology Tape, which has extra adhesive power so it actually stays on fur. If you are new to it, the VetkinTape Introduction Canine Kinesiology Tape Box is a starter kit that gives you everything to begin. One important note: canine taping works best when it is applied correctly, so it is worth learning the technique from your vet or a certified animal therapist before you rely on it.

Roll it all up small

That is the kit: repellent before the walk, the lint roller after, a Trail Dog kit in the pack, and a couple of rolls of Vetrap for whatever the day throws at you. None of it takes up much room, and all of it means more time on the trail and less time worrying. Juneau and Finnegan approve. You will find all of it, at the best prices with fast shipping, at FindTape.com.

What is in your dog's summer kit? Tell us in the comments.

It has been a while since we posted here, and a good prompt finally landed: The New York Times' Wirecutter ran a solo-travel packing guide from a travel expert, and tucked into the “quick-fix supplies” section are two things we know a little something about: tape and reusable ties. Good instincts all around, but a couple of the picks are sized for the garage, not a carry-on. Here is how we would build the same kit, smaller.

Skip the full roll of duct tape

Wirecutter recommends a strong, sturdy duct tape and they are right that you want something sticky in your bag. The catch is that the link points to a full-size roll, and nobody wants to wrestle a fat roll of duct tape into a packing cube.

Two swaps that actually fit your luggage:

• JVCC REPAIR-1 - this is vinyl-coated cloth gaffers tape in handy 2" or 3" x 15 ft. rolls. It has a matte finish, tears or cuts clean, and (unlike duct tape) is designed to come off without leaving that sticky adhesive residue behind. That makes it the smarter pick for a hotel or rental fix you would rather not pay for later. It also comes in a dozen colors if you want the repair to blend in.
• JVCC REPAIR-2HD - when you need more muscle, this one is rewound from Polyken 223 duct tape for roughly 90 oz./in. of peel adhesion, in the same travel-friendly 15 ft. (5 yd.) length. Stronger hold and a shinier finish; you trade away some of the clean-removal benefit for grip.

Packing tip: you do not even need a whole roll. Wrap a few feet of either tape around a pen, an old hotel key card, or a trekking pole and you have a flat, weightless repair kit that disappears into a side pocket.

Our own take on the One-Wrap tie

Wirecutter points to Velcro One-Wrap Thin Ties as a reusable alternative to the plastic zip ties one of their travelers swears by, and we are fully on board with reusable hook-and-loop over single-use zip ties we just sell our own.

Our FindTape HL-QT Hook-N-Loop Quick Tie Cable Ties do the same job: reusable, interlocking die-cut straps that wrap onto themselves with no adhesive to gum up. They are US-made and come in heavier-duty 8" and 12" lengths, from a handy 12-strap pack up to bulk rolls so you can grab a few for the trip or stock up for the workshop. Throw a couple in your bag to wrangle charging cables, earbuds, and adapters, then peel them off and re-tie at the next stop. Because they are reusable, the same handful of straps rides along on every trip.

First aid that actually fits the bag

Wirecutter recommends a compact 298-piece kit, which is great if you have the room for it. For families or anyone who just wants the basics on a clip the Adventure Medical Kits Backyard Adventure First Aid Kit goes even smaller: a 2-ounce, pocket-size kit in a woodland-critter case with a built-in carabiner clip, so it snaps right onto a backpack. Inside are the essentials 20 fabric bandages, hand sanitizer, and triple-antibiotic ointment plus a little extra room for personal medications. It comes in a range of animal designs, which makes it an easy win for family trips, field trips, and summer camp. We only have a few of these left, so if the size looks right, do not wait.

Roll it all up small

The whole point of a good packing list is fixing problems without hauling around the hardware store. A few feet of REPAIR-1 or REPAIR-2HD, a couple of reusable cable ties, and a pocket-size first-aid kit cover most travel mishaps and still leave room for the souvenirs. Safe travels and as always, you will find the best prices and fast shipping on all of it at FindTape.com.

We recently added a new line of roll flagging tape, barricade (barrier) tape, and marking flags to our extensive product line-up. These high-quality, non-adhesive marking and barricade products are produced by Presco, a leading U.S. company, located in Sherman, Texas for over 75 years. Presco is America's premier manufacturer of safety marking products and engineered films offering solutions across a wide range of industries.

