Nikkalite ELG 48000 Reflective Tape Breakdown & Explained

Above is a video about Nikkalite ELG that is similar to this article.

Link to EG & ELG Listings - https://reflectivepro.com/collections/engineer-grade-type-1

In this article we’ll be discussing Nikkalite’s ELG Reflective tape also known as ELG 48000. We will go over this tapes applications, colors, spec sheet, a pros and cons list and more. 

For those who don’t know, Nikkalite is a Japanese manufacture and a subsidiary of Nippon Carbide Industries. They have an office and plant here in the United States in California. They’ve been around for decades and are a very reputable company.

We offer this tape in 10 different colors which are Black, Fluorescent Lime, Purple, White, Green, Orange, Blue, Gold, Red, & Yellow. The Black reflects an Amberish color. Nikkalite does offer this tape in 4 other colors which we don’t carry. Those colors are Brown, Sky Blue, Ruby Red, and Dark Red. We currently offer this tape in 1”, 2”, 4”, 6”, 8”, and 12”. If you need a custom or larger size of this material, please contact me and I’ll see what I can do.

This is a flexible or conformable material with a thickness of 158 micrometers which makes it great for vehicle graphics or any application where there may be curves involved. You can even heat this tape up with a blow dryer or heat gun to make it even more flexible. This is a popular technique when wrapping vehicles. The tape is still thin enough and flexible enough to wrap around the tip of a fishing pole. This material has an estimated life span of 7 years.

This is Type 1 Reflective film made for vehicles and signage. It’s a glass bead film with a Candela power of 121 for the White. Candelas or Candle Power is just the measurement of how reflective or bright a reflective tape is. It generally ranges from 0 to 1000+. Since this tape is a Type 1 material it would be one of the less bright tapes available but still very visible for many applications.

This material is approved for use by the US DOT Federal Highway Administration. (See Spec sheet - https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/roadway_dept/night_visib/sign_visib/sheetguide/) It says Several Companies for the manufacturer row and is included in that. You can see to the right that Nikkalite or Nippon Carbide is approved for their Type 2 SEG Film as well.

This tape is plotter cuttable for graphics and can be printed on. I cut many graphics and decals with my Graphtec using a 45 degree blade.

Pros and Cons for this product – Pros is that it more economical price wise than all our other tapes. Comes in the most colors than any other tape. Ultra flexible and conformable. Solid design with no logos or emblems. Very easy to cut and print on. Cons – The least bright of all the tapes we carry.

Popular applications for this material include: Vehicle stripping, Stickers or Decals, Wrapping Bollards, Floor Marking, Signage, Dumpsters, Fences or Gates, Trailers, Bikes, Helmets,  and much more. Looking at the spec sheet it recommends not applying when the temperature is below 59 degrees Fahrenheit or 15 degrees Celsius or above 77 degrees Fahrenheit or 25 degrees Celsius. This is more of a manufacture recommendation. I have had customers apply the material in warmer conditions than 77 degrees Fahrenheit with no issue. When applying make sure your surface is clean, dry, and smooth.

To recap – Nikkalite ELG is a Type 1 Retro-Reflective Glass bead adhesive tape. It has a thickness of 158 micrometers and is very flexible and conformable. The white has a candela power of 121. This is an Engineer Grade tape, so it is one of the less reflective materials on the market but is often the cheapest. It has a life span of 7 years and can be plotter cut and printed on. This is the kind of tape you would see on Police and EMS Vehicles.