What Is The Difference Between Glass Bead and Prismatic Reflective Tape

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Welcome to our Reflective Tape Information Channel. Sponsored by Reflective Incorporated, the visibility company. This video discusses the difference between prismatic reflective tapes, and glass bead based reflective films. Glass bead tapes reflect using microscopic glass spheres, and prismatic tapes, use man made micro prisms.
Reflective tape was invented in the thirties by the 3m company. This revolutionary new safety tape used glass beads for reflectivity. It became incredibly popular and was used for all types of applications, but overwhelmingly for street signs. Then, in the nineteen sixties, a company called Reflexite invented micro-prismatic reflective tape. Glass bead films changed the world of night time safety, and prismatic tapes changed it again. Reflexite later became Orafol. Their brand is Oralite.
To bend and reflect light back to the light source, glass bead retro-reflective films use small, perfectly round glass spheres. Light enters the bead, bends, bounces, bends again, and then returns to the source, regardless of which direction the light came from. The beads are set in a metalized film, hence creating a mirror finish on the back of the sphere, which makes them much brighter than a unmetalized bead.
Because of imperfections and curved surfaces, glass bead tapes are about 30% efficient. This inefficiency can be problematic for long sight distance applications out beyond 300 feet. But even though glass bead retro-reflective tapes are less bright, they have at least four distinct advantages over prismatic tapes.
First of all, reflective tapes using glass beads are substantially more affordable due to manufacturing being less complicated. Second, the majority of glass bead tapes can be easily cut using graphics software and a sign plotter, allowing graphic artists to make reflective signs and graphics by cutting out letters, numbers, and designs from the film. Third, glass bead engineer grade type 1 tape is available in the largest color palette, giving users more choices that any other reflective film. Fourth, glass bead tapes return light at broader angles. Prismatic tapes return light like a spot light would, whereas glass bead tapes return light more like a flood light.
With prismatic reflective tapes, as much as 80% of the light that enters the film is returned. Because of this efficiency, it is more visible for greater distances than glass bead tapes. The fact is that prisms are more efficient, since the mirrors are flat rather than curved. Due to the tape’s increased focus, the light it emits can travel further.
Air backed films are thick like credit cards and consist of two layers. The top layer is the reflective element, and the bottom layer is a white background. Between the two layers is an air space. Air backed films are vivid, bright, and easy to make. The disadvantage is that they are very difficult to computer or plotter cut, so they are used almost exclusively for sign backgrounds on roadways.
Metalized prismatic tapes are different from air backed films in that the backs of the prisms are metalized to make them like mirrors. There is no air gap, and no layers to deelaminate. Metalized prismatics are very thin, very bright, and can be plotter cut for graphics. This gives them a unique advantage over air backed films when it comes to applications like vehicle graphics and lettering. They are more expensive to make, and not quite as vivid as air backed films in the daytime.
For more information about our reflective tapes, please go to our main site, reflective store dot com. If you have a question, please email [e-mail].

[@brastdoor1231]

What typ of tape do you recommend For motorcycle helmets? Greetings from the Netherlands, Frank

[@Iamthedude-is5ov]

Go with prismatic

[@brastdoor1231]

@@Iamthedude-is5ov thanx!