I am happily using the 'FrogTape', it is prevented from paint bleeding.
www.frogtape.com
FrogTape Painter's Tape
The only painter’s tape with Paintblock Technology®, FrogTape® is the painter’s tape for every job, whether you’re a home DIY or professional painter.
3M Automotive Fine line tape. Comes in various widths. It isn't cheap but doesn't bleed paint.
Tamiya for me. Handy refillable with an easy tear off cutting edge.
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Just be sure to stay away from the old manila colored masking tape, NOT GOOD!
And its a step better than the 3M Blue tape in my opinion....I am happily using the 'FrogTape', it is prevented from paint bleeding.
FrogTape Painter's Tape
The only painter’s tape with Paintblock Technology®, FrogTape® is the painter’s tape for every job, whether you’re a home DIY or professional painter.
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Bob,
What are you planning to use it for? Masking tape is great for some things but not for everything.
Allan
Cling film/saran wrap is also very useful for large areas. Seal the edges with masking tape if required.
Silly putty is useful for masking the really strange shapes like figureheads or figures.
Silly putty is useful for masking the really strange shapes like figureheads or figures.
If the tape is being used to prevent paint getting in the wrong areas it is beneficial to apply the tape then seal the edges by spraying a clear coat which will seep under the edges of the tape if it is not super tight. Once it is dry it prevents the color that is to be sprayed or brushed from bleeding under the tape.
There is also pinstriping tape that is very useful. If I need a fine line I often paint the colors then add a stripe of pinstriping then add the last three or four coats of clear finish. Gloss, semigloss, or matte finish can be used as you wish. Gloss my least favorite but some folks request this so I will go with it if required.
In the photo below the sanded hull was first painted with three coats of white paint. I then added the red stripe just below the hawse hole and then I taped and sealed with clear along the Plimsoll line before painting the red bottom. The entire hull was then sprayed with three eggshell finish clear coats. I don't have airbrush equipment but found spray cans work very well.
Allan
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Yes, the overspray technique does wonders to prevent bleed. My point was that going around tight corners and curves, Tamiya tape tends to lift completely off the surface being masked. Other types of painters tape are less prone to that in my experience
You have some great suggestions and advice. I have successfully used a product called Frisket commonly used by airbrush artists. It is available in art stores in rolls and also liquid form. However, for our modelling purposes the sheet (roll) form makes an efficient mask. You peel, place sticky side down, cut gently to shape and then (for models) need to burnish the edges but it seals really well as long as your surface to be painted is reasonably smooth, but that’s the case with any mask. If you have dings and dents then it’s going to bleed at the edges 
.
Hope this helps.
Quote “In airbrushing, a frisket is a plastic sheet with an adhesive backing used to mask off specific areas of an image so that only the exposed area is covered with paint. The frisket is vital to airbrushing, because it allows the artist to control excess paint spray, create special effects, achieve extreme precision, control edge attributes and expedite the airbrushing process.”
.Hope this helps.
Quote “In airbrushing, a frisket is a plastic sheet with an adhesive backing used to mask off specific areas of an image so that only the exposed area is covered with paint. The frisket is vital to airbrushing, because it allows the artist to control excess paint spray, create special effects, achieve extreme precision, control edge attributes and expedite the airbrushing process.”
It should be noted that 'frisket' is available in many forms, not just an adhesive film. Its available in a liquid form as well. Typically used by watercolorists to mask off and preserve 'white' areas of the watercolor paper. And it is available in a rubber-like form also for masking. Google Amazon - they offer a lot of different frisket products. And Roger is right - it does offer yet another way to attain a finish you want.You have some great suggestions and advice. I have successfully used a product called Frisket commonly used by airbrush artists. It is available in art stores in rolls and also liquid form. However, for our modelling purposes the sheet (roll) form makes an efficient mask. You peel, place sticky side down, cut gently to shape and then (for models) need to burnish the edges but it seals really well as long as your surface to be painted is reasonably smooth, but that’s the case with any mask. If you have dings and dents then it’s going to bleed at the edges
Hope this helps.
Quote “In airbrushing, a frisket is a plastic sheet with an adhesive backing used to mask off specific areas of an image so that only the exposed area is covered with paint. The frisket is vital to airbrushing, because it allows the artist to control excess paint spray, create special effects, achieve extreme precision, control edge attributes and expedite the airbrushing process.”
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Gunze-Sangyo, Vallejo, Ammo by Mig, AK Interactive and Tamiya all have their own liquid mask products used by plastic modelers (the models are plastic, not the modelers
). Not sure how any of those compare to Frisket, having never used the latter.
Frog tape rocks for basic masking. Pin stripe tape is required for precise masking.
I have never tried using pinstriping for masking but now that you mention it will give it a try using 1/4" or 3/8" in combination with masking tape. Pin striping edge bends better than masking so can be much more precise as you mention. Thanks for the idea!
