Archery Sight Tape Generator – Custom Yardage Marks

An archery sight tape is a calibrated adhesive strip attached to a bow's sight, displaying distance markings (typically in yards or meters). It allows archers—especially those using single-pin or slider sights—to quickly adjust their sight to the correct elevation for different target distances. The tape translates the sight's mechanical position into corresponding yardage marks, ensuring precise aim.

First, sight in your bow at a known distance (commonly 20 yards) and mark that as your "zero" position on the tape. Then shoot at progressively longer distances, noting where the sight indicator aligns for each distance. Mark each position on the tape. Once all marks are verified, you can use this generator to create a clean, printed version matching your actual sight's calibration. Always confirm marks through live shooting—environmental factors and arrow setup affect actual trajectory.

Linear spacing distributes all distance marks evenly along the tape—the physical gap between 20 and 30 yards is the same as between 70 and 80 yards. This works for some sight designs but doesn't reflect real arrow trajectory. Ballistic (progressive) spacing accounts for arrow drop—marks at longer distances become progressively closer together because the arrow's trajectory steepens as it slows down. This more closely mimics how actual slider sights behave and produces a more realistic tape for most compound bow setups.

Every bow setup is unique. Factors like draw weight, draw length, arrow weight, IBO speed, and even temperature affect trajectory. A generic sight tape may not match your specific equipment. Custom tapes—calibrated to your actual shooting data—provide far greater accuracy. This generator lets you input your verified distance marks and produce a tape that matches your bow's real-world performance.

When printing, always set your printer to 100% scale (no scaling, no "fit to page"). Our generated tapes include a 1-inch reference mark—measure this with a ruler after printing to verify accuracy. If the reference mark doesn't measure exactly 1 inch, adjust your printer settings and reprint. For best results, download the high-resolution PNG and print from an image viewer set to "actual size."

Different sight manufacturers use varying tape widths. HHA sights commonly use ~0.5" wide tapes. Spot Hogg uses approximately 0.4375" (7/16") wide tapes. Trophy Ridge and CBE typically accept 0.5" tapes as well. Always measure your sight's tape slot before printing. Our tool defaults to 0.5" width × 5.5" length—a versatile size fitting most single-pin slider sights. You can adjust both dimensions to match your specific sight.

Single-pin (slider) sights are the primary users of sight tapes. The archer adjusts a single pin up or down using a slider mechanism, and the sight tape indicates the correct position for each distance. Multi-pin sights have fixed pins set at different distances (e.g., 20, 30, 40, 50 yards) and typically do not require a sight tape, though some archers add a reference tape for fine-tuning. Single-pin sights offer greater precision at varying distances, which is why accurate sight tapes are essential.

IBO (International Bowhunting Organization) speed measures how fast a bow shoots a standard arrow (350-grain arrow at 70 lbs draw weight and 30" draw length). Higher IBO speeds produce flatter trajectories, meaning distance marks on your sight tape will be more evenly spaced. Slower bows have steeper trajectories, causing marks at longer distances to cluster more tightly. The ballistic spacing mode in this tool roughly approximates this effect, though real-world calibration always provides the most accurate results.