Black Wrap, Felt Tape and Hazard Tape: Specialist Tapes for Stage and Venue

A general-purpose roll will not survive lamp heat or grip a wet step. The tapes that can are specialists, and what matters when choosing one is the limit its maker has published, so this guide leads with those.

~8 min read · Updated September 2026 · By the Stage Supply team

In this guide: Short answer · Black wrap · Felt tape · Foam and hook-and-loop · Hazard and anti-slip · Shop the range · FAQ

Le Mark’s specialist rolls fall into three groups. Black wrap and felt deal with light, either stopping spill from a fixture or stopping a drape or a shiny surface from giving itself away. Double-sided foam and hook-and-loop are fixings, one meant to stay and one meant to open. Hazard, anti-slip, reflective and barrier tape are about keeping people safe around a venue.

The short answer

To control light spill, use BlackTak, the self-adhesive matt black foil rated to 180°C once applied. For an emergency drape repair or a reflective surface that needs killing, use black felt tape. On a slippery step, use anti-slip tape, and to mark a hazard, hazard warning PVC tape.

Light masking foil (black wrap)

Black wrap is matt black foil that lighting crews shape around a fixture to stop light going where it should not: a hot spot on a set wall, spill onto a cyc, a flare into a camera. Le Mark make three versions, and the difference is how they attach.

All three are matt black and non-reflective. BlackTak is flexible, conformable and tears by hand, and Le Mark state that the surface must be cool to the touch before you apply it. BlackMark carries no adhesive at all, so nothing is left behind when it comes off. Snoot Foil is supplied as one large sheet with a thin adhesive edge and a removable liner, so it can be lightly secured, moved and taken off again.

Only BlackTak has a published temperature figure. For the other two, and for any foil on any fixture, follow the fixture manufacturer’s guidance and never cover a fixture’s ventilation. For where light should be going in the first place, see Lighting a Stage: Front, Back and Side Light.

Black felt tape

Le Mark black felt tape is a 1mm thick polyester felt at 150g/m², which Le Mark say is close to double the thickness of many felt tapes. That thickness is the point. It blocks more light, so a repair to a black theatrical drape stays discreet under lighting, and it deals with minor tears, holes and split seams as a short-term fix before the damage spreads.

The same matt black face is used to kill reflections on shiny metalwork and set pieces, and cut pieces placed between two hard surfaces stop a rattle. It has a multi-surface adhesive and an easy-peel liner for trimming on the spot. Le Mark state that it is not waterproof.

Le Mark do not publish a flame retardancy rating for the felt tape. Treat any repair to a drape as temporary, and check the drape’s own certification and treatment as described in our guide to drape flame retardancy.

Double-sided foam and hook-and-loop

High-Tak double-sided foam tape is for bonds that need to last. Le Mark describe it as one of the strongest adhesive foams available, with great resistance to water, detergents and alcohols and anti-vibration qualities, supplied self-wound on a kraft release liner. The roll is 25mm x 50m. Use it for mounting signage, trim and small panels, not for anything you will want to remove after the show.

Self-adhesive hook-and-loop is the opposite: a fixing designed to open and close. Hook and loop are sold as separate 25mm x 25m jumbo rolls, so you buy one of each for a matched pair, or only the side you need. The pressure-sensitive adhesive holds on most clean, dry surfaces, and a release liner makes it easy to measure and trim first. Le Mark do not recommend it on surfaces containing plasticisers, such as flexible PVC, or where it will be exposed to UV or sunlight.

Hazard, anti-slip and reflective tape

These mark a hazard so people see it. None of them removes the hazard, and a cable across a walkway still needs a proper ramp.

At a venue, anti-slip tape belongs on step nosings, ramp tops and wet loading bay steps. Hazard PVC marks a step edge, a trip point or a keep-clear zone around a dimmer rack. The reflective tape is for things that get hit in the dark outside: trailer corners, gate posts and bollards at the stage door. Barrier tape closes off an area during a get-in or while something is being fixed.

Every adhesive tape here needs a smooth, clean, dry surface to perform as rated. On a dusty stage floor or a damp step, clean and dry the area first or the tape will lift, and a lifting hazard tape is a hazard of its own. For tape that is left behind, Tak-Away residue remover soaks it off.

The rolls we keep

Frequently asked questions

What is black wrap?

Matt black foil used to mask light spill from lighting fixtures. BlackTak is the self-adhesive version on a 50mm roll, BlackMark is non-adhesive, and Snoot Foil is a large sheet with an adhesive edge.

What temperature can BlackTak take?

Le Mark rate it up to 180°C once applied, and state that the surface must be cool to the touch when you apply it. They do not publish a figure for BlackMark or Snoot Foil.

Is felt tape fire retardant?

Le Mark do not publish a flame retardancy rating for it, so treat a felt tape repair to a drape as temporary and check the drape’s own certification.

Do I need to buy hook and loop separately?

Yes. The hook and loop rolls are sold separately, so buy one of each to make pairs, or just the side you need.

Can anti-slip tape be used outside?

Yes. Le Mark rate it for indoor and outdoor use, and waterproof once applied to smooth, clean, dry, non-porous surfaces.

What is the difference between hazard tape and barrier tape?

Hazard warning tape is adhesive PVC that sticks to a surface to mark an edge or an area. Barrier tape is non-adhesive and is tied off between points to cordon an area off temporarily.