Anyone who ships as a part of their business or hobby almost always uses some kind of packing

tape for carton sealing or to secure padding for shock damage prevention. The question arises,

which type do I need for a given application. How do I know what to purchase and what should I be

asking or looking for.

There are several types of packing tape available and they are classified primarily by the type of

adhesive used. Among them are natural rubber, acrylic, and hot melt types. The most popular of

these is the hot melt adhesive type followed by the acrylic adhesive type. The hot melt adhesive is the

least expensive and it offers the widest range of application flexibility.

If you are selecting a tape to use it will most likely be the hot melt type. This adhesive type is used by

all the major manufacturers including 3M, Intertape, and Duck to mention just a few. That said, it then

becomes a matter of personal choice with respect to choosing a manufacturer or supplier. The

remainder of the selection process has only three criteria yet to be decided upon, the thickness, the

width, and the color.

The color of packing tape is important only if one is concerned about looks. Should it match the color

of the box or be transparent? Tan is ok for most uses except label protection and for obvious

reasons. If you don't over tape your labels there is no issue. If you do over tape then clear or

transparent is the preferred choice.

The width of tape selected can be very important and yet it is often given little or no consideration.

Tape widths are typically 2 inches (48mm), 3 inches (72mm), and 4 inches (96mm). If you are sealing

smaller boxes or cartons (12 x 12 x 12 inches or less) a 2 inch tape will be sufficient for most

applications and in most cases it will require only a single pass or strip of tape to seal. For medium

size cartons (up to 24 x 24 x 24 inches) a 3 inch tape is a better choice. Medium to large cartons have

more flexibility and benefit from wider tapes and can also be sealed in one pass. Large and oversize

cartons usually require 4 inch tape to effectively seal the seams. Also, if you over tape labels for

protection from damage a 3 or 4 inch tape will enable you to do so with only a single pass. Apart from

the increased integrity of the seal a single pass of wider tape is a real time saver, especially where a

large number of packages are processed on a daily basis.

Lastly, what thickness is right for any given application. Tape thickness serves two primary purposes;

the ease of application and the strength of the seal. Thinner tapes (1.7 mils or less) are most suitable

for lighter weight carton sealing (20 pounds or less) and label protection. Medium thickness tape

(1.75 to 2.0 mils) is typically used for sealing cartons weighing between 20 and 30 pounds. Thicker

(heavy duty) tapes (2.1 to 3.0 mils) are best suited to sealing cartons from 30 to 40 pounds. The

tape's resistance to stretching under load is in direct relation to its thickness. A thinner tape will

stretch more and break under lighter loads whereas a heavier tape will stretch less and be more

resistant to breakage under heavier loads. Thinner tapes are less rigid and primarily intended for

handheld dispenser application. Medium and heavy duty tapes, while also intended for handheld

dispenser application, are also suitable for hand application (benchtop or desktop dispensers). A

tape's tensile strength (measured in pounds) is the measure of its resistance to breakage; the higher

the tensile rating the stronger the tape. If packaging lighter items a tape tensile strength of 16 to 20

pounds is adequate. Medium weight packages should use tape rated at 24 to 28 pounds and heavy

cartons should use tapes of 32 pounds or greater tensile strength.

One final consideration regarding packing tapes is the roll length. This is purely a matter of metrics,

the metric system that is. Tape lengths are typically stated in meters or yards. Example: 50 meters is

54.6 yards or 163.8 feet. Use caution here, when comparing tape roll lengths make sure you are

doing so with like dimensions; meter to meter, yard to yard, etc. 55 meters is not the same as 55

yards. Most tapes are supplied on standard 3 inch diameter cores for use with tape dispensers of

various types (handheld, desktop, etc). Tape roll lengths are typically specified in meters. For

example 50 meters (54.6 yards) [163.8 feet], 100 meters (109.3 yards) [327.6 feet], and 200 meters

(218.6 yards) [655.2 feet]. Some heavy duty tapes are rolled at 55 meters (60.1 yards) [180.3 feet].

Tape widths are also given as metric units in mm (millimeters); 48 mm (1.88 inches), 72 mm (2.82

inches),and 96 mm (3.76 inches) and for advertising purposes are often shown as being 2 inch, 3

inch, and 4 inch widths respectively. Similarly a 54.6 yard roll may frequently be stated as being 55

yards. This is due to mathematical rounding to the next highest whole number and which may be a

convenient way of making someone believe they are getting more than they really are.

Ultimately what tape you purchase comes down to your real need and the lowest price you can get it

for. To know if you are getting a deal one must be sure to compare all factors, especially a tape's

dimensions and specifications. All things then being equal the lower price is the better deal. The

quantity of tape you purchase should always be determined by your need. If you only ship 10

packages a month a case purchase (24 to 36 rolls) is impractical and uneconomical. In this case a 6

roll purchase may be adequate for your needs over several months.

I hope this small primer on carton sealing and packing tape was informative and useful.