Custom packaging tape is printed adhesive tape that seals the shipper and brands it at the same time. It is the most efficient branded surface in packaging, because a plain brown box plus printed tape costs a fraction of a fully printed box and the customer sees the brand before the box is even open.
Custom tape specification
| Spec | What you get |
|---|---|
| Minimum order | None. Order a small run to check the print, then scale with your shipping volume. |
| Widths | 2 inch and 3 inch as standard. |
| Materials | Water activated kraft paper tape, or poly BOPP tape. |
| One to three colors. A repeating logo, an all over pattern, or a single message. | |
| Artwork | Free design, free digital proof before printing. Samples on request. |
| Reinforced option | Fiberglass reinforced water activated tape for heavy cartons. |
Kraft paper tape or poly tape
This is the only real decision on the page, and the two behave very differently.
| Water activated kraft paper | Poly BOPP | |
|---|---|---|
| How it bonds | Starch adhesive activated by water, which soaks into the board fiber and becomes part of the box | Pressure sensitive adhesive that sticks to the surface |
| Tamper evidence | Strong. It cannot be lifted and replaced without visible damage to the board | Weak. It can be peeled and re-laid |
| Look | Matte, natural, sits flush with a kraft box | Glossy, bright, colors pop harder |
| Recycling | Goes into the recycling stream with the box, because it is paper and starch | Plastic. Should be removed from the box before recycling |
| Application | Needs a dispenser that wets the tape. One strip is usually enough | Hand held gun or a taping machine. Often needs more than one strip on heavier boxes |
| Cold and damp | Bonds well on recycled and dusty board, and in cold stores where poly tape lets go | Can lose tack on cold, dusty or heavily recycled board |
The short version. Choose water activated kraft if you care about tamper evidence, a recyclable single material parcel, or you ship heavy cartons. Choose poly BOPP if you want the brightest print, you are taping by hand at low volume, or you have no water activated dispenser and do not want to buy one.
How much tape you actually need
Most first orders are guessed, and the guess is usually low. The method is simple.
Work out the tape used per box, then divide the roll length by it. A single strip across the seam runs the length of the box plus about two inches on each side to grip the walls. If you use an H pattern, which is one strip along the seam and one across each end, allow roughly three times that on each face, and remember most parcels are taped top and bottom.
Worked example, and treat it as an estimate rather than a promise. A 10 by 8 by 4 inch mailer sealed with a single strip top and bottom uses roughly 28 inches of tape, so about 2.3 feet. A 110 yard roll of 2 inch tape holds 330 feet, which is in the region of 140 boxes. Move to an H pattern and that same roll covers closer to 50. Send us your box size and monthly volume and we will work the roll count with you before you order.
Printing on tape, and what actually reads
- Keep it to one or two colors. Tape is seen in motion, at an angle, on a moving box. A simple mark in one strong color reads better than a detailed three color design.
- Repeat the logo along the roll. You cannot control where the tape is cut, so the design has to work no matter where it is severed. A single centered logo will get chopped in half on most boxes.
- Mind the contrast. White ink on kraft is the classic look. Dark ink on kraft reads well. Pale ink on pale poly disappears.
- Leave the seam readable. If you print a message rather than a mark, keep it short enough to be taken in as somebody walks past a stack.
Is packing tape recyclable?
It depends entirely on which one you chose, and this is where the two materials separate.
Water activated kraft tape is paper with a starch adhesive, so it goes into the recycling stream attached to the box. Nobody has to peel anything off, which in practice is the difference between a box that gets recycled properly and one that does not.
Poly BOPP tape is plastic. Mills can tolerate a small amount, but the correct advice to a customer is to pull it off before the box goes in the bin, and most people will not bother. If a recyclable parcel is part of what you tell customers, kraft tape is the honest choice and poly tape undermines the claim.
Ordering custom tape in bulk
- No minimum order. Prove the artwork on a short run, then scale.
- Free design and a free digital proof before anything is printed.
- Free samples so you can test the bond on your own boxes, which matters more with tape than with almost anything else.
- Reorders run from your approved file.
- Free shipping with tracking.
- Price match. Send a written quote for the same width, material, colors and quantity and we will beat it.
Where we ship
We are a national supplier rather than a local one. Custom tape ships to every US state, shipping and tracking are free, and the quantity matters far more to the price than the address.
Frequently asked questions
What is custom packing tape used for?
It seals the shipper and brands it at the same time. Instead of printing the whole box, you run printed tape across the seam of a plain carton. The customer sees the brand on the doorstep and you pay for a strip of tape rather than a printed box, which makes it the most efficient branded surface in packaging.
Should I choose kraft paper tape or poly tape?
Kraft water activated tape bonds into the board fiber, is tamper evident, and recycles with the box because it is paper and starch. Poly BOPP tape is glossy, prints brighter and needs no special dispenser. Choose kraft for security, sustainability and heavy cartons. Choose poly for the brightest print at low volume.
What is water activated tape?
Water activated tape, also called gummed paper tape, is a paper tape coated with a starch adhesive that only becomes sticky once wet. A dispenser wets and cuts it as it feeds. Because the starch soaks into the corrugated fiber, the bond is structural rather than surface level, which is why the tape cannot be peeled off and re-laid without leaving a visible mark on the board.
Do I need a special dispenser for water activated tape?
Yes. Water activated tape needs a dispenser that wets it as it feeds, either manual or an electric unit for higher volumes. Poly tape needs only a hand held gun. If you pack a handful of orders a day, poly is simpler. Past a few hundred a week, a water activated dispenser pays for itself in speed and in tape used.
How many colors can you print on tape?
One to three. Your logo, an all over repeat or a short message. One or two colors almost always reads better than three, because tape is seen in motion on a moving box. Repeat the mark along the roll, because you cannot control where the tape gets cut.
Is packing tape recyclable?
Water activated kraft tape is, and it recycles attached to the box, so nobody has to peel anything off. Poly BOPP tape is plastic and should be removed before the box goes in the bin, which in practice most people will not do. If a recyclable parcel is part of your brand story, kraft is the honest choice.
How much tape do I need per box?
A single strip along the seam needs the length of the box plus about two inches on each side, top and bottom. As a rough guide a 10 by 8 by 4 inch mailer uses about 2.3 feet, so a 330 foot roll covers somewhere near 140 boxes with a single strip and closer to 50 with an H pattern. Send us your box size and monthly volume and we will work it out properly before you order.
Is there a minimum order for custom tape?
No. There is no minimum quantity and no minimum order fee. Order a small run to check the print and the bond on your own boxes, then scale as your shipping volume grows. Free design, a free digital proof and free samples come with it.
Pairs with: custom mailer boxes, custom boxes, custom tissue paper and custom poly mailers.
More Custom Retail Packaging
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