Steven Cole, Author at All About Reflective Tape

NFPA 1901 Chevron Reflective Striping Requirements for Emergency Vehicles

by Steven ColeReflective Regulations May 20, 2020September 2, 2022Comments are Disabled

NFPA 1901 Specifications for Fire Trucks – (www.tapedealer.com) The NFPA 1901 recommendation deals with the marking of fire apparatus and emergency vehicles. The recommendation covers the application of reflective tape to the rear of the vehicle in the form of chevron striping, the side of the vehicle and the front. Many insurance companies are requiring …

Which Retro Reflective Tape Is The Brightest?

by Steven ColeInformational Articles May 11, 2020January 22, 2024Comments are Disabled

Brightest Reflective Tape – (www.tapedealer.com) I have people contact me all the time asking the question “Which reflective tape is the brightest?”. The quick and easy answer to this question would be a white or silver colored micro prismatic retro-reflective tape. Oralite SOLAS would be an example of this grade and color of tape. It …

What is DOT C2 Reflective Tape ? – Specifications Certification Definition

by Steven ColeTypes of Reflective Tape January 3, 2019September 2, 2022Comments are Disabled

Red / White DOT C2 Reflective Truck Tape Specifications – (www.tapedealer.com) DOT Truck (Tractor Trailer) marking requirements were set up by the FMCSA to help improve visibility in low light conditions and reduce the probability of fatal motor vehicle crashes into the sides or back of stopped or parked trucks and tractor trailers at night …

Reflective Tape Overview

by Steven ColeInformational Articles January 11, 2016January 21, 2024Comments are Disabled

Reflective Tape Overview – (www.tapedealer.com) Retro reflective tape is defined as a film that through the use of glass spheres or man made prisms, reflects light or radiation back to its source. Glass bead tapes reflect using microscopic glass beads that act as parabolas and direct light back to where it came from. Prismatic tapes …

Read more “Reflective Tape Overview”

Performance Differences – Glass Bead Versus Prismatic Reflective Tape

by Steven ColeTypes of Reflective Tape January 11, 2016September 2, 2022Comments are Disabled

Performance – Glass Bead Reflective Versus Prismatic Reflective – (www.tapedealer.com) Reflective tape reflects in one of two ways. Either through the use of microscopic glass beads or via man made prisms. Glass bead technology is the oldest and prismatic tapes are more recent. Note – prismatic reflective tapes were invented by Reflexite Americas in the …

How is Reflective Tape Made? Glass Bead and Micro-Prismatic

by Steven ColeInformational Articles January 11, 2016January 22, 2024Comments are Disabled

How Glass Bead and Micro-Prismatic Reflective Tapes Are Made – www.tapedealer.com Reflective tape is made using machines that bond together multiple layers of material into one film. There are two main types of reflective tape, glass bead and micro-prismatic. They reflect in two different ways but are made in similar fashion with glass bead tape …

Reflective Versus Retro Reflective Tape – What is the Difference?

by Steven ColeInformational Articles January 11, 2016January 21, 2024Comments are Disabled

The Difference Between Retro Reflective and Reflective – (www.tapedealer.com) The word “retro” is the key to understanding the difference between a reflective surface like a mirror, and a retro reflective surface like a bike or automobile reflector. Retro means to go back or backward. In the reflective tape industry it means to return light back …

History of Reflective Tape – Who Invented Retro Reflective Tape?

by Steven ColeInformational Articles January 11, 2016January 22, 2024Comments are Disabled

Retro Reflective Tape History -(www.tapedealer.com) (Summary – 3m invented glass bead reflective tape in the 1930’s and Reflexite invented micro-prismatic reflective in the 1960’s.) Lets start with the basics. Reflectivity was not invented. It has always been present in nature. Light bouncing off of objects is why we are able to see those objects. Retro-Reflectivity …

Definition of Retro Reflective Tape

by Steven ColeInformational Articles January 10, 2016January 21, 2024Comments are Disabled

Definition of Retro Reflective Tape – (www.tapedealer.com) By definition, retro reflective tape is a film that either through the use of glass spheres or man made prisms, reflects light or radiation back to its source. (Source – Cambridge English Dictionary) This seems like a simple task but in fact it is quite complicated. Just like …

Metalized Micro Prismatic versus Non Metalized Micro Prismatic Reflective Sheeting – Definition

by Steven ColeTypes of Reflective Tape January 8, 2016September 2, 2022Comments are Disabled

Metalized Versus Air Backed Prismatic Retro Reflective Tape – (www.tapedealer.com) Metalized versus Non Metallized Micro Prismatic Reflective Tapes These two types of construction refer to prismatic retro reflective tapes. A prismatic tape uses man made prisms or mirror to reflect light back to the source. (This is different from glass bead tape which uses glass …