Which Masking is best for you ?
We test the two most popular - head to head !
- We tried for the most consistency across the board, but we admittedly, are not perfect.
- All products were new samples, maintained and stored the same way.
- I do NOT benefit from your purchase of any of these products.
- All links are normal links - no affiliate links exist or are used.
- I do NOT own or have any personal interest with any of these brands.
Materials Tested:
Transfer Rite Ultra vs Vinyl Ease
Both of these are readily available, and seem to be the most popular choices - but one is better and will be revealed !
Price vs Value:
Twice the Price, but almost twice the value
Price can be deceiving. Here we have a product that costs twice as much initially, but comes with 300 feet vs 100 feet. In the end, it costs $0.42 to mask two sides of a 12" x 19" sheet of material with Transfer Rite vs $0.70 for the Vinyl Ease. Let's see what the rest of the testing reveals.....
Ease of Use:
The more I used them, the more one became my "go to".
Vinyl Ease routinely ripped at the edge when pulled, sometimes wishing you had 3 or 4 hands to pull each of the streams until you could get to the point that it came off as one sheet again. This resulted in the loss of some material, on top of some frustration (because I don't have 3 or 4 hands). The Transfer Rite came off in a clean sheet, every time. Additionally, when we pulled off too much material and tried to put it back on the roll the Transfer Rite would stay on the roll, where the Vinyl Ease would peel back off a little. In this section, Transfer Rite 2 vs Vinyl Ease 0.
Let's continue shall we !
Applied over Clear Coat:
The results were pretty close across the 7 clear coats we tested.
We used 7 different clear coats, and the results were close. The clear coats that one did not stick to well, the other also didn't adhere to consistently. This was more an indication that the clear coat itself was the issue. While the Transfer Rite barely holds an edge here, it is important to note that the Vinyl Ease did not perform better on any of the clear coats. Winner? Very slight edge to Transfer Rite.
One last round of tests to go.....
Applied to Raw Wood:
Vinyl Ease takes a narrow win in this category.
While we only noticed a small difference, there was a difference. When we removed the masking from raw wood - either sanded or unsanded - less wood was on the transfer tape of the Vinyl Ease.
And the win goes to....
Winner: Transfer Rite Ultra
Scroll down for actual Testing Photos
Here is why we believe you should use Transfer Rite Ultra:
- Over 40% cost savings
- Peels off the roll clean, without ripping
- Sticks back onto the roll if you pulled too much off
- Sticks to most clear coatings
Things to Consider with Transfer Rite Ultra:
- Initial Investment is double (for 3x the amount)
- Sticks so well that it may remove some grain from raw wood that is not treated or coated
Photos from Testing:
Wide Variety of Samples
Wide Variety of Samples
Wide Variety of Samples
These Samples were across multiple species of wood, and were done on raw wood that was left un-sanded, sanded versions using 220 grit, and versions that were coated in various clear coats. The clear coats were also being evaluated and the results are on our test page
Prepping the Samples
Wide Variety of Samples
Wide Variety of Samples
Here is the prep for some of the engraving and cut tests that we were conducting. We tried to be consistent across the board to not skew the test results, and to make sure we captured as much data as possible.
Both Masking on Each
Wide Variety of Samples
Masking Tore Routinely
When we ran the engrave files we put masking 1 on one side of the samples, and masking 2 on one side, so that they each got tested fairly on each combination of clear/wood and to ensure the most consistent results possible.
Masking Tore Routinely
Masking Didn't like Varathane
Masking Tore Routinely
This is the masking that ripped most often. Vinyl Ease did this routinely - and worse off, it would not stick back on the roll well if you pulled off a little more than you were going to need. The Transfer Rite Ultra is linked on our "Laser 101 / Must Have Links" Page Above.
A Game Changer !
Masking Didn't like Varathane
Masking Didn't like Varathane
Both maskings came off easily with using Gorilla Tape, or (my new favorite method) using a plastic razor blade. As you can see here on the right side near the blade, just a simple and light push of the blade take all of the small pieces of masking off in between the letters. I run my fingers across and clean the plastic blade between each use of it, and that helps ensure great results !
Masking Didn't like Varathane
Masking Didn't like Varathane
Masking Didn't like Varathane
One of the many tests that we ran where masking was used and monitored. In this one we tested if the cut settings were affected by the clear coats, and the masking performed consistently across the different woods we used it on, IE If one masking didnt stick well on a specific combination, either did the other.