Retro Reflective Tape - How It Works and Where to Get It

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TYPE 1 - FLEXIBLE ENGINEER GRADE TAPE - 1" to  30"
ORALITE 5650 RAPID AIR ULTRA BRIGHT ENGINEER GRADE
BLACK REFLECTIVE TAPE - BRIGHT, BRIGHTER, BRIGHTEST
TYPE 2 - SUPER ENGINEER GRADE (GLASS BEAD) - 1"2" 4"
TYPE 3 - HIGH INTENSITY REFLECTIVE (GLASS BEAD) - 1" & 2"
TYPE 3 - FLEXIBLE HIGH INTENSITY (GLASS BEAD TYPE)
TYPE 4 - HIGH INTENSITY PRISMATIC REFLECTIVE - 1"- 8"
TYPE 5 - ORALITE V82 ULTRA BRIGHT PRISMATIC REFLECTIVE TAPE
ORALITE V92 DAYBRIGHT PRISMATIC REFLECTIVE TAPE
ORALITE V98 "CONFORMABLE" PRISMATIC REFLECTIVE
MAIN DOT TRUCK REFLECTIVE TAPE PAGE
SCHOOL BUS REFLECTIVE TAPE
SOLAS STANDARD
SOLAS CONFORMABLE
SOLAS SEW ON
RAILCAR REFLECTIVE TAPE
REFLECTIVE GATE ARM TAPE
CHEVRON PANELS - MULTIPLE SIZES 
DIAMOND PLATE REFLECTIVE SOLUTIONS
CHEVRON STRIPING ENGINEER GRADE
V98 CONFORMABLE
V82 PRISMATIC
STRIPED BARRICADE
ENGINEER GRADE
HI INTENSITY TYPE 3
HI INTENSITY TYPE 4
REFLECTIVE TRAFFIC CONE COLLARS
PAVEMENT MARKING TAPE &
COURT MARKING TAPE
PREFORMED THERMOPLASTIC
ROAD REFLECTORS / MARKERS
REFLECTIVE PAINTS 
VIDEOS & ARTICLES
PAINT STRIPERS
RACING STRIPES
 SPREADSHEETS
PRIVACY POLICY
various types of retro reflective tape

There are a large variety of reflective tapes on the market, however, they all reflect light in one of two ways. The first way is via glass beads (pictures below) and the second way is through micro prisms (pictures above).

GLASS BEAD TAPES

how glass beads reflect light

Glass bead tapes are the oldest and most common retro reflective tape. These tapes reflect light via thousands upon thousands of small glass beads embedded into the tape. Each glass bead reflects light back to the source. Hence the name retro reflective tape. In this glass bead class of tape there are two main varieties, engineer and high intensity.

Engineer grade reflective tape has no pattern on top and is simply a solid color to the naked eye. When light strikes the tape it is reflected back to the source and the tape appears to light up. Engineer grade tapes typically reflect at a rate of about 75 candlepower. There is a picture of this tape below. This is the type of material you would see on a fire truck, police car or stop sign. Also, your cars tag is the same technology. Within the engineer class of glass bead tapes there are two types. Standard engineer for signs and flexible engineer for vehicles. We carry the flexible version because it can be used for any purpose. It will stretch making it perfect for any application.

The second class of glass bead tape is known as high intensity reflective tape. It is characterized by a honeycomb pattern which is also referred to as encapsulated lens tape. Within each honeycomb there are concentrations of glass beads. Many more per square centimeter than engineer grade tape. This concentration of glass beads creates a much brighter tape. High Intensity tapes give off around 250 candlepower. Traffic cones and road barrels use this material as well as many brighter street signs.

PRISMATIC TAPE

how prismatic reflective tapes reflect light

As stated before, the second way that reflective tapes reflect light is through small microprisms built into the tape. A company called "Reflexite" invented this type of tape several decades ago. These tapes are called "Prismatic Tapes". They are also know as Diamond Grade or Crystal Grade depending on the manufacturer. They are the brightest of all the tapes. These films utilize small prisms that reflect light back to the source in higher concentrations than glass beads.

Because the tape uses man made micro prisms, the angle of reflectivity can be adjusted depending on the tapes intended use. For example, "SOLAS Tape", which is the brightest of all the prismatic tapes, reflects most of its light back to the source. This makes the tape brighter but is is not as visible at sharp angles. "DOT Tape" is also prismatic but it reflects light back at greater angles thus making itself seen at sharper angles. Some other examples of prismatic 
tape are "School Bus Reflective Tape" and "Rail Car Reflective Tape".


To visit our main safety products site Click Here. If you have any questions about which tape is right for your application or need samples feel free to email me at steve@reflectivestore.com

Steve & Staci Cole - Owners
850-934-3157


engineer grade type 1 reflective tape
high intensity type 3 reflective tape

About our Company - We are Reflective Incorporated, the largest retailer of reflective tapes in the United States, in business since 1998. Our goal is to provide easy access to reflective safety products that are often difficult to source.  We specialize in visibility enhancement through the use of bright and vivid retro reflective tapes and other reflective products.  Our product lines include rolls of reflective tape, reflective chevron panels, block panels, Battenburg panels, reflective road markers, reflex reflectors, NFPA helmet decals, preformed thermoplastic, reflective shapes, and more.

About our Products - We carry a wide variety of reflective tapes.  They are all branded and certified products.  We stock almost everything that we sell in house and ship quickly.  If a product is not in stock or is to be drop shipped, we will make you aware and specify a lead time.  We carry Oralite and Nikkalite reflective tapes.  Both are on QPL lists across the country and both are manufactured by reputable, global manufacturers.  Our reflective tapes are rated for outdoor applications with life expectancies of from 5 - 12 years depending on the film.  For applications where the tape is out of the weather like a fire truck in a firehouse, the life expectancy is longer.

Shipping - We ship quickly using US Mail for light boxes and UPS Ground for heavier ones.  The majority of our products are in stock and ship out the same or next day. Delivery time is approximately 3-5 days on most standard orders.

Return and Order Cancellation Policy - Reflective tape orders can be cancelled until they are shipped out. After products are shipped, we accept returns in certain cases. If we have made a mistake and have shipped the wrong item, we remedy that at no cost to the customer.  For returns where another item is purchased to replace an item purchased in error, we accept those with no restock fee.  For all other returned items we apply a 10% restock fee.

Privacy Policy - all customer information is kept in strict confidence. We do not release any information on any of our customers to anyone without that customer’s consent. For our full privacy policy, Click Here.