This may seem like a simple task, but in reality it is quite complex. Just as you stare at your portrait no matter where you are in the room, the reflective tape reflects light back into the light source and only reflects light back into the light source no matter where it is located. Think of it this way. If you are in the right position in front of a parabolic shape (such as a satellite dish) and throw a ball into the dish, it will always bounce back and hit you. If you throw a ball into the corner of a squash court, it will hit a wall, then another wall, and then come back to you. (In both examples, you need to be in the right place.) Glass bead reflective tape (original technology) is like a satellite dish, prismatic reflective tape (latest technology) is like a squash court.
The diagram below shows two different types of reflective tape