SCOTCH TAPE Most people call it Scotch Tape, but that’s actually a brand name. The real name is cellophane tape or clear adhesive tape. This everyday tool has a fascinating story behind it. In 1925, Richard Drew, a young engineer at 3M, invented masking tape to help car painters make clean lines. Five years later, he developed the first transparent tape. During testing, a frustrated painter joked that the tape was “too Scotch,” a slang term for being cheap with adhesive. Instead of ignoring it,