Barricade, also called barrier tape, and roll flagging tapes are typically brightly colored non-adhesive tapes used to warn and/or draw attention to a particular area or hazard to avoid. Often these tapes have designated colors for specific hazards which can be solid colored or printed with messages like DANGER, CAUTION, WETLANDS, and more. Roll Flagging and Barricade non-adhesive tapes can be quickly and easily placed to provide warning of physical hazards or dangerous situations for road repairs; buried pipes, wires, cables, police, fire and sheriff warnings, preventing costly injuries, damage, and downtime.

A wide array of industries and organizations use these tapes daily including surveying, trail marking and other industrial applications like construction, forestry, hardware, oil exploration, nursery, mining, and geophysics. In addition, they are used by professionals in law enforcement, emergency management, safety, utilities, and more.

Marking Flags are a standard for homeowners and used extensively in the landscaping, construction, athletic field marking, utility construction, line locating and forestry industries. If you need a long-lasting and colorful above-ground marking flag then Presco's line of marking flags, in over 15 colors, is your solution. Available in either steel wire or plastic staffs, they are ideal for driveway marking for snow removal, pet containment and barrier training, landscape sprinkler marking, property delineation, for sporting events and much more.

Roll Flagging Tapes

Presco Arctic Roll Flagging Tape

• Temperature resistant to -40°F
• 3.0 mil thickness standard colors and 5.0 mil thickness PresGlo neon colors
• Excellent durability and performance at low temperatures
• Easy to use and identify
• 100% made in the US
• 4 bright and long-lasting standard color options including blue, red, white, and yellow
• 7 bright and long-lasting PresGlo neon color options including neon blue, neon green, neon lime, neon orange, neon pink, neon red, and neon yellow

Presco Taffeta Roll Flagging Tape

• Temperature resistant to -10°F
• 2.5 mil thickness standard colors and 4.5 mil thickness PresGlo neon colors with heavy embossing
• Easy to use and identify
• 100% made in the US
• 9 bright and long-lasting standard color options including black, blue, green, orange, pink, purple, red, white, and yellow
• 7 bright and long-lasting PresGlo neon solid color options including neon blue, neon green, neon lime, neon orange, neon pink, neon red, and neon yellow
• All American Public Works Association (APWA) colors available

Presco Biodegradable Roll Flagging Tape

• Environmentally friendly and non-toxic
• Complete degradation in 6-24 months depending on outdoor conditions
• Easy to use and identify
• 100% made in the US
• 6 bright color options including blue, orange, red, white, yellow, and pink neon

Presco Checkerboard, Stripe, and Polka Dot Patterned Roll Flagging Tape

• Temperature resistant to -20°F
• 2.0 mil thickness for standard colors
• 2.5 mil thickness for PresGlo neon colors
• Non-embossed
• Easy to use and identify
• 100% made in the US
• 9 Standard Color Checkerboard Patterns Available - 2.0 mil thickness, and 2 Neon PresGlo Color Checkerboard Patterns Available - 2.5 mil thickness
• 13 Standard Color Stripe Patterns Available - 2.0 mil thickness, and 3 Neon PresGlo Color Stripe Patterns Available - 2.5 mil thickness
• 2 Day/Night Color Stripe Patterns Available (formulated with an exclusive nighttime visibility silver ink)
• 12 Standard Color Polka Dot Patterns Available - 2.0 mil thickness, and 3 Neon PresGlo Color Polka Dot Patterns Available - 2.5 mil thickness

Presco Printed Legend Roll Flagging Tape

• Temperature resistant to -20°F
• Printed messaging to reinforce your non-verbal communication needs
• 2.0 mil thickness for standard colors
• 2.5 mil thickness for PresGlo neon colors
• Non-embossed
• Over 20 printed legend and color combinations available
• 100% made in the US

