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Description | Types
| Liner/Adhesive Width | Limitations
| PS Tape Council
Description
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Pressure Sensitive (PS) tape
can be applied to the front or back of a continuous form. The PS tape
consists of a liner which covers a double sided adhesive and is wound
into large rolls. The rolls are placed on presses or on collating
equipment so that continuous forms can have the tape applied as they
are being printed or if they are multiple part applications, the tape
can be applied as the parts are being attached together at a collating
machine. The adhesive side of the tape is applied to the front or
back of the form. When the customer is ready to use the form, the
liner material is removed from the tape to expose the adhesive allowing
the product to be attached to another form, a carton, a plastic container,
or numerous other items.
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Types
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There are several types and sizes
of PS tape that are available:
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Removable: Continuous forms with this type
of PS tape can be adhered to objects and then removed without leaving
adhesive residue and without damage to the object. Removable PS tape
may not adhere properly to some objects. Removable tape is suitable
for applications that require only short term adhesion.
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Permanent: Continuous forms with permanent
adhesive may be removed from objects, but the adhesive is much stronger
than removable. The permanent adhesive may leave some adhesive residue
behind and cause some damage if the sheet with PS tape is removed
from the form or object it has been applied to it.
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Double Coated: The adhesive on double coated
tape is even stronger than on permanent tape and it is useful where
there may be more dust or fibers on objects. For example, you may
need to apply an inventory tag onto a carton in a warehouse.
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Freezer Grade: Freezer grade is a permanent
type of transfer tape that is designed to withstand temperatures to
-40°F. It is best suited for paper to paper or paper to carton
applications in environments that are continuously below freezing.
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Heavy Duty: Heavy duty PS tape is a permanent
tape that is applied to the heaviest paper stocks used for manufacturing
continuous forms and only if the form must be adhered to an uneven
surface.
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Liner/Adhesive Width
An important point to remember about PS tape is that the actual
adhesive area is not as wide as the full width of the tape liner, as shown in
the illustration at the top right of this page. For example, a 1/2" permanent
tape has an adhesive that is 5/16" wide. The width of the adhesive needs
to be considered when planning a project, especially if a specific width of
adhesive is required. The table below lists the actual adhesive width of the
most commonly used tapes.
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Liner Width
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1/2"
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3/4"
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1"
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1-1/2"
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2"
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3"
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Adhesive Width
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Type
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Removable
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5/16"
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9/16"
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13/16"
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Permanent
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5/16"
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9/16"
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13/16"
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1-1/4"
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1-3/4"
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2-3/4"
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Double Coated
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1/4"
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1/2"
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3/4"
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Freezer Grade
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3/4"
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Heavy Duty
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1/4"
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1/2"
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3/4"
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1-1/4"
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1-3/4"
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Limitations
There may be some limitations in the way that PS tape is applied
to continuous forms. Some examples include:
- PS tape cannot be applied perpendicular to the direction that the paper
goes through a web press or collating machine. It may be possible for the
manufacturer to apply the tape this way with an offline process, but this
may substantially increase the price of the product.
- It may not be possible to apply tape to the back of a sheet which has numbering
on the front, if the tape application and numbering are applied at the same
time that the sheet is being printed at a web press. The tape or the numbering
could be applied offline, but this would increase the cost of the finished
piece.
- PS tape cannot be applied diagonally.
- It is recommended that PS tape be applied to only one part of a continuous
form. Tape on more than one part may cause jamming problems in the printer
because of the extra thickness of the tape, especially if two or more tapes
are on one side of the form.
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Note: Consult your supplier for the limitations
that they may have with the application of Pressure Sensitive tape.
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PS Tape Council
A valuable resource for additional information on PS tape is
the Pressure Sensitive Tape Council. This organization was developed to serve
tape manufacturers, but there are a number of resources available to non-members
including technical articles and links to transfer tape manufacturers. Click
the link for more information: Pressure
Sensitive Tape Council.
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