Shipping Supply » Packing Tape http://blog.shippingsupply.com Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:38:19 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Choosing the right Packaging Tape http://blog.shippingsupply.com/packing-tips/choosing-the-right-packaging-tape http://blog.shippingsupply.com/packing-tips/choosing-the-right-packaging-tape#comments Wed, 02 Jul 2008 02:00:03 +0000 Heather http://blog.shippingsupply.com/packing-tips/choosing-the-right-packaging-tape/ Because there are so many types of packaging tapes available, we have chosen to stock Hot Melt Adhesive Packaging Tape because it offers high performance at a low cost.  Despite our effort to make tape purchasing easy, you will need to choose the color, width, and the strength or “mil”.

Choosing color and size is self explanatory; however, do you know what tape will support the weight of your package?  To understand the weight capacity of tape, one must first understand “mil”.  What is a “mil” you ask?

A “mil” is a unit of thickness equal to one thousandth of an inch. To convert mil to inches take mil & divide by 1000. Thus, 2 mil tape would be .002 inches thick.

Ex: 2 mil/1000 = .002 inches

Why should you care about “mil”?  Because the greater the “mil” the stronger the tape.

The following guide should help you determine what “mil” tape should be used based upon the weight of your package.

  • 1.7 Mil- Recommended for packages under 20 lbs.
  • 2.2 Mil- Recommended for packages under 40 lbs.
  • 2.5 Mil- Recommended for packages under 50 lbs.
  • 3.0 Mil- Recommended for packages under 65 lbs.
  • 3.5 Mil- Recommended for packages under 90 lbs.

Note:  Carriers such as UPS, FedEx, and DHL recommend using clear tape when packing to ensure the proper scanning of the shipping labels.

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