Barricade Tapes

Presco Printed Barricade Tape

• Highly visible
• Moisture and abrasion resistant
• Economy 2 mil thickness
• Premium 3 mil thickness
• HI-VIZ 3 mil thickness PVC
• Triage 4 mil thickness
• Triage Tape is printed with designated S.T.A.R.T. legends to enhance communication between agencies in 11 colors and legends
• Over 12 stock legends and colors available
• Available in 300 feet and 1000 feet lengths

Presco Crystalline Silica Barricade Tape

• used to help warn of the dangers of crystalline silica - a common mineral that is found in materials that we see every day in roads, buildings, and sidewalks

Presco Biodegradable Printed Barricade Tape

• 6 mil thickness
• Environmentally friendly and non-toxic
• Complete degradation in 6-24 months depending on outdoor conditions
• Easy to use and identify
• 100% made in the US
• Available in red color with DANGER printing or yellow color with CAUTION printing

Presco Reinforced Printed Barricade Tape

• 7 mil thickness
• Reinforced polyethylene film tape
• Available in red tape with black "DANGER PELIGRO" printing and yellow tape with black "CAUTION CUIDADO" printing

Presco Woven Barricade Tape

• Woven, non-adhesive polypropylene film barrier tape
• Tensile Strength: 500 pounds per inch (longitudinal)
• Chemical and weather resistant

Marking Flags

Presco Wire Staff Marking Flags

• Made of high-quality flexible PVC film and high-carbon alloy steel for added tensile strength and bend resistant stability
• Available wire lengths; 15 in. and 21 in.
• Available flag sizes; 2-1/2 in. x 3-1/2 in. and 4 in. x 5 in.
• 17 bright, solid long-lasting colors including 7 PresGlo neon colors

Presco Plastic Staff Marking Flags

• Offer increased safety around machinery and children
• Available in white 24 in. plastic staff with 4 in. x 5 in. flag in neon pink color or neon orange color

Tape and Marking Flag Accessories

Presco Handi Flagger Roll Flagging Tape Dispenser

Presco WIZPRO 1000 Barricade Tape Dispenser

Presco SPF36 Marking Flag Insertion Tool

Have you heard the saying...money can't buy happiness but it can buy craft supplies? Get ready to go shopping because the JVCC ATG-7502 and JVCC ATG-7502X 1/4" refill rolls have a newly designed core system which fits securely into the 3M Scotch 1/4" ATG tape dispensers (pink Scotch Advanced Tape Glider, red Scotch 714 ATG and more) saving you money AND time.

If you own the pink Scotch Advanced Tape Glider and bought refill rolls, in the past you had two options; 1. Purchase an expensive refill roll because it fits into your glider or 2. Purchase a refill roll that was less expensive but did not snap into the dispenser resulting in a loose fit. 

The new core design of the JVCC ATG-7502 and JVCC ATG-7502X 1/4" adhesive transfer tape solves both of these problems. Now this refill roll will snap down correctly into the pink Scotch Advanced Tape Glider. No more loose fitting rolls that might slip or need to be repositioned, saving you time to work on your project.

Additionally, the JVCC ATG-7502 ATG tape offers a 75% cost savings over the 3M Scotch 908 refill tape. Both offer similar properties, are acid neutral, available in like sizes and work in the pink Scotch Advanced Tape Glider or Scotch red 714 dispensers. 

What is Adhesive Transfer Gun (ATG) Tape?

Good question! Reverse wound adhesive transfer gun tape, commonly known as ATG tape, is considered to be an unsupported tape, which is defined as "a tape that is unsupported by a carrier or by backing such as paper, film or cloth." The Pressure Sensitive Tape Council (PSTC) offers this graphic to help illustrate the layers that make up an unsupported tape consisting of a release liner and adhesive. The release liners are typically coated on both sides with a type of release agent, making it easy to place the adhesive onto your project. Unlike traditional tape, ATG tape is not supported by a carrier or backing - such as cloth, paper or film. The tape is applied to a special release liner and reverse wound on a plastic core. 

Where Can I Use ATG Tape?

Adhesive transfer gun tape is the preferred product for scrapbooking, picture framing, photo mounting and other graphic arts applications. ATG tape is widely used for the strong, long-lasting bonds created with wood, glass, paper, most plastics, paint and metal foils. In addition, there are product options for acid-free, which is pH or acid neutral assuring that the tape will not yellow or discolor your photo or artwork over time. ATG Tape can be an excellent alternative to double-stick tape. Examples of acid neutral ATG tape include JVCC ATG-7502, Scapa T002 and 3M Scotch 908 ATG Gold Tape.

