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For many businesses and individuals, proper packaging is essential. Anyone who does anything through the mail will need to know the basics of packaging. Naturally, this includes the use of tape, but you shouldn’t just use whatever packing tape is handy. There are different kinds of tape, and each kind is suited for particular purposes. In this article, we will examine two of the more common forms of packaging tape. By the time we are done, you should know everything that you need to know about these two materials.

What Is Acrylic Packing Tape?

Acrylic packing tape is the common clear packing tape that you have probably seen a million times. When it comes to sealing boxes, clear packing tape is probably the most common choice, so it should be familiar to everyone. At its heart, an acrylic tape is very simple indeed. It’s just a strip of plastic with a special kind of glue on one side.

Benefits Of Acrylic Tape

Acrylic tapes tend to be very stable over time. They are not affected by UV light, and they are not prone to oxidation. This particular material will not interact with nature very much, and that is why it will remain stable over time. Hot melt tapes don’t tend to have the same longevity.

Acrylic tapes also offer better adhesion when sticking to dusty or dirty surfaces. Because their adhesive is tackier, they can usually stick to a surface in spite of a little dirt. This is very important in an industrial setting, where you can’t always keep everything free of dirt and dust.

Acrylic tape adheres to plastic very well. When you are using it on some other material, it is best to wrap it all the way around and stick the tape to itself. When taping a thin plastic surface, however, the acrylic tape can create a near-permanent bond.

Drawbacks Of Acrylic Tape

Acrylic tape does not have a release layer, which means that every layer is stuck to the layer below. Because of this, it can be hard to get the tape to come off the roll in a smooth and even manner. Anyone who has ever bought cheap acrylic tape can understand what we mean here. When you try to grab the end of the tape, you end up tearing small strips. Only by carefully removing the tape along the entire front line can you avoid wasting tape and time.

An acrylic tape also doesn’t hold up very well to mechanical stress. When an impact, a little pressure, or some other force is applied, this kind of tape can often pop away from the surface. Of course, it also depends on what kind of surface you are using. Acrylic tape does do a great job of adhering to plastic and paper, but it doesn’t work very well for other materials.

What Is Hot Melt Tape?

Hot melt tape is a special kind of tape that is composed of three layers. The first layer is a strip of plastic, and the second layer is a hot-melt adhesive. This adhesive is very similar to the hot glue guns that are often used for home crafts, except that they don’t necessarily need to be heated. The final layer is a release film, which protects the adhesive until the tape is ready to be used. This is a special-use tape, and that’s why it isn’t seen as often.

Benefits Of Hot Melt Tape

Hot melt tape tends to be more durable than acrylic tape. This is because it is thicker than acrylic tape, and its adhesive is a little stronger. You wouldn’t use clear acrylic packing tape for a heavy-duty purpose, while hot melt tape is durable enough for just about any uses. Overall, the superior strength of hot melt tape is probably its biggest advantage.

Because hot melt tape has a release layer, it always comes off the roll in a nice, even piece. You don’t have to worry about digging at the edge of the tape with your fingernails or anything of the sort. The removal of the release layer does add an extra step to the process, but it’s a pretty easy step.

In the past, hot melt tape would have to be heated before being used. Now, that isn’t necessarily the case. In most cases, you can just stick it in place and go to the next one. This adds a convenience factor that should not be underestimated.

Drawbacks Of Hot Melt Tape

Hot melt tape is a little more expensive than acrylic tape, so it isn’t worth the money to use this tape for light-duty jobs. It also doesn’t tend to last as long, so it might not be the best choice for long-term storage. As you might imagine, hot melt tape is also a little bit more vulnerable to temperature conditions. They don’t usually work so well in cold weather, although some new types of hot melt tape have been able to overcome these limitations.

How Thick Should Your Packing Tape Be?

The thickness of your packaging tape should depend on the weight of the package itself. The thickness of any packaging tape is usually measured in mils. For small mailers and envelopes, you can get away with using 2 mils or less. For packages that are heavier than an envelope but less than 70 pounds, use 2 or 3 mils. For packages between 70 and 100 pounds, use 3 or 4 mils. In most cases, the mil measurement of your tape will be determined by the thickness of its glue.

Conclusion

Although both kinds of packing tape work in similar ways, they are made in very different ways. As such, we can see that acrylic tape and hot melt tape have much different performance characteristics. We hope that this article has given you a better understanding of these differences and that you will fill out the contact form below.