All Things Tape 13 June 2016  |  Victoria

A Guide To Adhesive Tapes for Packaging

When it comes to packaging there is a whole world of materials and equipment that you could use. But one of the items you soon realise is an absolute essential is tape. Tape is one of those items that makes tasks just so much easier for everyone without even realising, until you don't have it, or until you have the wrong sort of tape. Lets face it there are different types of tapes thrown around left right and centre it is very easy to get confused about which tape does which job. So in this blog im going to write about the different types of tape that can be used for packaging and what the best way to use those types of tapes are, so when it comes to you packaging your own items you can make an informed descision about which tape is the best for the job.

Desktop Tapes

These general purpose tapes are very popular for everyday use. Almost every house, office and warehouse will have this type of tape kicking around somewhere. Often made from a clear polypropylene film coated one side with a pressure sensitive adhesive that can stick to various surfaces and can be used with bench top dispensers for easier distribution of the tape. These tapes are usually 24mm wide and fit on most desktop tape dispensers.

Box Sealing Tapes

Box sealing tape, or parcel tape, is usually 48mm wide and either clear or brown (buff) in colour. These tapes are much stronger than the tabletop tapes. Manufactured for added strenth both length ways and cross ways to make it more durable and less likely to split when sealing larger and heavier parcels. Usually made using polypropylene or polyester film and coated with a high tack adhesive to attach to corrogated cardboard boxes and other heavier duty packaging materials. Scotch3M is a particularly well known, high quality tape for box sealing. Most packaging tapes are generally used with a hand held tape dispenser for ease and efficiency of sealing up the boxes.

Box Sealing Tapes are also available in a low noise option. Manufactured to be much quieter than normal parcel tapes. These tapes make it much more pleasant to tape up boxes without the loud screeching noise which is particularly useful in warehouses where boxes may be being packaged regularly throughout the day.

Double Sided Tapes

Double sided tapes are more of a craft tape than a packaging tape however they can have their uses is both areas. Double sided tape is pretty much exactly what it says on the tin, a tape that is adhesive on both sides to bond two surfaces together. Usually one side is covered with a release paper which is a thin coated paper that keeps one side of the adhesive clean and unstuck until the reverse side is positioned in the right place. Once the sticky side of the tape is positioned correctly the release tape can then be lifted and pealed away so the other side of the adhesive can be secured in place. This type of tape is often used in packaging for the underside of an envelope flap so the user can peel the tape of the top and seal the envelope. Double sided tape can also come in a 'fingerlift' variety. This is where the release tape is wider than the actual adhesive making it easier to peel off, saving both time and effort.

Printed Tapes

Printed Tapes, Such as the 'FRAGILE' tape supplied here at First For Paper, are particularly useful when transporting delicate, expensive or fragile items by courier or post. This tape instructs every handler of the parcel that extra care should be taken when in posession of this parcel to ensure contents do not end up damaged or broken therefore reducing the risk of an unhappy customer.

Cross Weave Tape

Also known as Filament Tape, this style tape is reinforced for packaging large and heavy parcels, strapping and buddling of items. With a cross weave and glass fibre filaments embedded within, this tape has super strong tension and tear resistance along with a strong hold adhesive making it a favourite amongst warehouses and companies despatching larger, heavier items.

So there we have it... Your list of essential packaging tapes explained. We hope this helps you make an informed choice as to which tapes to use for your packaging needs. You can browse our range of adhesive tapes and tape guns by clicking this link. Thank you for reading.