 ATG Dispensers Are the Answer 

ATG tape rolls are are reverse wound. This means that the release liner is on the tape's underside and the adhesive is on the top (also described as being on the outside). ATG Dispensers are designed to wind the release liner of the ATG tape roll while placing the strip of adhesive onto your project simultaneously. As you press the trigger on the handle during application the tape is dispensed and the release liner is automatically wound up by the take-up spool. Easy to use, no mess and quick clean-up! 

Remember, ordinary tape dispensers will not work with ATG tape since ATG tapes are reverse wound. Even applying by hand will be difficult without an ATG dispenser since the adhesive is wound on the outside of the roll, which is the opposite of a normal roll of tape.

The JVCC ATG-1 dispenser accepts ALL of the ATG tapes we sell at FindTape.com. One stop shopping! FindTape offers ATG tape dispenser options to accommodate various tape sizes, specially designed and include correctly sized mechanisms to snap ATG refill rolls securely in place. 

Leading ATG tape dispensers and ATG tape brands include JVCC, 3M Scotch, and Scapa. 

Adapter Makes Scotch 700 Dispenser Universal

An ATG tape adapter can be used with the yellow 3M Scotch 700 adhesive dispenser. An ATG adapter allows you to use a narrower width refill roll in an ATG dispenser that's been designed for wider width rolls. The secret is in the core design of the ATG tape. This means you can use one dispenser solution with an adapter for all of your ATG tape size needs. Brilliant!

Purchase the 3M Scotch 700A ATG Applicator Adapter to securely fit 1/4" wide adhesive transfer tape into your yellow 3M Scotch ATG 700 dispenser. With the adapter, the dispenser can now use 1/4", 1/2" and 3/4" ATG tapes, giving you an ATG tape system that is versatile, convenient and easy to use.

The Bottom Line

Burning Man, the art festival focused on self-expression, community and self-reliance, doesn't begin until August 30 this year (it runs through Sept. 7), but many are already planning their stay in the Northern Nevada desert.

This year's theme is Carnival of Mirrors and is described by press materials as "a kind of magic show that takes the form of an old-fashioned carnival." Last year, more than 66,000 people attended. Each year, the desert city - called Black Rock City - pops up from the ground, and disappears after the festival. One of the ten principle's of the festival is "leave no trace," so all structures are packed up and hauled away by participants after the fun is over.

While many live in RVs and tents over the course of the week, an eco-friendly alternative is the hexayurt. Originally designed by Vinay Gupta for a contest sponsored by Treehugger and CurrentTV (Gupta won), this shelter is now used for disaster zones and refugees. Gupta put the plans for the hexayurt in the public domain, so all the details are available for easy reference on this wiki.

There are several benefits of building your own hexayurt for Burning Man.

• It's sturdy (75-mile an hour winds are normal in the desert).
• It's cool and dark in the daytime.
• It's warm at night.
• The tape seals it from dust.
• It's eco-friendly.
• It's easy to pack up.
• It embodies the spirit of self-reliance, another of the 10 principles of the festival.

Building a Hexayurt

The do-it-yourself structure can be created for less than $500 (depending on size), using some common building materials. The full list is available here, but includes sheets of insulation boards, PVC pipes, tent pegs, rope and tarp - and, of course, pressure-sensitive adhesive tape. It takes about 8 hours to build the hexayurt at home and another 1-4 hours to assemble it on the desert.

There are two types of tape you'll need for your hexayurt.

The first is a 6" bi-directional tape from JVCC - the JVCC 762-BD Bi-Directional Filament Strapping Tape. This is a fiberglass reinforced polypropylene tape with a 155# tensile strength in both directions. It won't break or tear even under intense conditions, making it an ideal tape for holding together a living structure like the hexayurt. The 762-BD bidi tape also helps to reduce the amount of tape needed for your project since it has filaments in both directions of the tape; traditional filament tape is one directional only.

