How To Get A Crisp Clean Line w Painters Tape

Happy Tuesday Everyone!

For our very first Quick-Tip-Tuesday, here’s a helpful idea on how to get a crisp clean line when using painters tape.

 

When Should I Remove The Tape?

As soon as possible after you’ve applied your last coat of paint. This way a film won’t form on the tape and leave a jagged edge once it’s dried.

Caulking Your Painter’s Tape?

Yes, professionals use caulking (clear works best if cutting paint along with stain or color) to run a bead of caulking along their painter’s tape to prevent paint bleed through. This creates a nice crisp straight line. The base paint color or a clear coat in poly or polymer will also work for a super clean line as well.

 

After applying the tape in the area to be blocked off,  most people rub the tape with their fingers to get it to stick.  Rather than use your hand, use the ROLL of painters tape. The roll becomes a tool and does the work for you.  Apply pressure on the top of the tape roll while sliding the roll back and forth. This will make your painters tape adhere better and help you create a crisp clean line for your project!

Do you have any other methods, tips or tricks to getting a nice clean line using painters tape? Feel free to share in the comments below!

Also, stay tuned next Tuesday when Jacqui from Porta Verde Studios shares a brilliant ‘Sanding In Small Spaces‘ tip!

Enjoy your day!

~Denise

Painters Tape
Things Needed and to Consider

 

• Clean the surface before sticking the Painters Tape.
  Dirty, dusty and greasy surfaces prevent tape from sticking perfectly.

 

• Choosing the right tape(Size and Stickiness).
  Using Multi-Surface Painter’s Tapes is convenient for painting walls, furniture, trim, woodwork, hardware, glass and metal.
  Quality tape that can be removed even though the paint is wet or safely left for several days.
  Helps to paint sharp or crisp lines.
  Usage of low tack or high tack tape depending on the surface, if painting on painted surfaces make sure to use low tack tape to prevent peeling of the paint.  

• Flexible putty knife, used for applying pressure to seal the tape perfectly, especially on trims and baseboards. Credit cards or anything that can press the surface firmly and gently is a good alternative.

 

Benefits/Advantages/Pros

 

No sticky residue

Can stay for a long time and still can be removed easily.

Clean, sharp and crisp lines.
Won’t pucker or buckle, no wrinkles or fold when painted.

 

Disadvantage/Cons

 

More expensive than other options(Masking Tape)

How to Paint Clean, Crisp and Sharp Lines

 

• Place and Seal 

The most important thing when applying the tape is to make sure the tape is sealed perfectly. This will prevent the paint from seeping/bleeding inside the tape.

 

(Optional)Use a flexible putty knife to apply pressure making sure the tape is sealed and not buckling. Pressing ensures the edges have a good bond.

Most of the Painter’s tape now has a built-in anti seep/bleed technology like the Frog tape. So it is best to use a high quality tape.

 

To add more layer of protection against bleeding. Some use clear latex caulking. I think this is perfect for textured surfaces. Explained in this video. (1:57)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWkAUlevvHA&t=121s

 

(Creating a bleed line)If you are painting a surface with a base color, you can seal the edges of the tape with the base color. When it dries, you can now paint the second color. Best explained with this image.

 

• Painting 

To paint, the best stroke is the stroke that avoids peeling the tape. Never paint towards the tape, doing so will push the paint underneath the tape.

• Peeling
  
  It is mostly advised to peel the tape off while the paint is wet(some say when it’s tacky). This is to prevent the paint from sealing itself off making the tape difficult to remove.
  If you are painting two coats of paint where you certainly don’t want to pull the tape off while it’s wet, it is advisable to carefully score the edge before pulling the tape. This breaks the bond formed by the dry paint and ensures that you can remove the tape cleanly without damaging your paint job.

 

A minute tutorial on how to use Painter’s Paint.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bhQZNVgpLM

 

Masking Tape

If you are tight on budget, you can use masking tape but it is not advisable because it leaves residues.

Some use a hair dryer and a scraper(small knife, credit card or putty knife) to remove residues. The heat coming from the hair dryer melts the residues and makes it easy to remove.

Avoiding the Painter’s Tape from Pulling off Paint Underneath

 

• Use the right type of tape depending on its stickiness and the paint you’ll paste it on. 
• Temperature might be one of the reasons. Too much cold makes the paint brittle while too much heat makes the tape sticky and hard to remove. 
• Tape should be removed slowly and be observant whether there is crackling or bubbling of paint and that way you can readjust your tape removal. 
• Gaps and uneven surfaces could also be the reason. So make sure that the area your working on is always clean, without any debris, holes and bumps. Gaps create space for the paint to fill in and when peeled off, the tapes will pull along that paint.

Notes:
Need Validation

Some say you shouldn’t spray paint if you are using painters tape. I think we can do a comparison. For example 3 boards with painters tape. Painting using brush, roller and spray gun just for science. haha!

Some say an angled paint brush like purdy is a very good brush for painting with painters tape.

Since we use water-based paints, I am not quite sure what type of painter’s tape to use. Some say blue and green sometimes peel-off weak latex paint. And green frog tape sometimes doesn’t work that well on sanded paint/primer.

 

The right angle to peel tape off is at a 45° angle away from the painted side. But if you’re painting both sides of the tape, the only way to peel off the paint is to peel it 90° horizontally or vertically right?