Working in the auto repair or body shop industry, it’s highly likely that you’ll be asked many times to mask off a car body in preparation for painting. While this can be a long and arduous process, it’s also very important to get it right and ensure you’re fully protecting any car surfaces not being painted.

Here, we’ll offer our top tips for masking off a car body for painting to ensure you can achieve a professional, high-quality finish.

Proper masking not only protects unpainted surfaces but also helps prevent overspray from landing where it shouldn’t. This is especially important to maintain a clean, sharp finish. If overspray does occur, it can often be removed, but overspray is best avoided through solid preparation to reduce time spent on the vehicle and improve turnaround time for customers.

How to mask a car for painting

Masking off a full car can seem like a lot of work. However, with the right tools and proper technique, you can breeze through it and move swiftly on to completing your paint job.

1. Clean the entire car

Cleaning the car first removes dust, grease, and wax that could otherwise interfere with the masking tape’s adhesion, reducing its efficacy, which could lead to paint bleeding or peeling.

Use an exterior shampoo and warm water mixture to clean away any dirt or debris from the car, making sure to pay extra close attention to the corners and crevices. For example, parts of the car door, such as the handles and jambs, can harbour many contaminants, so ensure you go over these a few times.

Finish off by drying the car with a clean cloth and applying wax and degreaser to protect the paint and ensure your adhesives stick to the panels.

2. Tape along every edge

Apply the appropriate masking tape, dependent on preferred application, along the edge of each adjacent panel to the one you’re painting. We recommend taking this process a panel or section at a time, checking that each piece of tape is securely stuck as you move around the car. Think about all the areas you want to protect from any overspray, such as the windows or wheels.

Specialist masking tapes are designed for different sections of the vehicle. For example, foam masking tape works well for door jambs and panel gaps, while fine line tapes provide crisp separation for detailed work like a fuel filler cap.

It’s also worth thinking about which masking tape would be best to use in certain situations. A thinner flexible foam masking tape is best suited to smaller areas like door jambs, while larger masking tape can be used on larger panels like the roof.

3. Apply masking film & seal with masking tape

Next, you’ll need to apply masking film over any larger areas you want to avoid painting. For example, if the car has a sunroof, you’ll want to cover this with a layer of masking film. To do this, line it up with the original masking tape and carefully cut the piece of film to size.

Taking a premium masking tape, add another layer on top of the previous one to seal in the masking film and ensure it won’t move during the painting process. When spray painting, it can be easy to accidentally let paint seep into these areas if the masking hasn’t been thoroughly checked.

4. Carry out a check before painting

Before picking up the spray gun, take a moment to walk around the car and inspect all masked sections. Look for any loose tape, uncovered areas, or lifting film. Gently press down the tape edges to make sure they’re sealed.

It’s always best to check over the vehicle a couple of times to save yourself the headache of overspray or paint leaks that might be caused by a lack of proper precautions.

5. After painting, de-mask the vehicle correctly

Once the paint has dried to the manufacturer’s recommended stage, usually when it’s tack-free but not fully cured, you can start to remove the tape. Removing the tape too early can lead to paint bleeding, and removing it too late (when it’s fully dried) can lead to cracking and peeling.

Slowly and gently peel the tape back at a 45-degree angle to avoid lifting fresh paint. Some specialist masking products have specific removal guidelines, so check these before you begin.

AIYATAPE top picks: Tapes to use on vehicles for painting

As a leading manufacturer of tape suitable for the automotive industry, we’re proud to offer a wide range of products guaranteed to help you properly mask off the car body for painting. Below, we’ll guide you through a list of our most highly recommended products to help you choose the right automotive tape for you.

High Temperature Heat Resistant Spray Cheap Masking Tape for Automotive Painting

High Temperature Resistant Masking Tape for Automotive Painting, 2 Inch Wide, Removable Adhesive