In 1925, after working with automotive painters, 3M introduced the world’s first masking tape to improve the painting process.
In today’s world, 100 years later, paint systems have greatly evolved and modern paint processes require state-of-the-art masking products, providing the reliable convenience you demand in a busy shop.
Masking systems from 3M can be used in all car paint and repair processes, ranging from masking tape for general car masking applications and car masking film to cover up large areas to special products for demanding applications.
Choose from our lean and clear product offering the right masking product for your specific task at hand.
Together with masking films car masking tapes protect large areas from paint overspray. Select from masking tapes for standard applications up to high end premium tapes with water and solvent resistancy, high temperature tolerance and superior performance.
Designed with soft foams, precision-engineered adhesives and more masking tapes soften or virtually eliminate hard paint lines at car apertures such as door, bonnet, boot lid and other areas where paint must blend seamlessly and also keep the interior of the vehicle free of paint and dust.
Use fine line masking tapes when fine multiple-tone or paint striping work are required. These tapes feature low profile, conformable, stretchable backing and rubber-based adhesives – excellent for sweeping curves – as well as pre-slit constructions creating stripes as thin as 1,58 mm.
Prevent overspray on trim around bonded screens, side glasses and moldings while eliminating glass and trim removal. Trim masking tapes slightly lift the trim molding. Paint flows behind the trim. Once it’s dry, the tape is removed letting the molding drop back into place.
Premium masking tape designed for critical and hard to mask surfaces like plastics, rubber or structured surfaces.
Designed for maximum performance on all vehicle surfaces – with exceptional results.
Well balanced masking tape for a wide range of automotive masking tasks.
Resists moisture imprinting or ghosting on painted vehicle surfaces with superior clinging properties, and a treated surface avoids overspray flaking issues.
Lots of tapes can help achieve the basic purpose of masking – ensuring that coatings are applied only where they are supposed to be. But car masking tapes can also increase your shop efficiency. The right tapes can save a lot of time, as technicians can apply in one piece without having to continually re-start the tape due to breakage. The tape will also apply with fewer wrinkles and unnecessary overlaps that can compromise the mask. Look for car masking tapes with release coatings or similar features that help the tape unwind smoothly and consistently, and a primer layer that anchors the adhesive to the backing. Similarly, masking tapes are available with adhesives formulated for clean removal from all automotive substrates including rubber or glass, without leaving adhesive residue that must be cleaned. They will also remove much more quickly without small pieces of backing remaining on the substrate, especially on jobs left overnight or over the weekend.
Try our Scotch® High Performance Masking Tape 3434 to experience the difference by using premium car masking tapes.
Yes. Cold temperatures stiffen the tape adhesive. This means it can require more pressure to adhere immediately to the surface, and more time for cleaning adhesive transfer after removal. Conversely, higher temperatures soften both the backing and the adhesive and cause the tape to easily stretch. This means that the adhesive must cover a larger area, lowering its effectiveness and making the tape less reliable for sharp paint lines. Humidity is a particular problem too, as it can cause condensation on the panel surface; many masking tape adhesives do not perform well in water.
Instead of a combination of plastic and paper, we recommend premium masking film as it easily pays for itself in masking time and reduced rework. Reusable, untreated plastic and paper sheeting from around the shop will normally have dirt or dust particles on it and can easily introduce those contaminants to the paint job. It also does not prevent dried paint from flaking off and contaminating the fresh paint job upon removal. You can counter this by using smaller pieces of masking paper along with the sheeting, but that can be time consuming.
Premium automotive masking films such as 3M™ Purple Premium Plus Masking Film go through a chemical process called a corona treatment. This changes the surface chemistry of the film, helping paint adhere to it and preventing flaking. You can also tape directly to the masking film instead of using it in conjunction with masking paper, which saves time and material.
Traditionally, moldings and trim have been time consuming: to get a clean paint line, you must remove the trim before painting, clean it and reinstall it after the paint has cured. Instead, wherever applicable we recommend 3M™ Perforated Trim Masking Tape . This tape lets you mask trim and moldings without removing them, yet still attain fully concealed paint lines. The tape features a hard, rigid band along one edge. The band slips gently beneath trim and moldings and lifts them slightly from the body, allowing paint to flow under them. After paint has cured, simply remove the tape and let the trim drop back onto the body. The bands are available in several widths, helping ensure that they will hold the trim reliably. The masking tape is also perforated so you can tear it by hand, saving time.
Choosing and properly using the right masking products can go a long way toward eliminating issues related to quality and efficiency in the paint shop. But even the best masking tapes, masking paper and masking films will only be their most effective in a clean paint booth. Regular force-flashing with waterborne paints can upset the air flow in the booth, resulting in dirt and contaminants coming loose and falling on paint. We recommend 3M™ Dirt Trap Surface Protection Material , a nonwoven material with a light adhesive that applies to walls and floors and removes without leaving residue. This material traps even tiny particles of dirt and paint rather than simply collecting them, keeping them from spreading. This helps keep them out of the paint job, reducing time spent buffing later on. It also makes clean-up easier – you simply peel up the used material and replace it, with no daily maintenance.
We recommend using 3M™ Perforated Trim Masking Tape to mask trims on windows and side glasses. This car masking tape features a hard band along its edge that slightly lifts the trim molding. Perforation allows to neatly cover curved sections of trim. As paint is applied, it flows behind the trim – once it’s dry, technicians simply remove the tape and let the molding drop back into place.
3M™ Purple Premium Plus Masking Film will be your best choice in this case. This translucent car masking film makes the repair area highly visible for simple trim guidance and because the film is easy to cut, the required area can be removed with maximum speed and accuracy, and finished efficiently with narrow masking tape. The static cling properties of both the 4 and 5 metre versions of this car masking film, allow a rapid one-person application.
We suggest you go for 3M™ Soft Edge Foam Masking Tape PLUS. This tape achieves significant improvements in meeting today’s aperture masking requirements, meaning you now have a solution to mask the widest range of vehicle closures, including the narrower gaps found in many of today’s modern car designs.
Also consider 3M™ Smooth Transition Tape for single step masking in conjunction with 3M™ Soft Edge Foam Masking Tape PLUS on primer repairs across any aperture or wherever a feather edge is required.
As a premium product Scotch® High Performance Masking Tape 3434 provides outstanding painting results with all the common two component paint systems as well as with water-based paint systems. With good water resistance this car masking tape does not require re-masking after wet sanding. Good conformability and excellent edge tear resistance allows for curve masking and prevents tearing in curves or on difficult surfaces. This tape possesses a temperature resistance of 110°C and as a consequence will meet all the requirements of every application in a body shop.
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3M™ Soft Edge Foam Masking Tape PLUS, Blue, 21 mm x 49 m, 50421
3M Stock
B40067059
UPC
05010027834194
Scotch® Fine Line Striping Tape, 8 Pull Outs, 25.4 mm x 13.9 m, 06314
3M Stock
B40067126
UPC
30021200063146
3M™ Smooth Transition Tape, White, 6.35 mm x 9 m, 06800
3M Stock
B40067124
UPC
00051131068001
3M™ Welding and Spark Deflection Paper, 61 cm x 45.7 m, 05916
3M Stock
B40067360
UPC
00051131059160
