Choosing the Right Tape for Packaging

Tape may seem like a little thing but it’s actually important for securing packaging.  Not all of them are equal, and here, we’ll go over the most common types of tape for packaging. 

Self-Adhesive Kraft Paper Tape 

This is a natural tape that’s made from materials that are natural and has been a popular one for a lot of eco-conscious people. It’s an adhesive that offers the strongest hold while also providing a very gentle response to the environment.  Finding a tape that aligns with the values and sustainability is important, and you’ll get this with kraft paper tape. 

When choosing packaging, the materials that you want should be both eco friendly and effective, but self-adhesive kraft paper tape ticks all of these boxes. 

It’s made from a renewable resource, and is a tape that’s not just biodegradable, but easy to recycle too, so you’ll be able to dispense it without harming the world around you. 

Kraft paper is basically a type of strong paper that’s natural and made from certain paper pulp that’s ideal for packaging. It’s good for sealing boxes and even parcels too and offers a very strong hold. 

Polypropylene Tape 

Next is polypropylene tape, which is versatile, and known for strength and durability. It withstands the handling that’s rough, and also the extreme temperatures that are there so it’s ideal for businesses and shipping goods that might encounter harsher conditions in its wake. 

Polypropylene tape is reliable for those that want to secure the packaging that they need to ensure that the packaging is there. 

When choosing packaging, you need a high-quality material, and polypropylene tape is made for the ultimate protection and security of these items. It’s robust in construction, and ensures that it withstands these transportation rigors, whether it’s shipped across a country, or even outside of there too. 

It’s durable, and this is specifically made to withstand many of the demands that packaging has, due to the tensile strength, so it can be subjected to a lot of wear and tear. 

It’s also really good for being resistant to humidity and moisture and is important when you’ve got goods that might have to go through a damp environment or even harsher weather. 

Vinyl Tape 

This is a tape that’s good for moisture. It’s great because for those that get exposed to liquids and water in the transit process, vinyl tape offers a tighter seal, so the goods are dry and safe. Even unpredictable weather can’t stop this. 

When choosing packaging protection, you want to go with something that’s strong. 

This tape is one of the strongest against water damage to packaging, and it can be transported even through spills. 

It also is versatile too, and works with plastic, cardboard, and even metal in order to keep things secure. It’s a reliable solution for all types of packaging experiences, whether sealing envelopes, boxes, or even bundling various items. 

Customized Tape 

Finally, we have customized tape, which is branded tape that’s made for customers to engage and interact with one’s brand. It does set the stage for the inner packaging, boosting excitement when they see the customized tape.  It’s a great way to build an unforgettable impression. 

If you’re putting together unboxing experiences or want to make the customer feel like they’re really included, this is the best option, as it will build a better, stronger bond with the brand, in ways you may never have thought possible. 

Tape is important and these are some of the top picks for brands to use to secure the packaging. 

Digital Vs. Offset Printing

 If you’re looking to print something, you’ve got two types of options. Usually. You’ve got regular detail printing that is printed to the way things look on the screen, or offset, which is something that uses color output in order to help get the right design. 

While some may prefer one over the other because of the prices, there can be costly mistakes, which play a role in the future options that are there. 

Below, we’ll go over each of these, what they are, and the benefits and drawbacks of both. 

Offset Printing 

Offset is basically where you utilize plates onto sheets that are colored, letting them sit in a rapid kind of succession, stamping it directly onto the paperboard. It’s how newspapers, along with magazines get made. 

They offer great image quality, but they are best for print runs that are large volume. Low volume projects won’t want to use this because of the excess time to get it done. 

Digital printing 

Digital printing is basically the printing that’s does the same type of printing that a normal printer or other type of medium you have at home works for this. 

It’s quicker, and also doesn’t really impact the quality for lower-level jobs. 

It’s also much easier to create different printing runs through the printing press. 

The problem with this, however, is that it impacts the fidelity of the color, and the flexibility of the material that traditional offset printing provides in some cases. 

