Yes, translucent is the word I was looking for. I usually use Testor Acryl paints. I tried holding it under some warm running water to get the residue off, but that didn't help. I think if I would have tried to use fresh tape to lift up the residue it might also lift off the acrylic paint as well. I use Tamiya tape, too, but I have noticed that it can leave a very slight residue, depending on humidty, etc. Apart from the residue problem, I did find the Scotch tape method very good in terms of leaving me with crisp lines and I didnt' have a problem with any paint creep.