As we all know, the reflective film is widely applied in advertising, traffic area, safety application. There are two main types, glass bead, and micro-prismatic. Now we’re going to show the Principles of the two types.

Glass bead – ( Engineer Grade /High-Intensity Grade )

1) Engineer Grade Glass Bead Reflective Tape– Type 1

Engineer Grade Type 1

EG retro-reflective tape is a type 1 material with glass beads providing the reflection. Which is recommended for viewer within 50 yards of the tape.

2) High-Intensity Glass Bead Reflective Tape-Type 3

High Intensity Type3 Grade

The high-intensity grade glass beads are contained in little honeycomb chambers with an air space above them. This arrangement makes for a brighter tape. Recommended for applications where the viewer is within 100 yards of the tape.

Micro-prismatic – ( Non Metalized Micro-Prismatic Metalized Micro-Prismatic )

1) Non Metalized Micro-Prismatic Reflective Tape– Type 4

Encapsulated Micro-Prismatic Film

The non-metalized micro-prismatic tape is made by laminating a layer of prismatic film onto a honeycomb grid and white backing.This film is visible from much farther away than high intensity or engineer grades.

2) Metalized Micro-Prismatic Reflective Tape– Type 5

Metallized Micro-Prismatic Film

Metalized micro-prismatic reflective film is coating the back of a micro-prismatic layer with a mirror coating and then applying adhesive and a release liner to the back. This material can be used for various areas as well as those where the viewer is in more than 100 yards from the sheeting. In most cases, it can be seen from over 1000 feet away. Which make it excellent for highway applications or where the tape will be shining through snow or rain.

Group picture for four types of reflective film:

Group Picture for four types reflective film

Now, we – XW are focus on glass bead type reflective film, our XW7200 series (Engineer grade with 7 years outdoor durability) and XW1800 series (High-intensity grade with 10 years outdoor durability), both are certified by ASTM D4956 type I & III and EN12899 RA1 & RA2, with stable quality and competitive price, feel free to contact us if interest.