Since their invention in 1845, adhesive tapes have become an indispensable household item and a crafter’s assistant. From paintings to simple crafts or to make a photo album from scratch, adhesive tapes can be an excellent backup for the project.
However, using a wrong type of tape or a low-quality tape for your project can turn out to be disastrous and may even ruin your art, documents, or books.
Choosing a high-quality adhesive tape can be challenging, as each tape has specific properties to look into. For example, washi tape is a wonderful masking tape, while tacky tape can have strong adherence.
Adhesive Tapes
Although adhesive tape is one of the most regular types of tapes available today, it has not lost its sparkle along the way. It remains one of the high-quality products which are least expensive and can be used for everything, starting from wrapping a present to making a school project and more.
Some of the highly sought after craft tapes in the market are,
- Double-sided tape
- Designed tape
- Duct tape
- Masking tape
- Washi tape
- Transparent tape
- Photo tape
When it comes to purchasing a tape, quality should be your priority. So how do you identify the top-quality adhesive tape?
Each type of adhesive tape has its properties. While choosing, you have to consider the tackiness, flexibility, and holding strength of the tape to determine the quality.
The Flexibility of the Tape
When it comes to craft and art projects, creating a good end product relies on the quality of the adhesive tapes and other materials you use along with it. Only when the tapes have good design flexibility and efficiency will you use them in versatile ways.
For instance, the crafts that you make with adhesives like Washi tape will give you the option to easily reposition and remove the tape without leaving a residue behind.
The Tackiness of the Tape
Tackiness is also known as the stickiness or the adhesiveness of the tape you plan to use. It is also a critical property that helps identify the adhesive tape’s product quality, performance, and effectiveness.
The strongest-adhesion tapes will have a long-lasting hold. Depending on the type of project you are working on, you can either go for low-tack paper tapes like Washi tape or super instant adhesive tapes that are easy to peel.
Holding Strength of the Tape
The holding strength of the tape is what decides whether the specific tape is ideal for your type of craft or not. A top-quality adhesive tape should offer enough holding strength, which is needed for your project. The strong adhesion tapes will have a long-lasting hold and will remain a durable pick.
However, for masking tapes, which are low-tack paper tapes, their quality is not decided by the holding strength. They should offer an excellent temporary hold and must not leave any residue behind when removed. Only then will it be ideal for decorations and experimental play and can also be taken down without damaging the surfaces.
Acid-Free Adhesive Tapes
Adhesives in standard tapes may contain acidic materials, which will damage and weaken the surface that it is used on. Some adhesives may also release acidic gasses gradually as they degrade, which causes damage to the paper or product around it.
Some top-quality adhesive tapes are acid-free and do not contain or release any harmful acidic substances. An excellent acid-free adhesive tape will not dry out and fail, not leave a stain or turn yellow, and it will not leave any residue behind while it is removed.
If you are a crafter, remember to always use top-quality adhesive tapes for all your projects and craftworks to avoid any damage to the product and to save time in the process.