Quick answer
Use both. A drop cloth (canvas on hard floors, or plastic taped on carpet) catches roller spray and tray spills. Painter’s tape keeps paint off baseboards, window glass, and fixtures. Tape is not a floor covering. A cloth is not a sharp trim line.
Drop cloths — canvas vs plastic
Roller spray travels farther than you think. Cover a few feet of floor beyond the wall you are working, not a postage stamp under the ladder.
- Canvas: stays put, absorbs drips, safer on hardwood and stairs
- Plastic (poly): cheap furniture cover; slippery underfoot on hard floors — tape it down on carpet
- Roving: cover everything you cannot move, including the heating register if it is in the floor
When to tape (and when to skip it)
Press the tape edge with a putty knife or credit card so paint cannot seep. Cheap tape on dusty trim leaks. Wipe the trim first.
- Tape: baseboards, window sash, door casings, ceiling if you are not confident cutting in
- Skip tape: if you can cut a clean line with a 2½″ angled brush and your hand is steady — many pros skip wall-to-trim tape
- Never skip: covering the floor, and masking hardware you cannot remove
When to pull the tape
Best: after the last coat, while it is still slightly tacky, at a 45° angle back on itself. Waiting until the paint is rock-hard can peel a skin of wall paint off with the tape.
If you must leave tape overnight, score the edge with a utility knife before pulling. Pair this with how to paint a room so ceiling → walls → trim order matches what you taped.