The second type of tape is a 3" or 4" aluminum foil, which is used to protect the bi-directional tape from UV damage. It also decreases fire risk. Our JVCC AF20 Aluminum Foil Tape is an all weather aluminum foil tape for general purpose use. It is a dead soft high tensile 2 mil thick aluminum foil coated with an aggressive acrylic adhesive system on a removable paper liner. Its malleable foil conforms well to irregular and curved surfaces, which makes it perfect for covering and sealing the seams in Hexayurt shelters. It performs well at both low and elevated temperatures and is designed for heat reflection and dissipation.

Both types of tape will withstand the sometimes extreme conditions on the Nevada desert. We don't recommend using duct tape at all in building your hexayurt. It can't withstand the heat, and you'll soon have a messy problem on your hands.

Gupta provides many detailed building plans on his wiki for hexayurts of all sizes. His wiki also has a handy tape calculator worksheet to help you determine how much tape you'll need to purchase.

But plan ahead and buy early, so you have the tape you need well in advance of building your structure.

If you need a bit of inspiration and want to see Vinay Gupta talk about hexayurt shelters, check out this video.

https://youtu.be/cIcuhF2urFo

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.

Will This Adhesive Tape Hold? Testing the Adhesive Strength of Double-Sided Tape.

You may not believe it, but double-sided adhesive tape has remarkable – even Herculean! – strength. Some pressure-sensitive tape is even used as a replacement for rivets in buildings or in manufacturing. In other words, it's not just for mounting frames and other wall hangings.

Double-sided tapes are available in different backing or carrier types such as film, tissue, cloth, paper and foam and they are available in a range of peel adhesions and tensile strengths. Our least adhesive double-sided film tape, the JVCC DC-4109RS product has a peel adhesion of 29 ounces per inch and is comparable to a general-purpose masking tape. It's perfect for mounting lightweight items, such as nameplates.

But that's just a start. Some of the other double-sided tapes we offer at FindTape.com have very impressive strength and adherence qualities. A double-sided film tape like Scapa S301 Double Coated UPVC Tape is adhesive enough to be used in product assembly, while 3M 4950 VHB Tape is used in both interior and exterior structural bonding applications.

But rather than tell you about the adhesive strength of our double-sided tapes, I'd like to show you. In this video, I test four double-sided tapes to see which one can support the most weight. Check it out.

Mark Twain was a scrapbooker with a big appreciation for adhesive. In fact, he was so passionate about scrapbooking that in 1872 he invented a scrapbook with preinstalled gummed strips. It turned out to be one of his most profitable inventions.

Scrapbooking became popular in the 19th century with the explosion of newspapers and magazines, according to Ellen Garvey, author of Writing with Scissors: American Scrapbooks from the Civil War to the Harlem Renaissance. People clipped articles and pasted them into books to keep track of interesting news and information.

But scrapbooks also have a place in civil rights history. Women suffragists and African-Americans created scrapbooks as a way to express their political viewpoints, Garvey says. (Check out her more detailed discussion on this topic at a program hosted by the American Antiquarian Society here.)

More than a century later, the appeal of scrapbooking hasn't diminished. On May 2, thousands of crafters will celebrate National Scrapbooking Day. Of course, today's scrapbookers have many more design options, with dozens of adhesive tapes to choose from.

As you prepare for National Scrapbooking Day, here are a few adhesive tapes to help add patterns, colors, and texture to your scrapbooking project.

Easy Application

Many scrapbookers use ATG dispensers to make it easier to apply adhesive tape to pages. JVCC ATG-7502 ATG Tape offers good adhesion to paper. Plus, it's acid neutral, which is essential for securing photographs without harming them. Another great tape is Scapa T002 ATG Tape, also acid or pH-neutral with an acrylic adhesive and is very easy to work with.

Many scrapbookers favor electronic cutting machines such as those from Cricut®. The Duck Brand Prism Crafting Tape works well in these, and it features a unique holographic / prismatic effect to add shine and dimension to projects. Patterns include small stars, squares and lots of dots.

