Office Tape & Adhesive Materials

From insulating wires to adding color to art projects, tape has a wide variety of uses that make it an essential in any office, school, warehouse, or manufacturing facility.

At BuyDirect, find the best adhesives technology, from leading adhesive manufacturers, for secure shipping of cardboard boxes, finishing DIY projects, sealing those important document envelopes, and even insulating electrical wires. We also stock top-quality synthetic adhesives as part of our comprehensive range of office supplies, from glues to binder clips.

Find everything you need to keep your workspace organized and functioning smoothly with BuyDirect. Benefit from affordable prices, easy bulk buying, and fast and free delivery – plus, enjoy 20% off your first order when you shop with us today!

6 Popular Types of Adhesive Tape

With such an extensive range of office tape on offer, how do you choose the right one to keep in your toolbox, supply cabinet, or janitorial cupboard? From protecting and repairing to sealing, discover the top tape types that we stock here at BuyDirect for both quick fixes and more permanent solutions.

#1 Masking Tape

Masking tape is a type of temporary tape that doesn't leave behind any marks or residue when placed on solid surfaces. This makes it ideal as a piece of stationery for labeling and organizing your office space.

Our bestseller is the Universal Removable General Purpose Masking Tape, a durable beige crepe paper that tears easily, yet lays down flat and won't lift or curl.

As a type of adhesive technology, masking tape is also often referred to as painter's tape as it can be used to create clean lines and prevent painting overspray. Try the Universal Premium Masking Tape that comes in a bright blue color for superior paint lines and reduced fingertip abrasion.

#2 Packaging Tape

Choose packaging tape if you're looking for pressure-sensitive adhesives that keep corrugated cardboard boxes sealed and secure.

Made with either a polypropylene or acrylic plastic material coated in water-based synthetic adhesives, packaging tape sticks to the surface of new and recycled cardboard boxes through all weather conditions, no matter where you're shipping to.

Duck's Heavy-Duty Carton Packaging Tape comes in a crystal clear color to maintain a professional look on boxes or address labels. It also has acrylic adhesive joints that strengthen over time, providing a long-lasting hold that makes this tape perfect for storage boxes.

#3 Transparent Tape

Transparent adhesive tape is one of the most popular and versatile types that you'll find on school desks, office drawers, and notice boards. Use it for general sealing purposes, from sealing envelopes to putting up posters and protecting labels.

For an eco-friendly option, try the Scotch Transparent Greener Tape. This has all the same tough and photo-safe performance qualities of the original glossy-finish Scotch Tape, but is made from recycled or plant-based materials.

#4 Double-Sided Tape

Double-sided adhesive tape comes with two sides for secure mounting, bonding, and displaying. The two main types of double-sided tape that we supply here at BuyDirect are:

Removable Tape – Transparent removable tape like this option from Scotch is ideal for hanging pictures and posters that may need to be repositioned or taken down later on.

Permanent Tape – This type is best for mounting tasks where the material won't need to be removed, including scrapbooking, sales presentations, art projects, and science reports. Scotch's

#5 Duct Tape

Duct tape is a strong and sticky type of adhesive tape, making it one of the most popular options for homes and businesses.
As well as being flexible, duct tape is also incredibly waterproof, so can be used for those small repair jobs both in and outside of the office. This includes everything from preventing leaks to sealing the ductwork in your heating system!

Available in a variety of vibrant colors to match creative craft projects, the Duck Colored Duct Tape is also an ideal choice for heavy-duty outdoor use, gardening, labeling, and color-coding.

#6 Electrical Tape

Electrical tape falls into the pressure-sensitive adhesives category and is typically used to insulate electrical wires. It does this by preventing currents from passing through to other wires, therefore protecting homes, businesses, and employees from electrical fires or electrocution.

As well as having excellent electrical insulating properties, the 3M Scotch 35 Vinyl Tape comes in handy for color coding piping systems and marking safety areas.

Stick with High-Quality Adhesive Materials

Office tape isn't the only type piece of stationary that can be used to maintain a strong adhesive bond – check out the other types of office supplies we offer, along with our top product recommendations to keep your workspace organized:

Binder Clips: Securely fasten stacks of paper with sturdy binder clips. These Medium Binder Clips from Acco have a tempered steel construction for an extra-strong hold and spring back into shape when removed, meaning that they can be reused several times.

Glues: Super glue is designed to provide a strong and instant hold on materials such as rubber, vinyl, metal, ceramic, and leather. For tougher DIY project needs that require hot melt adhesives to bond plastic, metal, or wood, try the Stanley Dual Melt Glue Gun

Rubber Bands: Ensure excellent elasticity with the Universal Rubber Bands, which have a high-rubber content of 70% to prevent breakage. Another huge benefit of these bands is that you can purchase them by the weight, allowing you to benefit from great value bulk buying savings.

Fasteners: Fasteners are devices used to secure two or more materials together. They're popular in the automotive industry to attach parts like fenders, but can also be used for simple household items like cabinets.

The water and UV-resistant contact adhesives in the Industrial-Strength Heavy Duty Fasteners from Velcro work well both indoors and outdoors, as well as in extreme temperatures ranging from -40 to 194 degrees.

FAQs

Unsure of which types of tape will form the adhesive bond you're looking for? Check out some of our most frequently asked questions below:

What is Office Tape?

The most popular type of office tape is clear stationery tape. Often referred to as cellophane or sticky tape, this piece of stationery is transparent and has several everyday uses, including sealing envelopes, securing packages, hanging posters, or repairing torn paper. Adhesive tapes like this are generally made from strong polypropylene or cellulose.

What is Office Tape Used for?

Types of office tape such as transparent, masking, packing, and duct have a variety of uses. Transparent tape is best used as a general piece of stationery for binding documents, sealing envelopes, and preparing storage folders. Whether for storage or shipping, packing tape is ideal for sealing cardboard boxes, while emergency duct tape can act as a temporary patching material.

Is Masking Tape the Same as Parcel Tape?

While masking tape is a type of adhesive tape useful for securing packing paper or bubble wrap, it isn't durable enough to seal boxes. Instead, you should use a thicker packaging or parcel tape made from strong polypropylene or acrylic plastic that properly adheres to the solid surface of a cardboard box.

What Are the Main Types of Adhesives?

Adhesives can be classified according to chemical composition, load-bearing capability, or, most commonly, form. For example, contact adhesives come in an elastomeric form and can be found in rubber cement or countertop laminates. Other types include thermosetting adhesives, pressure-sensitive adhesives, and natural adhesives like protein or starch.