Gaffers tape is a cotton cloth adhesive backed tape used in the entertainment and audio visual production industries. It is prized for its synthetic rubber adhesive, designed to remove cleanly and leave no residue.
The number one application for gaffers tape is the temporary securing of cables to the floor, including extension cords and sound system cables in order to prevent tripping hazards.
This tape exhibits a tight bi-directional weave which allows it to be torn cleanly, in a straight line, so that no cutting tools are required. Stage and theatre technicians find it particularly useful because it has a matte (non-shiny) appearance which makes it easy to hide on a stage set or in a film shoot. Professional photographers use it for similar reasons.
While gaffers tape is found most often in black , it is manufactured in many colors, allowing for the matching of carpet, color coding and other applications where contrasting colors are an advantage.
There has been a consolidation of manufacturers of this product in recent years so that a number of different brands of gaffers tape are manufactured by the same company multiple names. The leading gaffers tape maker in the United States is Shurford Mills , in Hickory, NC. They make tape marketed under the names Shurtape and Pro Tapes and Specialties as well as making 665 Arts and Entertainment gaffers tape, formerly known as Permacel . Other manufacturers include Polyken, Nashua and SCAPA.
In addition to specialty colors , there are gaffers tapes made with adhesives intended to be used in extreme temperatures and well as tapes intended for use in HVAC applications.
Premium gaffers tape is 12 mils thick, but there are other grades of this product offered in thicknesses as thin as 10 mils.
Nominal gaffers tape sizes are in inches with 2 inch being the most common. Tape labeled as 2 inches wide is actually 55 millimeters wide, slightly narrower than 2 inches.
In addition to the standard 2 inch width, this product is also offered in 1/2 inch, 1 inch, 3 inch and 4 inch widths.
Half inch wide gaffers tape is commonly known as spike tape and is used in film, television and theatre work for temporary marking of stage and set positions.
The term "gaffer" comes from a British slang term for grandfather and has been adopted by the film industry as a person with experience in moving large and heavy lighting equipment. Today, the term "gaffer" is commonly used in theatre, video and film to designate an electrician.
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