Decorative Design

Imaginative projects require dozens of colors, designs, and textures, and these adhesive tapes offer no shortage. Duck Brand Printed Duck Tape is a patterned duct tape that tears easily by hand without curling and conforms to uneven surfaces. It's available in patterns such as ACU digital camouflage, black and white checker, blue tie-dye, dragon, hot rod flames, hardwood camouflage, leopard, orange tie-dye, paint splatter, pink zebra, skulls and zig-zag zebra.

For more, shall we say, illuminating projects, Duck Brand Glow-in-the-Dark Gaffer Tape Sheets provide a decorative element. They’re available in 8-1/2 inch x 10 inch display cards (the material area is approximately 4-1/4 inch x 10 inch) and are photoluminescent after the tape is activated by an artificial or natural light source. Sheets are available in a variety of shapes including numbers, letters, stars and moon, and circles and stripes, as well as a plain sheet.

To add texture to a project, Duck Brand Fabric Crafting Tape is a good choice. It’s a cloth fabric tape, available in several patterns: yellow speckled dot, pink with brown dots and white squares, coral multi stripe and blue pin dot.

We discussed Washi paper tape in a previous blog post, here, but it too is a popular option for adding patterns, color, and texture to your scrapbook page.

Duck Brand Ducklings Mini Duct Tape Rolls are perfect for trimming because they are very small. They're available in a multitude of colors and patterns, including black, blue surf flower, blue leopard, chrome, neon pink, neon lime green, pink zebra, rainbow, zig zag and paint splatter.

Working with Photos

When working with photographs, an acid free/pH neutral adhesive is essential. Acid can cause the tape's adhesive to yellow over time thereby ruining the image. 3M Scotch 908 ATG Gold Tape is photo safe in accordance with both Black and White Photographic Activity Tests and Color Photographic Activity Tests (per ANSI IT9.16).

There are times when you'll want your photos have a bit more pop. One way to give them a bit of dimension is to use double-side foam mounting tape. 3M Scotch 108 Removable Foam Mounting Squares are approximately 1/16 inch thick and add just enough lift to make your photos stand out.

National Scrapbooking Day

Celebrate National Scrapbooking Day by joining a scrapbooking event or group. You can find an event near you using community sites such as Meetup.com. In the meantime, make sure you order your scrapbooking supplies well in advance, so you have everything you need.

ATG dispensers are popular among scrapbookers, crafters, photographers, and event producers. They make it easy to apply pressure-sensitive adhesive tape known as ATG tape. This tape comes unsupported by a backing or carrier (like cloth, film, or paper), and is pre-applied to a special release liner. It is reverse wound, with the release liner being located on the underside when you unwind it from the roll. If you were to apply this tape manually to your project, it could be very messy. An ATG dispenser makes it clean and simple to apply.

But there are four primary ATG dispensers to choose from. With several varieties of ATG refill rolls available, it can be confusing at first to determine which type fits in your ATG gun.

The key is in the design of the plastic core of the ATG refill roll. Some cores have wider openings than others. In the video below, I’ll show you the difference between the ATG refill rolls and explain how to match your ATG dispenser to the right ATG refill tape.

For greater detail, our handy matrix will help you determine which ATG refill tape best fits your ATG dispenser.

Spring is the season of home improvement. And now that it's almost here, many people are considering ways to freshen up their homes and offices. One of the best ways to do this is to paint your walls.

Not only will this brighten your mood, but it's also a good investment – especially if you're planning to sell during the spring housing market. A freshly painted interior will help the house show better to prospective buyers.

Whether you plan to do-it-yourself or you're a longtime pro, you'll need to make some decisions about the type of painters tape to use. Your choice will depend upon the type of surface being painted, whether it's indoor or out, and any creative or artistic requirements.

Here's a quick primer to help you choose the right painters tape for your project. And don't forget to check for removal tips at the end of this post.

Why use painters tape and not other types of tape?

Unlike other types of masking tape, painters tape is specially designed for painting applications where clean removal is a requirement including in cases when the tape is exposed to direct UV light. It can be used on glass, vinyl, metal, wood, painted walls and trim.

There are several types of painters tape, and which one you choose depends upon the job you need it for.

