Washi, Tissue, Paper & Fabric Tapes -A Beginner's Exploration

Hi everyone!

How are you all doing this fine weekend?Are you looking forward to summer?  I am!  In the meantime, are you as hooked as I am on washi tape, tissue tape, fabric tape and paper tape?

I LOVE this stuff.  There is a difference between them, that's for sure.  So, here's some quick information.  If you want more information on where I purchased the tapes I use, let me know - leave a comment!

Let's start with my favorite - Washi Tape!
Washi Tape is similar to washi paper.  For those of you not familiar with washi paper, it is made in Japan and is either a handmade paper (sometimes machine made) with beautiful BEAUTIFUL screen printed designs on it.  Some have gold or silver in them as well.  Because of it's translucency, you can layer it on top of each other to get different effects.  It doesn't really lend itself to additional coloring.  It seems to me that there is a coating on the tape to prevent adherence of inks. Although you could use Staz On or Sharpie markers.

Tissue Tape:
No doubt you are aware of tissue tape from TimHoltz collection.  There are lots of tissue tape out there.  I really like tissue tape because you can color it.  Tim's collection is really nice because some is made with a white background and others an ivory background.  If you place the tape on the same color paper, you can get the tape to practically disappear, leaving the design looking like its part of the paper. Neat, huh?

Next up is Paper Tape:
Paper tape is exactly what it says, it's made of paper and is heavier than washi tape.  Unfortunately I don't really like this tape.  It's a bit heavy and tends to curl alot when you are pulling it off the roll.

Lastly, Fabric Tape:
 You may be familiar with 7 Gypsies Gaffer Tape. This is fabric tape.  There are other companies that make a variety of colors and patterns of fabric tape also.  Fabric tape is very strong because, it's made of fabric!  You have to cut this when using it.  Although you could color this tape with a variety of inks, you may not want to because the designs and colors are already beautiful.

Here are some pictures of the various tapes so that you can see the variety!

Washi Tape on Ivory Glossy
See how when you layer the solid colors, you can get variations in colors?  This tape works nicely when doing faux stained glass on cards.

 Washi Tape on White Mat (The colors are brighter with the white paper background)

Tissue Tape (Left is white mat paper, Right is ivory Glossy paper)
Can you see the difference when a white background tissue tape (see the middle left tape)  or ivory background tissue tape (see the top right tape) is added?

Below is a short table of information on the various tapes.  This is just a basic beginner's list of information and in no way am I implying that I am an expert.  I'm still experimenting!   

Tape Comparison	Washi Tape	Tissue Tape	Paper Tape	Fabric Tape
Manu- facturer	Various	Tim Holtz, Various	Making Memories, various	7 Gypsies (also known as “Gaffer Tape”), various
Tear vs cut?	Can tear from roll	Can tear from roll	Between text & cardstock – better to cut with scissors than to attempt to tear it	Heavy-cut with scissors
Color it?	No	Distress, alcohol inks	No	No
Strength of  Adhesive	Can be repositioned. depending on paper used	Can be repositioned. depending on paper used	Cannot be repositioned once placed without tearing the paper.	Cannot be repositioned once placed without tearing the paper.
Adhesive Backed?	X	X	X	X
Peel off backing to reveal adhesive			X	X
Opaque			X	X
Trans- lucent	X	X
Solid Colors	X	X
Patterns	X	X	X	X
Different Widths?	X	X	X	X

Tomorrow I will be posting a card with a pretty tissue/washi tape double border. Stay tuned!

Lis