Allan
And it's less expensive than the Tamiya brand tape, too. Buy it at your local automotive body and paint supply house or online (https://www.amazon.com/Scotch-High-Performance-Polypropylene-Adhesion-Resistant/dp/B0082LJHAI/ref=sr_1_8?adgrpid=1334807680932084&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.3QvejlKLcWwJ3DkTkLc79_SzN0GjeTGMqR0Dmg7_JnN7uq-mOG-PyjgB8upY9cDW6pPHti_kA-zaRY8zSm-CKpFau8zUmD6AY9GL9GLqpry_K2odobHiEbLE3AzY9tvqdQTE6wa1K5h9CKx9ZCBTUQMZNcijtKM7KVxRYGX130OiMpYh9S6FX-9ixt2Ozgd-vfKpRs5xsqJjoyumyjcaF-JB9BKYi-k1HeyW-zHSfL_8DKe3qWyoxnfwXqJYIgtwH1KdZz5FJPUnQlVMox3W1B6hUoc_JLHiR7q7ot6t_o2imFIbZ16GG_vhDZ0Nc2F3U2vhrqCm1Y-Ii393c1t75PotaICdINZEJ5wsmF02tdCUx5Uj_On9gGV-trXGo1kkCR3Zd_5UW1AcIHohCFoiShQn_S9L30Mu7Wik-atSdt0bhAt9DXPgiil4NlC30j0d.EYXjCUB3jRgdwoObtcM15_AjrL_QXAnYOmC9HBORDPE&dib_tag=se&hvadid=83425867013221&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=88716&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvtargid=kwd-83425827075241:loc-190&hydadcr=24658_13769732&keywords=3m+fine+line+tape&msclkid=e1b2072933d9140f757a604858453b43&qid=1734438209&sr=8-8.)
There's also a recent addition to the 3M Fine Line product line called 3M Finish Line Knifeless Tape. At least from 3M's videos, this stuff is even better than Fine Line for modeling purposes. They are selling 32 foot long "sample size" rolls, which are more than enough for a model. https://www.amazon.com/3M-Finish-Knifeless-KTS-FL2-Trial/dp/B071LGBQW8/ref=sr_1_3_sspa?adgrpid=1334807680932084&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.3QvejlKLcWwJ3DkTkLc79_SzN0GjeTGMqR0Dmg7_JnN7uq-mOG-PyjgB8upY9cDW6pPHti_kA-zaRY8zSm-CKpFau8zUmD6AY9GL9GLqpry_K2odobHiEbLE3AzY9tvqdQTE6wa1K5h9CKx9ZCBTUXjsBRmfv0HQF-wWMdVcKqD6EBiogHcqTtrCkbRgCC5hpR-vKGCD28lQri9IIVK-jwNpK6kit0xOu7-9RHCOoO78DKe3qWyoxnfwXqJYIgtwH1KdZz5FJPUnQlVMox3W1Kwp4YdAM_X0fjl5qhgSBco.Jc6ngoEO2YtyyoDBpRe4RHT2lNvI8u1Hp0LZ9HahLIg&dib_tag=se&hvadid=83425867013221&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=88716&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvtargid=kwd-83425827075241:loc-190&hydadcr=24658_13769732&keywords=3m+fine+line+tape&msclkid=e1b2072933d9140f757a604858453b43&qid=1734438366&sr=8-3-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1
Because of the cost of fine line tape, I only use it to mask paint lines I want to be razor sharp with no bleed-under. I use the quarter inch fine line because it bends around curves without kinking. I then use 3M blue regular masking tape to mask off the rest of the areas as necessary. I only buy Scotch brand masking tape. I'm sure there are other brands that serve as well, but over the years I've concluded that 3M Scotch brand is more than worth the higher price.
I also use the lime green 3M "lacquer proof" masking tape when I have occasion to mask for use with "hot" solvents, such as acetone and epoxies and other resins. This stuff is tricky, though, because it sticks quite aggressively.
As mentioned, both sheet and liquid frisket is useful for some applications. It's readily available at any art supply store like MIchael's or online.
In the "do as I say, not as I do" department, always keep opened rolls of masking tape in ziploc plastic bags and never, ever lay them down on their sides, especially on a dusty workbench! The side of the tape exposes the adhesive edge of the tape and it will immediately pick up dust and dirt which pretty much ruins the tape's ability to mask a razor-sharp edge. Every bit of grit and dust on the edge will create a tin "tent" on the edge that will permit "run-under." Keep tape clean and bagged and it will last a very long time. Leave it exposed to the air and over time the adhesive will harden, and the tape will become unusable. That's not the end of the world with cheap tape, but when you spend twenty or thirty bucks for a big roll of Fine Line, you want it to last long enough to be able to use it up.
Also, as most know, all masking tape adhesives will harden over time, especially if left in the sun, and if left too long, will become impossible to remove without destroying the underlying finish. Sometimes it must be removed with a scraper and acetone, which then requires a complete do-over of the entire job. It's hard to say for sure how long you can safely leave it on, but in outdoor applications, I don't leave the blue stuff on for longer than two or three days in the sun. Indoors and out of the sun, I wouldn't trust it beyond a week or ten days, although I have gotten away with a bit longer on occasion.
Nothing makes or breaks a ship model like the finish coatings. As a practical matter, it appears that modelers who are able to lay down a perfect finish with a brush are in the minority. It's so much easier to do with an airbrush in any event. I'd encourage investing in an airbrush rig to be sure of really good paint jobs. The cost of an airbrush and small compressor will be quickly recovered by savings realized buying "rattle cans" which are a very expensive way to buy paint and always pose the risk of "spitting" nozzles than can ruin a job.
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