This is my latest dumb question as I continue to pretend I'm getting close enough to spraying paint to justify buying supplies. Any thoughts on using masking paper vs. masking plastic? Looks like masking plastic might be cheaper. On Youtube, Donnie Smith says both work well, but paper is a little easier for beginners to work with. Thought?

I would go with paper. Plastic doesn't absorb so paint runs and smears. Like painting a room. Gets tracked around. Spray water on the floor too.

Paper. Some plastics can be rapidly degraded by solvents in paint.

Definitely paper. So much easier to work with than plastic. Available cheap in Lowes/Home Depot in various widths (other places, too I'm sure).

Also, dried paint on plastic has a tendency to flake off and get in your new wet paint.

Just used plastic for the first time and liked it,much easier to place before taping as it clings to the body,saves on tape too.
I used a roll with 1.2 metre drop found it to be the ideal ,easy enough to cut if needs be.

faster with plastic once you get the hang of it. Still use paper though in certain situations.

I generally use thick mill plastic for windows and medium mill or thin plastic for covering body panels (shooting a fender only) or a trunk.

I typically use it for taping up my makeshift paint booth as well. Paper is just to short for most uses IMO.

Okay, 3 votes for paper, and 3 for plastic. The choice is obious

The answer is in there:

Plastic for big, easy stretches (and for making your ghetto paint booth). Paper for the more tricky bits.

My son & I just finished painting a 944 and found the plastic to be too slippery and unwieldy for my liking. Paper can be folded and holds the crease, where plastic does not.

I would recommend using the removable type tape (blue or green) rather than masking tape... but that's just my preference, since I have to leave the masking taped on for more than s few days/weeks.

Thanks. I was just giving you guys a hard time. After obsessing om mor Youtube last night, I'll get a little of both because, like you said, each is handy for its own use. Since this is a bare metal rotisserie spray, it mostly masking big areas (interior areas with single stage vs exterior with two stage). For masking tape, I'm ordering a few rolls of the yellow 3M brand tape. Seems like what most of the guys on Youtube are using (or the green Scotch brand). I'm not a fan of regular masking tape either. Thanks again for the input guys. I'm sure there will be more stupid question to come.

I found that applying tape to an area first, then loosely draping thin plastic and having a couple inches of extra to be able to have enough room to get my fingers on both sides of the tape and sandwiching the plastic made for a very easy and quick tape job.

The real secret to painting is spending the money on GOOD tape, and cleaning the areas your taping to. Sanding naturally makes dust and old paint jobs flake in seal channels, so its often that impropper cleaning (brass brush, air gun, degreaser) on areas your taping can yield tape that lifts. Sticky tape and enough room for the plastic to move a little will yield a solid tape job that wont come off unless you force it.

Paper is easier to adhere tape to. Thick mill plastic is the hardest due to weight.

I tape the car first. then I'll take regular packing paper and put a strip of tape on the end. Then stick down to the tape line on the car. CSOB style.

The 3M plastic film for paint use is a good product. It clings to the surface and holds paint. It comes in a large roll that’s way more than you need and not cheap. For you I vote paper

I thought plastic that didn’t absorb the paint would dry and then turn to dust and contaminate the air in the room. I also sprayed the floor with water