Cello tape and packing tape are two different tapes. Cello tape is the narrow clear stationery tape you use on paper and gift wrap, and packing tape is the wider clear or brown tape made for sealing cardboard boxes. If you are posting a parcel, use packing tape.
This guide explains what people mean by cello tape, why it lets go on a box seam, which clear tape for parcels to buy and in which width, when masking tape or brown tape does the job better, and how a desk or bench dispenser saves time. It ends with pack sizes, cost per roll and delivery.
In This Guide
- Quick picks for sealing parcels
- What is cello tape, and is it the same as packing tape?
- Can you use cello tape to seal a parcel?
- Which clear tape should you use for parcels, and in what width?
- When is masking tape or brown tape the better pick?
- How does a desk or bench dispenser speed up taping?
- How much tape should you buy, and what does it cost per roll?
- Frequently Asked Questions
Quick picks for sealing parcels
If you came here looking for cello tape to close a box, these are the three things to look at instead.
Best for parcels and boxes
Clear Packing Tape
Transparent polypropylene tape with acrylic adhesive, made for sealing cardboard boxes and parcels.
- 24mm, 48mm and 72mm widths
- Standard rolls are 42 micron
- Packs of 6 rolls
From £3.50 ex VAT (£4.20 inc VAT)
Choose sizeView product
Best for brown cartons
Brown Packing Tape
Buff coloured polypropylene packing tape that matches brown cardboard, so the seal blends in.
- 48mm and 72mm widths
- Rolls from 66m to 150m long
- Packs of 6 rolls
From £4.50 ex VAT (£5.40 inc VAT)
Choose sizeView product
Best for one-handed taping
Bench Top Tape Dispensers
Holds the roll on your desk or packing bench so you pull and cut tape with one hand.
- B2 model takes 24mm tape
- BD50 and CBD50 Clamp-on take 50mm tape
- PD351 takes 75mm tape
From £7.50 ex VAT (£9.00 inc VAT)
Choose sizeView productWhat is cello tape, and is it the same as packing tape?
Cello tape is the everyday name for narrow, clear stationery tape, and it is a different product from packing tape. Many people in the UK call it Sellotape, which is a brand name. You find it in desk drawers and kitchen cupboards, and it is made for paper jobs such as wrapping presents, sticking a note to a door or mending a torn page.
Packing tape, also sold as parcel tape or box tape, is wider and built for cardboard. Our clear packing tape is transparent polypropylene film with an acrylic adhesive, and the standard rolls are 42 micron. It looks similar to cello tape on the roll because both are clear, which is why the two get mixed up.
| Cello tape | Clear packing tape | |
|---|---|---|
| Made for | Paper, gift wrap and light desk jobs | Sealing cardboard boxes and parcels |
| Width | Narrow | 24mm, 48mm or 72mm |
| Where you find it | Stationery aisle, small rolls | Packaging suppliers, packs of 6 rolls |
| Use on a parcel | Not for box seams | Yes |
We do not sell branded stationery cello tape. The closest roll we stock is the 24mm x 66m clear packing tape, which is narrow enough for light office jobs and still made for parcels.
Can you use cello tape to seal a parcel?
No. Stationery cello tape is narrow and made for paper, so it does not hold a cardboard box seam under load. A parcel gets stacked, dropped onto conveyors and pushed against other parcels, and all of that pulls at the flaps.
Two things work against it on a box:
- Width. A narrow strip only grips a thin line of board either side of the seam. A 48mm packing tape puts far more tape on each flap.
- Purpose. Cello tape is designed to hold paper to paper. Corrugated cardboard is heavier and rougher, and the flaps spring back against the tape.
People often make up for it by winding ten strips round the box, which uses more tape and more time and still leaves you with a seal you cannot rely on. One strip of proper packing tape down the seam does more.
Where cello tape is fine. Gift wrap, paper, envelopes and craft jobs. If that is all you need, the roll already in your drawer will do and you do not need to buy packing tape.
