Gaffer tape (also, gaffer's tape, gaffa tape, gaff tape, gaffing tape, or cloth tape) is a tough, fabric backed adhesive tape used in the movie and entertainment industry and elsewhere. The tape is manufactured in many colours, including fluorescent
and custom colours, but the most commonly seen variety is matte black, since this blends in with the typical stage floor of a theatre. Although the tape is difficult to break by pulling, it is easily torn by hand along either axis and leaves little to no residue when removed. When cables are taped down on a stage, they are sometimes said to be gaffered or gaffed.
The tape is most likely named for the gaffer, the film crew member responsible for rigging lights.
