One question that we have a lot of customers ask is, what is the brightest reflective tape? This is a common question, since often people associate the brightest tape with the best tape. But the fact is, the brightest tape is not always the best for an application. There are other characteristics of reflective films,…
If you can see an object, it is technically reflective since it is bouncing light to your eyes. For a surface to be reflective, it simply has to throw or bounce back light from its surface without absorbing all of it. Most objects use scattered or diffused reflectivity where light is scattered everywhere. A mirror…
What Sets Prismatic Reflective Tape Apart from Glass Bead Tapes? Glass bead tapes and prismatic tapes are the 2 types of reflective tape available on the market today. The first reflective tapes used glass bead technology and were invented by 3m in the 30’s. Then Reflexite invented micro prismatic tape in the 1960s. It is interesting that even…
From a safety or visibility perspective, it’s essential to prioritize safety items, and among them are fluorescent and retroreflective materials. While both serve the common goal of drawing attention to enhance safety, they each exhibit distinct characteristics. Here, we’ll highlight key differences between fluorescent and retroreflective materials. And of particular note is that retro reflective…
Twelve Types of Reflective Tape – Deciding Which One is Best for You. Introduction Reflective tapes vary in brightness, flexibility, conformability, adhesion, durability, vividness, and color. These are all factors to weigh when choosing a reflective tape to use for your particular application. This article will discuss each type of “standard solid colored reflective tapes”…
First and foremost, this article is not legal advice. If you are concerned about the legality of anything you are doing to your vehicle, consult your local law enforcement office and any other agencies that you deem necessary. The information below is what I know to the best of my knowledge. This question of whether…
Adhesive Backing Classes For reflectivity photometrics, retro reflective tapes are rated 1 – 11. This is all relative to the front or reflecting side of the tape. The opposite side of the tape is also important and is broken down into 5 basic adhesive backing classes. The list below outlines the 5 types. Class…
In an effort to reduce accidents involving large commercial trucks and other vehicles, the application of DOT C2 red and white (silver) reflective tape to trucks was mandated by federal law in 1992. This was a very important step forward in preventing accidents, injuries, and fatalities from collisions between large trucks and smaller vehicles. Although…
In the realm of reflective sheeting, the term metallize means to apply a mirror backing. Specifically, to the bottom of a glass bead or to the back of a prism. This is done to increase its return of light and the overall retro reflectivity of a tape. When you look in a mirror every morning,…
Specification sheets on reflective material often reference the terms “Observation Angle” and “Entrance Angle”. You often see metrics like the following – (Observation Angle : .20 / Entrance Angle : -4) or (Observation Angle – .50 / Entrance Angle : 30), where the observation metric is normally very small, and the entrance metric is much…