As soon as the paint dries you will no longer get any bleed. And it depends on which blue tape you are using. It should have that on the inner core of the roll somewhere. Also, a trick the tape vendors have told me, if the tape is one of the new "bleed resistant" tapes, (most of the name brands for 2-3 years. 3M,frog, etc.) take a wet sponge and run it along the tape. This will activate the adhesive/bleed "blocker" before you put the paint on. The "blocking" property of the adhesive is activated by the moisture in the paint, and by wetting it beforehand with water it won't let the paint bleed under.

Also, make sure you take a finger and "burnish" the tape once you have applied it to give it a tighter seal. Many people just stick the tape on and don't do this, and the paint will bleed under because of it.

I would recommend taking the tape off as soon as you can. Just because the tape says you CAN leave it on doesn't mean you SHOULD leave it on. Different paints have different hardness and curing properties, and i doubt if the tape manufacturers have gone through the trouble of testing their tape with every brand of paint.

 

Wow........ Thanks so much Klaat and Hick. I was just getting ready to tape and paint after a short nap. The burnish I do, always have, thanks for the reminder, the wetting of the tape is new to me and I really like that idea. It makes sense.
I haven't used the "frog" tape and yes it's all over the shelves, I've just stayed with what I've used in the past, but, as we all know there is always a "new" and improved concept. Thanks again guys!

 

I left mine on overnight, but I also used an exacto blade when removing the tape to help it out so the paint would not come off with the tape.

I personally like frog tape & never had issues with bleeding but your mileage might vary.

 

I'm reading this tape can stay on a few days.

It is confusing. When they advertise how long the tape can stay on, they are talking about how long it can stay on without damaging the paint it is stuck to. They are talking about the paint underneath the tape. They are talking about how long it can stay on there BEFORE you paint. Once you get paint on top of the tape, you want to get that tape off the same day. While the new paint is still soft, the tape will cut through and pull off cleanly. If you wait for the new paint to harden up, removing the tape will pull up some of the paint and give you a jagged edge.

 

I don't tape corners or trim but I do tape when we strip a wall. Mathmonger is right on. Pull the tape as soon as you can. I would recommend cutting the room twice at the same time. So as soon as you are finished cutting, make the second cut. Then pull the tape and roll. If you have to cut again, you should have enough paint in the corner to just get close (1/8") to never be able to tell.

 

If pulling the tape immediately isn't practical, score the line at the edge of the tape with a razor knife before pulling it. That will break the film cleanly and prevent a jagged edge.

I always thought the time ratings on tape, like 7 (or 14 or whatever) day safe release time meant that that's about as long as it can stay on without the adhesive transferring to the surface. That's why white and beige masking tapes are usually rated for 1-3 days. The high tack of the adhesive can make a gooey mess pretty quickly. Blue tapes have less tack and that doesn't happen as fast.

Definitely a good suggestion about moistening the leading edge of edge lock tapes. Seems to work particularly well with Yellow Frog tape and 3M edge lock.

 

Are you saying that I might actually know something about the paint trade? How could I know something like this and not know which paint brands suck and which ones don't?

 

I just removed some 3M 2020 masking tape left on for weeks on some smooth vinyl trim pieces and it left the surface tacky. Of course, I'm not complaining as I expected this to happen.

 

Yeah, that's regular masking tape, they recommend a 3-day removal time.
http://www.scotchblue.com/wps/porta.../~/Scotch-General-Purpose-Masking-Tape-2020?N=4336+3293258174+3294529207&rt=rud

 

Hmm, some have a "clean" removal time and a removal time while others don't.

 

Remove it when your done painting.

 

You mean remove before paint dries?

 

What about when I get a blue line on the pregnancy strip? how do I remove that? I am feeling kinda screwed here guys!

 

What about when I get a blue line on the pregnancy strip? how do I remove that? I am feeling kinda screwed here guys!

babies happen because of that, did not your parents tell you about the birds and the bees?

 

While you are using a new bleed resistant tape, make sure you activate the adhesive running a wet sponge along the tape. After you apply it, burnish the tape with your finger to ensure it sticks well. Another thing you need to take care of is that you need not leave the tape for a long period. As paints have different hardness and curing properties, taking the tape off is highly recommended.

 

Just sayin go slow and don't use no tape.

 

Just sayin, this is a DIY site, and many here doesn't understand or don't have enough painting experience, to know how to properly hold the brush and fan out the bristles, to make your professional recommendation a viable solution.