Protect floors and furniture

As you prep your room for painting, you'll want to keep floors and furniture from getting hit by paint drops. You can drape your furniture with old bed sheets and cover floors with plastic sheets, but as you paint, these can shift, inadvertently exposing the edges of furniture or leaving spots on floors.

Duck Brand Pre-Taped Painter's Drop Cloth is ideal for protecting floors and counters while painting. This is a 2-mil thick plastic drop film that is pre-applied to a removable painters tape. The plastic film resists tears and punctures, and the removable cloth tape holds the film securely in place, so there's no slipping and sliding. It's designed to remove cleanly for up to 4 weeks.

If you already have drop film or cloth and just need a double-sided tape to apply it, Nashua's CleanDrape is a great choice. The adhesive cloth side of the tape holds up the film or dropcloth while the adhesive painters tape side goes up against your drywall. CleanDrape's blue painters tape side offers clean removal for up to 14 days from a variety of surfaces.

Create Crisp Lines

Once you've got floors and furniture protected, it's time to prep the baseboards, walls and ceilings. Painters tape can be used as a guide to keep lines straight and protect surfaces from getting spotted with the wrong color.

Shurtape CP-60 Razor Edge tape is an ultra thin painters tape used to create razor sharp lines. Perfect for painting stripes, diamonds, and other patterns on walls. Its special paper backing reduces bleed-through and its low adhesion allows it to be easily removed after longer periods of time (for up to 60 days).

If you're painting a newly constructed house or an addition, you will probably be painting drywall. JVCC PGM-UV Painter's Grade Masking Tape is a good choice because its peel adhesion does not increase with time, allowing for removal from a wide variety of surfaces without damage.

3M Scotch-Blue 2090 Painters Tape for multi-surfaces is a medium adhesion tape ideal for paint masking on multiple surfaces including painted walls and trim, woodwork, glass and metal. It can be removed cleanly without adhesive transfer or surface damage for up to 14 days, even in direct sunlight. The backing saturant is solvent and moisture resistant so it resists paint bleed-through, and the adhesive doesn't transfer when the tape is wet. However, this tape is not designed for use on wallpapers, unpainted wallboard, wood floors or poorly bonded surfaces.

Tips for Delicate Surfaces

Delicate surfaces, such as wallpaper, freshly painted or unpainted wallboard and drywall, ceiling tiles, or masking for faux finishing, will require a lower adhesion tape. Shurtape CP-28 30-Day Purple Painters Tape, also known as 30 Day ShurRELEASE, can be applied to delicate surfaces for up to 30 days and then removed cleanly without causing surface damage.

Working with Other Special Surfaces

If you're painting special surfaces, such as cured painted walls, unfinished wood and wood trim, glass, metal, and stone, choose a medium-adhesion tape like FrogTape's Multi-Surface Painters Tape. This tape removes cleanly from most surfaces for up to 21 days (7 days in direct sunlight). Its patented PaintBlock® Technology prevents latex paint from bleeding by forming a micro-barrier along the edges (it reacts with the water in latex paint). You get a fully sealed tape edge resulting in the sharpest paint lines possible.

Creating Wall Designs

Painters tape also can be used to create paint designs on walls, furniture and other surfaces. FrogTape Shape Tape Painters Tape comes in three pre-cut repeating patterns: Chevron, Scallop and Wave. Creative painters can use this tape to create horizontal, vertical, or diagonal designs.

Taping Textured Surfaces

It can be tricky to create sharp lines on textured surfaces such as heavy knockdown, light knockdown or orange peel, without bleeding. But FrogTape Textured Surface Painters Tape comes with a bottle of Liquid PaintBlock® Edge Sealer™, which forms a micro-barrier sealing the edges of the tape. As a result, paint doesn't bleed and you can create super sharp stripes, patterns, and designs on these types of textured surfaces.

Removal Tips

When all of the painting is done, it's time to remove the tape. Here are a few tricks to make sure it all comes off smoothly.

1. Remove tape as soon as you are finished.bl
2. Score the edge of the tape with a razor blade first.
3. Pull the tape slowly and at a 90 degree angle.

If you're still uncertain about how to choose the right painters tape for your project, our Painters Tape Comparison Matrix will help you compare and choose based on a variety of criteria.