Gaffers tape and duct tape's exterior differ in texture. Gaffers tape has a rough matte exterior with slight grip. This grip allows production workers to walk safely over the tape, especially when water is present. The matte exterior also prevents bounced light from reflecting onto other areas. Duct tape has a much smoother and glossy exterior that lacks grip. The glossy exterior can cause light to reflect onto other surfaces or objects, causing unpleasant lighting issues to occur during a production shoot.
Adhesion is key when it comes to any form of tape. The rubber resin adhesion that is used on gaffers tape leaves behind no residue on surfaces when it is removed. Surfaces remain as clean as they were before the tape was applied, even after long periods of time. Duct tape's adhesion is strong, but leaves residue on a surface shortly or long after the tape has been removed. The adhesion that is used on duct tape doesn't have as high of heat tolerance as gaffers tape. The adhesion may soften and melt on duct tape, as where gaffer's tape can resist heat temperatures up 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
Clean cut lines can make a big difference when comes to using tape in any project. Duct tape is created with vinyl and re-enforced cotton fibers between the exterior and adhesive tacky glue making it durable, but difficult to tear cleanly without the use of cutting tools. Gaffers tape uses cotton cloth between the adhesive and exterior to reinforce its durability, making it easier to tear and end up with clean straight lines. Gaffers tape is also easy to remove and manipulate because of the cotton cloth fibers, making it easier to stretch and cover electrical cables easily on a surface.