Which clear tape should you use for parcels, and in what width?
Use clear packing tape, and for most boxes buy it in 48mm. That is the standard width for sealing ordinary cardboard boxes. Go down to 24mm for small parcels and padded envelopes, and up to 72mm when you want a wider band across the seams of larger cartons.
These are the types of clear tape we stock. All five come in packs of 6 rolls, from £3.50 ex VAT (£4.20 inc VAT) a pack.
| Roll | Width | Specification | Use it for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24mm x 66m | 24mm (about 1 inch) | Acrylic polypropylene, 42 micron | Small parcels, padded envelopes, light office jobs |
| 48mm x 66m | 48mm (about 2 inch) | Acrylic polypropylene, 42 micron | Ordinary cardboard boxes |
| 48mm x 132m | 48mm (about 2 inch) | Acrylic polypropylene, 42 micron | Packing all day with fewer roll changes |
| BigTape 48mm x 150m Low Noise | 48mm (about 2 inch) | Low noise acrylic, 43 micron | Packing areas where noise is a problem |
| Proloc 72mm x 66m | 72mm (close to 3 inch) | Wide clear tape | Seams of larger cartons |
The tape is transparent, so labels, barcodes and printing stay readable underneath it. That is the main reason sellers pick clear over brown for printed boxes and for taping round the edge of an address label.
To seal a box with it:
- Fold the two short flaps in, then the two long flaps over them.
- Run one strip of 48mm tape along the centre seam and carry it a few inches down each end of the box.
- Press the tape down along its full length so the adhesive beds into the board.
- On a heavier box, add a strip across each end seam as well.
- Turn the box over and tape the bottom the same way before you fill it.
For roll lengths and how many boxes a roll covers, see our packing tape guide.
When is masking tape or brown tape the better pick?
Pick brown tape when the box is brown and you want the seal to blend in, and pick masking tape when you need to tear tape by hand, write on it or peel it off again. Neither replaces clear packing tape on a printed box, and masking tape does not replace packing tape on a shipping box at all.
Brown packing tape is buff coloured polypropylene tape for sealing cardboard boxes. It seals the same way as the clear rolls, and the standard 48mm x 66m and 48mm x 132m rolls are also acrylic on 42 micron film. It comes in 48mm and 72mm widths, in packs of 6 rolls, from £4.50 ex VAT (£5.40 inc VAT). There is no 24mm brown roll, so for narrow tape you need clear. Our brown tape vs clear tape guide goes through that choice in full.
Masking tape is crepe paper tape. It tears cleanly by hand, takes pen and marker, and comes away cleanly from most surfaces if you remove it promptly. That makes it the right tape for labelling boxes and shelves, bundling light items, and painting and decorating. It suits light packing only. To close a box that is going in the post, use clear or brown packing tape.
Best for labelling and light jobs
Masking Tape
Crepe paper tape that tears by hand and takes pen, for labelling stock and bundling light items.
- 25mm x 50m in packs of 9 rolls
- 50mm x 50m in packs of 6 rolls
- Removes cleanly from most surfaces if taken off promptly
From £10.00 ex VAT (£12.00 inc VAT)
Choose sizeView productGrades and widths are covered in the masking tape guide. The rest of the range, including fragile tape and kraft paper tape, is in the packing tapes collection.
How does a desk or bench dispenser speed up taping?
A dispenser holds the roll and cuts the tape for you, so one hand stays on the parcel while the other pulls and tears. You no longer hunt for the end of the roll or reach for scissors, which is where most of the time goes when you tape by hand.
Our bench top tape dispensers come in four models, sold per piece from £7.50 ex VAT (£9.00 inc VAT). Match the model to the tape width you use most:
- B2. Takes 24mm tape. This is the desk dispenser for narrow clear tape on an office desk or shop counter, and it is the one to pair with the 24mm x 66m clear roll.