This is something that some people like to use for lower volumes, since it definitely does not look as high of quality, and that of course, can impact the use of this in a lot of cases as well. 

Printing Methods: what’s best 

Offset is best for very large orders, or something that’s over 1000 different units. Digital is good for the smaller types of jobs. 

If you’re going to use paperboard packaging for the item that you’re selling, you’ll want to go with offset printing. That’s because offset offers better output for printing that has to be smaller, and for designs that are a bit smaller for the package. 

The goal is to offer concise, clear packaging for this, as this is vital for making sure that you get the best information possible for many of the customers that are there. 

If you’re someone that is making a smaller order for corrugated packaging, then use digital for this. Offset is great for much larger volumes of running, and the turn time usually is around the same, but it does cost a bit more, so digital is the way to go. 

When you compare the color depth on this, offset printing definitely does outperform the digital printing options, so if you need something bright, or with the color depth that really highlights the product, then you’re best to go with that. 

Offset printing does use the Panton Matching system of color to make sure that the inks are perfectly matched, but digital printers are limited, since the utilize color calibration that is more approximate than anything. 

Offset also is very good for kraft paper products that need white ink. Digital cannot offer this.  Offset is good if the color is more attractive, crisp and clean. For those that have smaller, simpler orders that are not really in the budget for something this large, then just spend the money on a digital printer. 

Both are good, but one does have a better option for color, and for many ecommerce people, understanding the difference can impact the packaging, so keep this in mind when choosing one over the other for your packaging needs. 

Old paperboard transport boxes made cardboard

The very first box made for shipping was a paperboard box. These boxes were flimsy, prone to getting destroyed by the elements, and overall poorly made. In 1817 a man who lived in England by the name of Cronchuck wanted a way to safely transport items from place to place. This desire made him design the very first shipping boxes, the paperboard box. After a few years, a man named Sir Malcolm Thornhill improved upon the paperboard boxes to make what we know and use today, corrugated cardboard. 

As the name suggests, these boxes were made from paper, so we can infer they were not that strong. Cronchuck wanted to have a way his company could transport items in a more safe way rather than carrying them from place to place and leaving them to the elements. This need made him begin to think of ways he could accomplish just that. He came up with the idea of paperboard boxes after seeing his son fold some paper to form a rectangular box. With this new idea, he got to work making these boxes as best as he could with the materials and machinery he had at his disposal. Unfortunately, the boxes were still paper, so it was not all that strong, but it got the job done. 

After a few years, Sir Malcolm Thornhill improved upon his design by accident. While at his paper smith job making paper bags, a ruler used to measure and accurately cut and fold the paper shifted. This shift caused the paper to fold and crease. He used this accidental discovery to make the paperboard boxes better. By putting this piece of wavy paper between two others, he made the first corrugated box. This idea was not able to be put into full effect until the turn of the twenty-first century as materials became more available.

With this new discovery, cardboard boxes were the next step in improving the quality of paperboard boxes.  With the newly discovered technique to make corrugated boxes, the shipping industry changed. Now they were able to fit more into the sturdy boxes without fear of the box falling apart. There was still the problem of boxes falling apart in the rain so to try and fix that, and wax was placed on the exterior of the boxes in hopes of repelling the water. Today we laminae the boxes to do just that, protect from moisture.

If it were not for Thornhill’s accidental discovery, would we still be using paperboard shipping boxes? The poor quality of these boxes probably would not last in today’s world. The need for something better is always there so, and it is a good thing both Cronchuck and Thornhill invented what they did when they did. We still use Thornhills corrugation discovery to this day. It is odd how paper can be made into something as sturdy as cardboard, all things considered. It amazes me how Cronchuck and Thornhill were able to come up with these ideas and mass produce them given the time period. Back then, materials for crafting were few and far between. Some materials were left undiscovered for years. Not to mention the machinery they had then versus what we have today and were still able to come up with such a helpful product that is still used to this day.