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What is Blue Tape?

By Lynne William
Updated: May 16, 2024

Blue tape is a specific kind of masking tape, also called painter's tape due to its intended application. Originally developed by 3M, blue tape is low-stick masking tape designed for protecting surfaces during painting. Blue tape is manufactured to remove cleanly without damaging surfaces and without leaving any adhesive residue behind.

Blue painter's tape can be used to protect painted walls, trim, woodwork, metal, and glass during painting, staining, or varnishing of surrounding surfaces. Blue tape should not be used on lacquer or most faux finishes. It is best used on semi-smooth surfaces, but it's not ideal for use on brick, concrete, or stone.

Regular masking tape can be difficult to apply and even more difficult to remove from walls and trim due to its higher concentration of adhesive. The flexible crepe backing of blue painter's tape makes it pliable and easy to conform to corners and oddly shaped, semi-smooth surfaces. Blue tape is typically available in widths ranging from ¾ inch (1.9 cm) to 2 inches (5.08 cm).

Blue tape is unaffected by UV rays or direct sunlight. Unlike regular masking tape, painter's tape does not react to sunlight by becoming stickier. Painter's tape can be used reliably in temperatures above 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius) and in excess of 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius). Multi-surface painter's tape can be left on surfaces with little risk of adhesive transfer for up to 14 days.

For use on delicate surfaces, 3M manufactures a special variety of blue tape. This masking tape can be used on freshly painted surfaces where the paint is at least 24-hours old, as well as on wood floors, primed wallboard, vinyl-coated wallpaper, and other more fragile surfaces. With an even lower stickiness rating than standard blue tape, painter's tape for delicate surfaces can be left on for up to 60 days without risk of surface damage or adhesive residue. As with any household product, the package label of the tape should be consulted prior to use.

Cutting blue tape to mask corners can be time consuming, and hand-cutting pieces can waste tape. As an alternative to cutting small pieces of rolled tape, 3M makes precut corner pieces marketed under the brand name Scotch-Blue® Painter's Tape For Corners. This multi-surface, medium-adhesive tape is for use on paint over 30 days old, and on windows, woodwork, and other trim. These precut pieces are also ideal for masking spindle bases on railings and banisters, as the specially designed interior angle of the tape is resistant to splitting and tearing.

3M also produces an applicator preloaded with multi-surface blue tape. Similar to a packaging tape dispenser, the device applies the tape flush against the wall in a smooth, even motion, and has a built-it cutter. This tool is especially helpful for applying painter's tape to long stretches of straight, flat wall. Along with the applicator, blue tape can be purchased at hardware stores, home improvement stores, and large department stores.

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Discussion Comments
By RocketLanch8 — On Mar 27, 2014

@Phaedrus- I agree with you on the ease of removal. I only wish it was easier to find all the different widths at the store. I don't always need the two inch wide blue masking tape, but sometimes I let my children "help" with the painting and I can use all the protection I can get. It's hard to over-paint with a two inch strip of masking tape.

By Phaedrus — On Mar 26, 2014

I always used regular masking tape when doing interior painting, but pulling it off was always a problem. A long piece would always break off in the middle, leaving all of these sticky remnants everywhere. A clerk at the hardware store suggested I use what the professional painters use. I left with five rolls of painters' blue tape.

I'd have to say it was a lot easier to apply to windows than the standard tape. I didn't use a dispenser, but I did all right with just my hands. The color of the tape made it easier to see where the paint was going, and the adhesive wasn't too strong. I could pull it off in one piece most of the time.

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