Gaffer tape is a tough, fabric backed adhesive tape that has become legendary for usefulness in the movie and entertainment industry. The tape is often black and so blends with the typically black stage floor of a theater; it is also both strong and strongly adhesive, it is ripped by hand along the horizontal or vertical axis easily rather than cut, and (unlike duct tape) leaves little to no residue when removed. Loose cables on a stage so taped down are usually said to be gaffered.
The name probably comes from gaffer, the film crew member responsible for rigging lights. Alternative names for the same tape include "bodge tape" and "black nasty".
A 4" wide version, commonly known as Dutchman's tape, is also available. This name probably came from the common method of plastering two canvas flats together. As 2" gaffer tape is easier to deal with, it has become more commonly used.
see also: adhesive tape
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