How to use trim masking tape

Using trim masking tape is easy and intuitive, though some little advice should be followed to achieve best results. Let’s take a look in this video tutorial on how to use perforated tape.

In this article you will learn:

• How to choose a good trim masking tape
• How to use trim masking tape, step by step
• How to remove trim tape from cars

Have you ever wondered how to paint around trim moldings? Trim Masking Tape is an innovative product, engineered to help automotive professional painters save time and gain quality when painting around trim moldings. 

This product provides a thin plastic band on one side, created to let the tape slide in the leaks behind the moldings so as to prevent the paint from bleeding through. Thanks to trim masking tape, it is no longer necessary to remove the moldings when painting the near surfaces.

In this video tutorial, we discover the qualities and advantages of trim masking tape, while going through the best way to use it.

Choose a good trim masking tape

Like any other tape designed for automotive painting, trim masking tape must provide some essential features to guarantee the quality of the final result, while saving time and effort. Among these qualities, we mention:

• Ability to withstand high temperature in booth drying cycles
• Easy tear by hand, so to speed up the masking procedure
• Resistance to waterborne and solvent based paints
• Excellent conformability properties, so to easily adapt to the curves of the moldings
• Removal without residue, so to leave clean surfaces after use
• Helpful in painting around trim moldings

The best products on the market boast additional qualities and advantages, as we are going to see in the next paragraph.

Of course, we suggest using Q1® Premium Trim Masking tape, composed of a plastic strip on a self-adhesive tape and a flexible polyester band of 190 my and a width of 10mm, thermal class B. Thanks to its characteristics, the tape supports high temperatures (up to 110°C/230°F) without leaving any residue.

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How to use trim masking tape, step by step

Using trim masking tape is easy and intuitive, though some little advice should be followed to achieve best results. Let’s take a look:

1. Unwind the tape and cut it at the desired length. The best products are provided inside practical boxes that ease the dispensing and are pre-cut at standard length for an easy tearing.
2. Insert the side of the tape with the plastic band behind the molding, wrap the tape around the rubber and fasten it to the near surface. The tape is comfortable enough to follow the curves of the moldings without ripping. Now the tape covers the entire section of the molding, preventing paint bridging and leaking through.
3. Repeat the operation until you have covered all the length of the molding. When finished, mask the rest of the vehicle and prepare the booth for the drying.

How to remove trim tape from cars

After the drying, you just have to remove the tape from the vehicle. We suggest accomplishing this job as soon as possible and straight in the booth, as some tapes tend to attach to the underlying surface when the temperature drops. However, best products such as Q1® Premium Trim Masking Tape show a higher tolerance than average products on the market, and can be removed also outside the booth.

If you still don’t have this product in your stash and it’s a bit difficult to remove, another way that you can remove adhesives and decals from your car is by applying heat.

When you apply heat directly to the adhesives you’ll be able to work with them a lot easier. The best way to do this is with a heat gun or a blow dryer. Keep the heat gun moving to apply as little heat as possible.

Once the tape residues are warm, take a plastic razor blade and scrape them off (carefully, or you will damage the paint).