3M™ Knifeless™ Tape Design Line - (50M/164ft)

3M™ Knifeless™ Tape Design Line - KTS-DL1 (50M / 164ft)

Knifeless tape cuts graphic film without a blade, so nothing sharp ever touches the vehicle or substrate. The tape has two parts: a carrier tape that sticks to the surface and a high-strength filament running through it. You lay the tape along the line you want, apply film over the top, then pull the filament up through the film. The cut happens from underneath, along the exact path you laid, and the carrier tape lifts away leaving no adhesive residue. Both the carrier and the filament flex, so the line turns along contours and edges instead of fighting them.

Design Line is the layout tape: stripes, two-tone splits, racing graphics, any decorative line you want to cut into a wrap. It turns easily in any direction, which is what you want when you are drawing a shape rather than following a body edge. It is specified for single layer applications.

DETAILS

- Turns easily in any direction

- For single layer applications

- Patented design

EXCELS IN

- Vinyl Wrap

SPECS

- KTS-DL1: 50M (164ft) roll

When to use Design Line vs the other Knifeless lines

Use Design Line when you are cutting a design into the wrap rather than trimming to an edge, and when you are working through a single layer of film. Its strength is turning freely in any direction.

Use Finish Line (KTS-FL1 / KTS-FL2) instead for finishing work: perimeters, edges, handles and jambs. It cuts most vinyl wrap films and is suitable for single or multiple vinyl layer applications, which Design Line is not.

Use Precision Line (KTS-PL1) instead for chrome, metallic, reflective, dry-erase and DI-NOC™ films, single or multi-layer, where its patented sandwich filament design gives consistent, sharp cuts.

Three common mistakes

1. Pulling the filament at the wrong angle. Bring it back over itself at a low angle, close to parallel with the surface, in steady sections. Pulling straight up concentrates force on one point and snaps the filament, and digging out a broken end through film is where blades and scratches come back into the job.

2. Using the wrong line for the number of layers. Design Line is specified for single layer applications. Finish Line and Precision Line are rated for single or multiple vinyl layer applications. Running a single-layer tape under two layers of film is the most common reason a filament drags or breaks.

3. Applying film before the tape is fully set. Wipe the surface with isopropyl and let it flash off, then press the whole run down and check tight radii before any film goes over it. If the carrier is lifting at a corner or bridging a recess, the filament is not where you think it is and the cut line will wander.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use Design Line through two layers of vinyl?
No. Design Line is specified for single layer applications. For multiple vinyl layers use Finish Line or Precision Line, which are rated for single or multi-layer applications.

What is Design Line best for?
Cutting decorative lines into a wrap, such as stripes, two-tone splits and graphics. It turns easily in any direction, which suits drawing a shape rather than following a body line.

Does the tape damage the paint underneath?
No blade touches the surface. The filament cuts the film from underneath and the carrier tape removes cleanly with no adhesive residue, which is the reason knifeless tape exists.

How long is a roll of KTS-DL1?
50 metres, which is 164 feet.

Do I lay the tape before or after the film?
Before. Lay the tape along the line you want, apply the film over the top and squeegee it down, then pull the filament up through the film to make the cut.

New to the technique? Read How to use knifeless tape: cuts without a blade for the full step-by-step method.

Color and finish of packaging may vary. Sold as a single roll.