Have you ever wondered “What’s the right reflective tape for my job?” This video will help you find the answer to this question, give you a general understanding of how tapes are measured for reflectiveness and examples of use. The 11 products shown are reviewed in order of intensity and are all available for purchase at Findtape.com.
Reflective tapes, including the ones seen here, are measured in candelas/lux/square meters, which measures photometric performance. This tells us how bright and visible the tape will be to your eye.
It can be difficult to fully assess the brightness or reflectivity of the tape in natural or overhead lights. To really get a sense of the reflective characteristics you should use a high-intensity light to shine against the tape. On our website at www.findtape.com, you will see reflective product pictures split in two, where one half is pictured without the camera flash and the other is with the camera flash. This will help to highlight the reflective characteristics of the product.
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SOLAS M82, which is an acronym for the maritime treaty outlining the minimum safety standards in construction, equipment and operation and stands for Safety of Life at Sea, is the most reflective tape on the market. It measures 700 on the photometric performance scale.
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This tape meets the requirements of the MUTCD specification, which governs most of our traffic control devices. RGA tape alternates red and white (silver) at 16 inch intervals, which is a longer stretch of alternating color than the standard highway tractor-trailer vehicle. Oracal, the producer of the Reflexite/Oralite brand, offers a 10-year warranty on RGA tape.
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R99 Rail Tape is primarily used for railway cars, carries a visible FRA-224 certification mark and is available in a yellow or silver/white color. The manufacturer offers a 10-year warranty on this product.
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Reflexite GP-340 is different from your other choices seen in the video because it is not an adhesive tape, it is meant to be sewn-on your product or application. It is available in blaze orange, lime yellow or silver/white and certified by the manufacturer up to 75 machine washes.
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You have most likely seen this tape on the road used on tractor-trailer trucks alternating red and white/silver in 6 inch intervals. REF DOT tape has a DOT-C2 certification mark and Oracal provides a 5-year warranty for this Oralite/Reflexite tape.
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The American Flag Sticker Decals are not only patriotic, but also serve as an excellent reflective material, similar to the same specifications and warranty as Oralite REF DOT tape.
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Compared to the SOLAS tape, first noted as the most reflective tape, the Daybright Colors are approximately 65% as reflective. Please note that the Daybright colors have different levels of reflectiveness. For example, blue is the least reflective color and has about 1/10th the level of reflectiveness of the silver/white color option. The Daybright products are available in six solid colors and do not alternate red/white as seen in the previous products. FindTape offers this product in a large 50 yard (150 feet) roll as well as a smaller 5 yard (15 feet) and 10 yard (30 feet) rolls in many different widths for all your project needs.
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REF DB-SB School Bus Tape can be seen on buses in the USA and Canada and is available in school bus yellow color and 50 yard (150 feet) or 10 yard (30 feet) lengths and various widths. The manufacturer provides a 5-year warranty and this reflective tape is excellent for retrofitting existing school bus fleets.
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Scotchlite Reflecting Tape is a film which is intended to provide reflective properties in the darkness. Often used to add another level of safety and nighttime visibility, this product is applied to motorcycle helmets. The tape shown in the video is black but changes to a grayish/white color when a high-intensity light is reflected. FindTape offers seven color choices to match all your products and applications.
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This tape is used for safety applications as well as the entertainment industry spike tape or “daytime” glow tape. Although this tape is about seven times less reflective than the Oralite Daybright tape, it is a more economical option when you do not need to use an industrial/specification grade tape.
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REF-S Engineering Grade tape shown here is alternating black and yellow angle striped tape and is mostly used indoors for applications such as warehouse poles to alert forklift drivers of their location. This product is available in black with yellow stripes or red with white stripes in various widths and lengths.
An excellent resource for finding the right tape for the right job is the FindTape.com Advanced Tape Finder. This useful tool allows you to input, quickly and easily, your project or tape needs and provides instant product options best suited to your parameters.
Have questions? Email us at questions@findtape.com. Find more videos here and thanks for watching.