• I want to thank all the members that have upgraded your accounts. I truly appreciate your support of the site monetarily. Supporting the site keeps this site up and running as a lot of work daily goes on behind the scenes. Click to Support Signs101 ...

Banner Tape- What's best?

Graphics2u

New Member
There was a thread earlier about how may edges (thanks Bob) you hem on a banner.

My question is what brand tape do you use? I use mainly Oracal tape and then after the hem is folded I heat it with heat gun and roll the hem with a wallpaper seam roller. That seems to help them to stay folded over better.

Any other tips?
 

Letterbox Mike

New Member
We had a lot of adhesion issues with Oracal tape for some reason. The Takit brand from Fellers has been performing well on the banners that get taped though (99% are sewn anymore).
 

SAS

New Member
I use Tuff Tape from Fellers it's the first one at the top of the page in there catalog.
I don't like Oracal I have had the same problem as insignia.
 

bob

It's better to have two hands than one glove.
I use Tuff Tape from Fellers it's the first one at the top of the page in there catalog.
I don't like Oracal I have had the same problem as insignia.

I've been using Oracal for lo these many years and have never, ever, had a problem with it.

Perhaps your technique is inadequate. For any flavor of tape you should do the following...

When you run the tape on the banner and before you pull off the backing, you should run a squeegee along the tape to force it down on the banner material. You should see the weave of the banner material in the tape backing.

You should run a narrow breyer roller along as you fold the banner material to make the hem. Run the fold and the roller right behind it with a short back and forth motion. Don't fold the entire edge and then try to force it down.

Do it this way and you'll never have a hem come untrained no matter what brand of tape you use. Which, since it's a fungible commodity, should be the cheapest you can get.

The only tape I every tried that I absolutely refused to use was a couple of rolls of brand X tape that apparently was parted from the main roll with a chainsaw or something. The edges of the rolls were so rough that it was impossible to peel the backing without it tearing and leaving chunks of itself on the tape.
 

visualeyez

New Member
I lay the tape down, then squegee it. Follow this up with a solid crease at the tape line by hand. Then I start in the middle and lay the taped banner down on itself working toward the outside, followed by the other half. Then using my felt squegee I again start in the middle and work one side out at a time. Usually one quick pass with plenty of pressure will set the "hem" with no bubbles, creases, or wrinkles. I usually trim my prints to 15/16" extra all around for a beautifull finish.
 

johnnysigns

New Member
I was a fan of the feller's NEWTAPE which is what I think the takit stuff is labeled as now. Before the supplier switched last year the quality of that tape seemed higher. The edges are always poorly cut in the batches I've received over the last 6months or so. I use a similar method that Bob described.
 

Christian @ 2CT Media

Active Member
ProTape 410 is a way better tape for way less than any "banner" tape. Recently due to supply issues with ProTape 410 we have started using BRON tapes Killer red as a Banner Tape and it is like welding.
 

bannertime

Active Member
ProTape 410 is a way better tape for way less than any "banner" tape. Recently due to supply issues with ProTape 410 we have started using BRON tapes Killer red as a Banner Tape and it is like welding.

How's your service with Bron? When we order from them, even though they are like 10 mintues from us, they take a few days to even confirm the order.
 
Top