Mike Phillips
Active member
- Dec 5, 2022
- 51,004
- 6
The difference between Meguiar's and 3M Masking Tapes?
The below is an excerpt from this article,
Tape it off and avoid a lifetime of ugly...
It's an interview I did with Mike Pennington, the Director of Training at Meguiar's and a long time friend.
Hope this removes any confusion from this sticky subject...
I spoke with Mike Pennington, the Director of Training for Meguiar's about some of the cool features for the new Meguiar's Tape and have summarized our conversation below...
The new Meguiar's Masking is really designed to be a great general purpose tape which lends itself well to use in the detailing world.
Product Attributes:
Normal painter's tape is purposefully constructed for application where a wet edge (critical edge) is present, that is where fresh paint is being applied and for this reason one of its main features is designed to prevent bleed-through. That is to say that painter’s tape is designed so that wet paint won't leak under it at the edges. This is an important feature when applying fresh paint.
When detailing cars, this is an unnecessary feature that affects price. The Meguiar's masking tape is more specific to the needs of detailing, it is safe enough to protect what you want to cover and protect from product residue but not over designed for its intended use. In addition, the Meguiar's tape has much improved adhesion performance over traditional painters tape when exposed to situations where water is present. (For example - Wet sanding)
Note that because Meguiar's tape is not designed for use where a critical edge is a factor, it is not recommended for use as an actual "Painter's Tape".
Painter's Tape and Detailing Masking Tape, different designs for different applications.
Hope this helps...

The below is an excerpt from this article,
Tape it off and avoid a lifetime of ugly...
It's an interview I did with Mike Pennington, the Director of Training at Meguiar's and a long time friend.
Hope this removes any confusion from this sticky subject...
I spoke with Mike Pennington, the Director of Training for Meguiar's about some of the cool features for the new Meguiar's Tape and have summarized our conversation below...
The new Meguiar's Masking is really designed to be a great general purpose tape which lends itself well to use in the detailing world.
Product Attributes:
- Excellent handling
- Instant adhesion and good holding power
- Resists curling and lifting
- Solvent and moisture resistant
- Ideal for automotive detail application
Normal painter's tape is purposefully constructed for application where a wet edge (critical edge) is present, that is where fresh paint is being applied and for this reason one of its main features is designed to prevent bleed-through. That is to say that painter’s tape is designed so that wet paint won't leak under it at the edges. This is an important feature when applying fresh paint.
When detailing cars, this is an unnecessary feature that affects price. The Meguiar's masking tape is more specific to the needs of detailing, it is safe enough to protect what you want to cover and protect from product residue but not over designed for its intended use. In addition, the Meguiar's tape has much improved adhesion performance over traditional painters tape when exposed to situations where water is present. (For example - Wet sanding)
Note that because Meguiar's tape is not designed for use where a critical edge is a factor, it is not recommended for use as an actual "Painter's Tape".
Painter's Tape and Detailing Masking Tape, different designs for different applications.
Hope this helps...

