Electrical Tape and Cable Marking: PVC Colours, Length ID Tape and Status Tape

Cable marking costs a few pounds a roll and saves hours of walking leads, provided the whole crew reads the colours the same way. So the charts come first in this guide, with Le Mark’s own specifications beside them.

~9 min read · Updated September 2026 · By the Stage Supply team

In this guide: Short answer · PVC tape · UK wiring colours · Length ID tape · Checked and Faulty · Cable ties · Self-fusing tape · Shop the range · FAQ

PVC insulation tape and cable marking tape get muddled because they sit next to each other in the tool bag. They do different jobs. PVC tape is an electrician’s tape, and on stage its most useful work is colour: marking phases, circuits and whose cable is whose. Length ID tape and phase code tape exist so nobody has to identify a cable by pulling it out of the trunk and walking it. This guide covers both, with the colour charts, plus the status tape and cable ties that finish the job.

The short answer

For colour coding, use Le Mark PVC electrical insulation tape, 19mm x 33m in twelve colours. To mark cable lengths, use Identi-Tak, which prints the length on the tape as well as colour coding it. On three-phase distribution, Identi-Tail is printed L1, L2, L3 and N in the harmonised colours. To separate tested kit from faulty kit, use Checked and Faulty status tape.

PVC insulation tape

Le Mark’s PVC tape is built for professional electricians. It is compliant with BS EN 60454-2 and RoHS, flame retardant, water and abrasion resistant, and conformable enough to wrap cable and connector bodies neatly. It unwinds smoothly and tears cleanly by hand without over-stretching, which is the difference you notice against cheap tape in a cold venue. The roll is 19mm x 33m on a cardboard core.

We hold all twelve colours in the 19mm width: black, blue, brown, earth, green, grey, orange, pink, red, violet, white and yellow. Le Mark also make it in 12mm, 25mm and 50mm.

Colour tape is how a hire company marks its own stock, how a production separates one department’s cable from another’s, and how a system tech marks which of four identical looms feeds which side of stage. Pick a scheme, write it down and put it in the case lid.

What it is not: a repair. If the outer sheath of a mains lead is cut, the lead comes out of service and gets repaired properly or replaced, whatever tape is to hand. Our guide to looking after your cables explains why tape fails once it is warm or wet and hides the damage from the next person.

UK wiring colours and phase marking

Since the harmonised colours came into BS 7671, UK fixed wiring uses the same conductor colours as the rest of Europe. They replaced the old red, yellow and blue phases with black neutral, and they became mandatory for new work from April 2006. Older installations still carry the old colours, which is exactly when clear marking earns its keep.

Identi-Tail is a self-adhesive vinyl tape using the Pantone colour system, overprinted with its conductor code and protected by a clear laminate. It is perforated every 52mm, so you can dispense it as tape or tear it off as individual labels. Le Mark describe it for short and medium term identification when working with harmonised phase colours, and it resists abrasion and many chemicals that would otherwise discolour it.

On a production, that means three-phase distros, 32A and 63A tails and temporary feeds, where a quick, legible label helps whoever connects or disconnects the system next. Our guide to event power distribution covers the connectors themselves. Marking tape labels a conductor. It does not change who is competent to connect it.

Cable length ID tape

A 10m and a 15m XLR look identical coiled in a trunk. Identi-Tak fixes that with colour coding and printed text on the same tape, which Le Mark point out minimises confusion and errors. The printed length is what makes it work on a shared job: a freelancer who has never seen your colour scheme can still read the number. It has a tear-resistant coating to stay on in harsh environments and resists water, UV and a range of chemicals. Each roll is 24mm x 33m.

Two habits make it last. Wrap it close to the connector at both ends, so the length can be read from whichever end comes out of the trunk first. And measure hire stock before you mark it: a lead that has been cut back and re-terminated is no longer the length on its original label.

Checked and Faulty tape

In a busy prep or returns bay, the dangerous cable is the one that failed a test and went back on the shelf. Green Checked and red Faulty status tape makes the state of a piece of kit visible at a glance. Both are printed in English, French and German, which helps on international tours, and both carry a write-on area for the inspector’s name and the date. Each roll is 24mm x 66m and wraps around cable, cases and handles.

Treat it as a visual workflow aid alongside your records, not instead of them. Our guide to PAT testing for event equipment covers what inspection and testing actually involve. Le Mark note that any tape can leave residue on some surfaces, so try it somewhere discreet on a new case finish.

Cable ties

Le Mark’s black cable ties come in packs of 100, in the three sizes that see most use on a get-in: 200mm x 2.5mm for small bundles and tidying inside racks, 300mm x 4.8mm for general loom dressing, and 370mm x 4.8mm for thicker runs. Black disappears against black cable.

• Pull a tie snug, not tight, particularly on data and multicore cable, and cut the tail flush with side cutters so it does not leave a sharp edge to catch hands.
• Ties are single use. For looms that are dressed and undressed every day, a length of self-adhesive hook-and-loop, covered in our specialist tapes guide, is quicker and kinder to the cable.

Self-fusing repair tape

Kraken self-fusing silicone repair tape has no adhesive at all. You stretch it and wrap it, and where it overlaps it fuses to itself. Le Mark quote up to 700psi tensile strength, up to 7,000 volts dielectric strength per 0.51mm, and a temperature range of -65°C to 260°C, and it is RoHS compliant. The roll is 24mm x 3.6m.

Le Mark are clear about its limits: it is not for gas pipes or related equipment, and it is not recommended as a permanent repair. They list electrical cables among its emergency uses. Our advice for mains leads used on stage is stricter, and it matches our cable care guide: a damaged mains lead is withdrawn, not wrapped. Kraken earns its place in the kit as a get-you-home fix for hoses, pipes and similar non-mains jobs.

The rolls we keep

Frequently asked questions

What do electrical wire colours mean in the UK?

Under the harmonised colours in BS 7671: brown is L1 (and the line conductor in single phase), black is L2, grey is L3, blue is neutral, and green and yellow is the protective earth. Installations older than 2006 may still use red, yellow and blue for the phases and black for neutral.

Is insulation tape the same as electrical tape or PVC tape?

Yes. They are three names for the same kind of product. Le Mark’s version is compliant with BS EN 60454-2 and RoHS and is flame retardant.

Can I fix a cut mains cable with insulation tape?

No. A mains lead with a damaged sheath should be taken out of service and repaired properly or replaced. Tape gives no mechanical protection, fails when warm or wet, and hides the damage.

Does Identi-Tak come in 20m?

Le Mark make a 20m roll in green. We do not shelve it, but we can order it in.

Can Identi-Tail be used as individual labels?

Yes. It is perforated every 52mm, so it tears off as labels as well as working as a continuous tape.

Why use printed length tape instead of plain colours?

A colour code only works for people who know it. Identi-Tak prints the length on the tape as well, so anyone on the crew can read it, including freelancers who have never worked with your stock before.