- BD50. Free-standing, takes 50mm tape, which covers standard 48mm packing tape.
- CBD50 Clamp-on. Takes 50mm tape and fixes to the edge of the packing bench so it stays put.
- PD351. Takes 75mm tape, so the 72mm Proloc roll fits it.
Using one takes three moves: load the roll, pull the tape across the cutter with one hand, then tear it off against the blade.
A bench dispenser suits a fixed packing spot where the parcels come to you. If you walk round large boxes or tape on the floor, a hand-held pistol grip tape gun is the better tool. Our tape dispenser guide compares the two, and the desk tape dispenser guide covers office and counter use.
Shop bench top tape dispensers
How much tape should you buy, and what does it cost per roll?
Start with one pack of 6 rolls in the width you use most, which for nearly everyone is 48mm clear. One pack is the minimum order. Clear packing tape starts from £3.50 ex VAT (£4.20 inc VAT) a pack, which works out at about 58p a roll ex VAT. Brown packing tape starts from £4.50 ex VAT (£5.40 inc VAT) a pack, about 75p a roll ex VAT.
- Occasional parcels. One pack of 48mm x 66m. Add a pack of 24mm x 66m if you send a lot of padded envelopes or small parcels.
- Daily orders. The 48mm x 132m or BigTape 48mm x 150m rolls. They cost more per pack, and you change the roll less often.
- Large cartons. Proloc 72mm x 66m, with a PD351 dispenser if you tape at a bench.
The price per pack falls as you order more, and the tiers are shown on each product page. Regular buyers can apply for a trade account, and a VAT invoice comes with every order.
Royal Mail Tracked 48 delivery is free on every order with no minimum. Orders placed by 2pm Monday to Friday leave our Manchester unit the same working day. Click and collect from Cheetham Hill is free and usually ready within 2 hours, and we run same-day van delivery within 10 miles. If you need boxes to go with the tape, see cardboard boxes. For anything else, call 0161 706 1246 or use the contact page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is cello tape the same as packing tape?
No. Cello tape is narrow clear stationery tape made for paper and gift wrap. Packing tape is wider tape made for sealing cardboard boxes, and our clear packing tape is polypropylene film with an acrylic adhesive in 24mm, 48mm and 72mm widths.
Can I use cello tape to seal a parcel?
Cello tape is the wrong tape for sealing a parcel. Stationery cello tape is narrow and made for paper, so it does not hold a cardboard box seam under load. Use clear or brown packing tape on the box seams instead.
What is the best clear tape for parcels?
The best clear tape for parcels is clear packing tape in 48mm width, which is the standard for ordinary cardboard boxes. Use 24mm clear packing tape for small parcels and padded envelopes, and 72mm for the seams of larger cartons. Pack Solution sells all three widths in packs of 6 rolls.
What types of clear tape does Pack Solution sell?
Pack Solution sells five clear packing tapes: 24mm x 66m, 48mm x 66m, 48mm x 132m, BigTape 48mm x 150m Low Noise and Proloc 72mm x 66m. The three standard rolls are acrylic polypropylene at 42 micron and the BigTape roll is 43 micron. Each size comes in a pack of 6 rolls, from £3.50 ex VAT (£4.20 inc VAT).
Can I use masking tape to seal a box for posting?
Masking tape suits light packing, bundling and labelling, and it is not the tape for sealing a shipping box. Masking tape is crepe paper that tears by hand and peels off cleanly, and a box seam needs a tape that does neither. Seal the box with clear or brown packing tape and use masking tape to label it.
Which tape dispenser takes narrow 24mm clear tape?
The B2 bench top tape dispenser takes 24mm tape, so it fits the 24mm x 66m clear packing tape roll. The B2 sits on an office desk or shop counter and lets you pull and cut tape with one hand. For standard 48mm packing tape, choose the BD50 or the CBD50 Clamp-on, which both take 50mm tape.
