Once you have decided that water-activated tape is the right carton sealing choice for your business, you need to decide which water-activated tape (WAT) dispenser you should purchase. From the most basic perspective, you want to decide if you need a manual WAT dispenser or an electric WAT dispenser. Here is a guide on how to choose between the two types of WAT dispensers. Water Activated Manual Tape Dispenser A manual tape dispenser does not require electricity. There are several variations of manual dispensers. The most basic requires the packer to pull on the tape and then tear the tape using the blade. Other WAT dispensers have an adjustable numbered scale and a lever that you pull to have the tape wet and cut. You simply choose the measurement and pull the lever to get the length of tape you need. These dispensers often also h ave a feature in which allows the packer to dispense an infinite amount of tape. A manual WAT dispenser is a low cost option. These dispensers are desirable when transportability is necessary or the packaging station is without access to electricity.

Ideally, your customer’s experience ordering and receiving your company’s products at their home or office should be seamless. The package should arrive on time and in good condition. Unfortunately, this is not always the case for shipped cartons, sometimes because of poor packaging practices. We created this post as a tool you can use to establish consistent packaging standards to ensure carton safety.

As a result of the explosion in e-commerce selling, many businesses have begun using water-activated tape (WAT) to seal their shipping cartons. Some people initially resist using WAT because they think that plastic, pressure sensitive tape (PST) is less expensive to use. If, however, one looks beyond the “cost per foot” equation of using PST vs WAT, there are so many benefits to using water-activated tape that it may be worth your while to switch. This post will discuss some of the benefits of water-activated packaging tape.

There are two primary types of packing tape that are used to seal cartons: plastic pressure-sensitive tape and paper water-activated tape. Each has different physical properties, methods of application, appearance, and performance. It is important that companies go beyond simple decision drivers like cost and availability, and consider how these attributes can impact their operations.

When evaluating what type of packaging tape will best meet a company’s needs, it is important to look at how plastic pressure-sensitive tape and paper water-activated tape compare in key characteristics and benefits.