Floor marking tape turns a bare concrete floor into a space people can read at a glance: where to walk, where forklifts run, where stock goes and where to keep clear. It is quicker than paint, needs no drying time, and can be moved when the layout changes.
This guide covers what the common colours are used for, how to work out how much tape you need, and how to prepare the floor and lay lines that stay put.
What floor marking tape is for
Most workplaces use floor tape for four jobs:
- Traffic lanes. Separating walkways from vehicle and trolley routes.
- Hazard marking. Edges, steps, level changes, low beams and anything people might trip on or walk into.
- Keep-clear areas. In front of fire equipment, electrical panels, exits and doors.
- Organisation. Marking where pallets, bins, carts and work-in-progress belong, so a missing item is obvious.
What the colours are commonly used for
There is no single colour scheme every business follows, but a common convention is:
Yellow for traffic lanes, aisles and general caution. It is a popular choice because it stands out clearly on grey concrete. The Dolphy yellow floor marking tape is made for marking hazardous areas and guiding pedestrian or vehicle traffic.
Red for areas that must be kept clear, fire equipment and danger zones. The Dolphy red floor marking tape is used for hazard marking and traffic zones.
Black and yellow stripes for physical hazards: step edges, ramps, columns, dock edges and anything that sticks out. The high-contrast stripes read as a warning even from a distance. The Dolphy zebra floor marking tape is designed for stairways, workshops and warehouses.
Glow in the dark for paths that need to stay visible when the lights go out: exit routes, stair edges and walkways. The Dolphy glow in the dark floor marking tape is a waterproof vinyl tape that glows in low light.
Whatever scheme you choose, write it down and use it the same way across the whole site. A colour that means "walkway" in one aisle and "keep clear" in the next confuses the whole team. If your business already follows a colour plan, stick to it.
Width and roll length
The yellow, red and zebra tapes in this range are 50mm wide and 22m long per roll, sold in packs of five rolls. The glow in the dark tape is also 50mm wide, in 5m rolls, again in a pack of five.
A 50mm line is easy to see across a warehouse floor. For a main vehicle aisle, some sites run two lines side by side, or use a solid colour for the lane edge and zebra stripes at the points of greatest risk.
Working out how much you need
- Draw the layout first. A simple sketch of the floor with every line on it saves a lot of wasted tape.
- Measure every line. Remember that a walkway has two edges, and a pallet bay has four sides.
- Add it up by colour and divide by the roll length: 22m for the standard rolls, 5m for the glow tape.
- Allow extra for corners, mistakes and replacing sections that wear, particularly where forklifts turn.
Surfaces it suits
The Dolphy floor marking tapes stick to tile, wood, concrete, metal and stone, indoors and outdoors. They are described as removing cleanly without sticky residue, so they suit both permanent markings and temporary layouts, such as an event, a stocktake or a trial layout you may change.
How to lay tape that lasts
Tape that lifts has usually been laid on a floor that was not ready. The floor matters more than the tape.
- Clean the floor thoroughly. Sweep, then wash off oil, grease and dust. Tape stuck to dust sticks to the dust, not the floor.
- Let it dry completely. A damp floor is a frequent reason tape lifts.
- Mark your lines with a chalk line or a straight edge before you peel anything.
- Lay it in one run. Peel a short length, place it, then unroll as you go, pressing it down along the line rather than stretching it.
- Press it down firmly. Walk the full length, or use a hand roller, so the adhesive makes full contact.
- Round the corners. Cut the ends square or slightly rounded rather than leaving a loose flap. Corners and ends are where lifting starts.
- Butt joins, do not overlap. An overlapped join leaves a raised edge that wheels catch.
Keeping lines readable
- Sweep marked areas regularly so dirt does not dull the colour.
- Check high-traffic spots, especially where vehicles turn, and replace worn or lifting sections early. A torn line is harder to read than no line.
- Re-check the layout whenever racking, machinery or workflows change, and remove old lines so they do not send people the wrong way.
Quick checklist
- Decide what each colour means on your site, write it down and use it consistently.
- Yellow for lanes, red for keep-clear, black and yellow for physical hazards, glow for low-light paths.
- Measure every line, add it up by colour and allow extra for corners and wear.
- Clean, dry, press firmly and round the ends.
See the full floor marking tape range, and the anti-skid safety tape for stair edges and ramps.
Mats and tape often share a workshop or kitchen floor, and anti-fatigue mats: who needs one and what size covers thickness, sizing and placing a mat so it does not create a new problem.
Frequently asked questions
What do the different floor marking tape colours mean?
There is no single colour scheme every business follows, but a common convention is yellow for traffic lanes, aisles and general caution, red for keep-clear areas, fire equipment and danger zones, black and yellow stripes for physical hazards such as step edges and ramps, and glow in the dark for paths that need to stay visible when the lights go out. Whatever scheme you choose, write it down and use it the same way across the whole site.
How wide are the rolls and how many come in a pack?
The yellow, red and zebra Dolphy tapes are 50mm wide and 22m long per roll, sold in packs of five rolls. The glow in the dark tape is also 50mm wide, in 5m rolls, again in a pack of five.
How do I work out how much tape I need?
Draw the layout first, then measure every line, remembering that a walkway has two edges and a pallet bay has four sides. Add it up by colour and divide by the roll length, which is 22m for the standard rolls and 5m for the glow tape. Allow extra for corners, mistakes and replacing sections that wear, particularly where forklifts turn.
What surfaces does floor marking tape stick to?
The Dolphy floor marking tapes stick to tile, wood, concrete, metal and stone, indoors and outdoors. They are described as removing cleanly without sticky residue, so they suit both permanent markings and temporary layouts.
How do I lay floor tape so it lasts?
The floor matters more than the tape. Clean it thoroughly and let it dry completely, mark your lines with a chalk line or straight edge, then lay the tape in one run, pressing it down along the line rather than stretching it. Round the corners, and butt joins rather than overlapping them, because an overlapped join leaves a raised edge that wheels catch.