Packing tape plays a crucial part for you if you’re running a business. Learn how to pick one that suits your business needs.
 At first sight, all packing tapes appear to be the same to regular users. To businesses, however, packing tape means more than just a means of sealing your boxes shut.
There are several different variations of tape that you can use for your business. So finding the right packing tape can be confusing without the proper knowledge. These tapes also have different uses which further adds to the pressure of finding the best type.
This article discusses all you need to know about how to find the best packing tape for your business.
1. Customized Packing Tape
Although there are a variety of tapes to choose from, having a customized tape for your brand is probably the most effective and cost-friendly way that benefits your company. Let’s take a look at why custom tape is such a top recommendation.
As the name suggests, the tape can be produced specifically to your needs by custom tape manufacturing firms. This also allows you to add in designs that give your packaging a unique touch, giving your business that extra edge.
You may be thinking that custom tape is expensive. This problem can easily be solved with the help of digital printing. So, your costs stay low while the investment attracts more customers to your business. It is a win-win situation.
Lastly, this tape is easily recognizable and helps to prevent theft as it is unique to your brand and anyone outside of the company won’t be able to use it for illegal activities. So, the tape ensures that the parcels never get lost or are tampered with during shipment, thereby keeping your customers satisfied.
2. Heat-activated Packing Tape
This kind of tape consists of an adhesive coating which, if dried properly with heat and pressure, makes sure that your product stays intact in the box.
They typically come in three variations – acrylic, hotmelt, and solvent. Each of them has different properties and suits different business needs.
Acrylic Packing Tapes
First, acrylic packing tape is the usual tape used for packing up plastic-based boxes. It is affordable enough to fit any small budget. This tape works fine with small amounts applied and the adhesive works on a broad temperature range, ensuring the effectiveness of the tape.
HotMelt Packing Tapes
Next, the hotmelt packing tapes are a great option for cardboard packages since they have a much stronger bond than the acrylic adhesive. However, the tape works in a shorter temperature range, but that is only a small issue since they are usually much stickier and more resistant to stress.
Solvent Packing Tapes
Finally, we have the tape that is the most consistent under most temperatures and does not wear down easily over time. Solvent-based tapes are also resistant to UV and their complex adhesion formula makes them the natural choice for heavy-duty packaging.
Picking these tapes based on their properties is a must. Make sure you go through the list of don’ts when packaging so that you can pick the right tape based on its properties.
3. Printed Retail Tape
Similar to custom tape, printed retail tapes are pre-printed tapes that are designed to fulfill three specific jobs – branding, identification, and damage prevention. So, here’s how these tapes get the job done.
Branding
The manufacturers of the tape make sure that they are eye-catching with appealing logos and slogans so that the first thing customers pick off the shelves of a retail store is your product!
Identification
Since these tapes are going to be eye-catching, it’s also going to be hard not to identify the package even from far away. Hence, the package does not get lost in the ocean of similar packages. This makes it easy to keep track of the package and you can easily know which company it is from.
Damage Prevention
This is probably the most important job a retail packing tape does, which is making sure that the parcel is in one piece when it reaches the customer’s hands.
This is easily done with a simple cautionary sign written in a manner that draws attention, so both the delivery man and the customer can handle the product with care.
4. Vinyl Tapes
This option is of high quality and durability, capable of sealing any cardboard box. Vinyl tape can withstand lots of tension and is great if your package is meant to be kept in storage for a long period as the adhesive does not deteriorate easily.
They can also withstand extreme temperatures so transporting packages is easier and safer. It is important to note that they are a little more expensive but the additional strength should be a worthy investment.
5. Water-activated Tape
Also known as gummed tape, this type of tape is made with starch-based adhesive and kraft paper that becomes stuck when moisturized. This is its main advantage as the tape is not sticky when it’s dry so working with it leads to less waste and more efficiency.
Water-activated tape is not made with plastic, hence, it is an eco-friendly packaging solution where the environment also stays safe. Furthermore, this tape is strong and cost-efficient, so there’s no reason not to try it out!
Conclusion
The type of tape that you need is strictly based on how your company operates, the budget, and the functions you want from the packing tape. Hence, do your research to make sure the tape you’re choosing is the best-suited option. Â We hope that this article has addressed how to find the best packing tape for your business to make the process more efficient.
