One of the descriptive phrases used for console tape is “flatback”. There are a number of different types of paper tape that are described as flatback, and that phrase can mean different things, based on how the tape is to be used.
When it comes to consolet tape, flatback lets the user know that the tape provides a smooth surface which can easily be written on. For other users, flatback might mean that the tape can be printed on with a special type of printing press or can be used with specific kinds of ink.
For the sound or lighting tech with a Sharpie Marker in his or her pocket, it just means that writing on flatback tape is like writing on paper. That’s because it is paper.