Hand Packaging Tape
Packing Tape: Clear and Brown Hand Rolls by the Carton
Acrylic, hot melt, natural rubber and paper packaging tape for busy packing benches
The right packing tape, also called carton sealing tape, keeps flaps shut from your packing bench to your customer's door. The wrong one lifts, splits or won't stick in the cold.
We stock clear and brown hand rolls from 24mm to 72mm wide, with four adhesive types to suit light parcels, heavy cartons, cool rooms and plastic-free packing. Rolls fit standard pistol grip dispensers and are sold by the carton from our Villawood warehouse.
Not sure which tape you need?
Which Packing Tape Should I Use?
The quick answer: use acrylic for everyday cartons, hot melt for heavy or overfilled boxes, natural rubber for cool rooms and dusty or recycled board, and kraft paper tape when you want a plastic-free finish.
Acrylic
Clear, quiet to unwind and stays clear over time. An economical all-rounder for standard cartons and storage.
Hot Melt
Grabs the moment it touches the box. Great on busy benches and for heavy cartons that want to push open.
Natural Rubber
The strongest grip on dusty, recycled or cold cardboard. It stays stuck in chillers and freezers.
Kraft Paper
A brown paper tape with no plastic film, so the sealed box can usually go straight into cardboard recycling.
Clear or Brown Packing Tape?
Clear packing tape is the most popular choice. It keeps barcodes, shipping labels and printed boxes easy to read, and it looks neat on any carton colour.
Brown packing tape blends in with plain kraft cartons and hides scuffs and dirt in the warehouse. Both seal just as well, so it mostly comes down to looks.
How to Choose the Right Packaging Tape
Think about four things: how heavy the carton is, where it's packed and stored, what the box is made of, and how wide the seam is.
Carton weight. Light parcels are fine with acrylic. For heavy or tightly packed cartons, hot melt or natural rubber holds the flaps down better. For very heavy boxes, our extra heavy duty 60 micron clear tape adds strength.
Temperature. Most tapes lose grip on cold cardboard. If you pack in a cool room, a freezer or an unheated warehouse in winter, use natural rubber.
Box surface. Recycled and dusty board is harder to stick to. Natural rubber and hot melt grab rough surfaces far better than acrylic.
Width. 48mm suits most cartons. Go to 72mm for large or heavy boxes, or 24mm and 36mm for small parcels and bundling.
Our Hand Tape Range
Every roll is sold by the carton. Our main line is our own imported range, backed up by premium branded tapes from Stylus, Tesa and Husky.
| Tape | Best for | Widths | Roll length | Colours | Rolls per carton |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acrylic | Everyday cartons | 48mm | 75m | Clear | 36 |
| Hot melt | Heavy or overfilled cartons | 48mm | 75m | Clear | 36 |
| Natural rubber | Cool rooms, dusty or recycled board | 24, 36, 48 and 72mm | 75m | Clear, plus brown in 48mm | 72, 48, 36, 24 |
| Extra heavy duty (60 micron) | Very heavy cartons | 48mm | 50m | Clear | 36 |
| Kraft paper | Plastic-free packing | 48mm | 50m | Brown | 50 |
Need a different colour, width or thickness? We can source it on request. Just ask in the form below.
Buying tape by the carton or pallet?
Tell us which tape you use and roughly how many rolls a month. We'll send straight pricing and suggest the best adhesive for your cartons.
Dispensers and Other Tape Options
A good pistol grip tape dispenser makes sealing faster and neater, and the low-noise version is much easier on a busy packing floor. Running a lot of cartons? Machine packaging tape comes on 1,000m rolls for carton sealers. For plastic-free packing, see our paper tape and water activated tape. Then match your tape to the right cardboard boxes.
Common Questions
Which packing tape is best for cold storage or freezers?
Natural rubber. Acrylic can struggle to grab cold cardboard, while natural rubber sticks straight away and stays stuck at low temperatures.
Will your 48mm tape fit a standard tape gun?
Yes. Our 48mm hand rolls are wound on standard 76mm cores, so they fit standard 48mm pistol grip dispensers.
What's the difference between acrylic and hot melt tape?
Hot melt grabs faster and harder on first contact, so it suits heavy or overfilled cartons. Acrylic is a little slower to bond but stays clear and holds well over time, which makes it a good everyday choice.
Should I use clear or brown packing tape?
Clear packing tape keeps labels, barcodes and printed boxes visible. Brown packing tape blends in with plain kraft cartons and hides scuffs. Both seal just as well.
How many rolls come in a carton?
Most 48mm rolls come 36 to a carton. Natural rubber comes 72 to a carton in 24mm, 48 in 36mm and 24 in 72mm. Kraft paper tape comes 50 to a carton.
Can you supply other colours, widths or thicknesses?
Yes. Clear and brown are stocked, and we can source other colours, widths and thicker films on request. Tell us what you need in the form below and we'll check lead times.
Is packaging tape recyclable?
Plastic tape isn't, and it's best peeled off before the box is recycled. Kraft paper tape is made from paper, so boxes sealed with it can usually go straight into cardboard recycling.
Enquire About Bulk Packing Tape
Looking for carton or pallet pricing, regular supply, or help choosing the right adhesive?