What makes a tape

 
Supplied by tesa

Adhesive transfer tapes consist of a strip of adhesive on an adhesive-repellent release liner, which is usually made of paper or foil. Transfer tapes have no backing, meaning that when the liner is removed, pure adhesive is all that remains.

Supplied by tesa

Double-coated tapes consist of an adhesive on both sides of a foam, film, paper, cloth or non-woven/tissue carrier which adds dimensional stability for easier handling and dispensing. The adhesive on each side may differ in chemistry and may have the same or different coating thicknesses. The adhesive on each side of the carrier may be protected by a liner of glassine or film. Double-sided tapes allow joining of two materials back-to-back. Contrasting, even absolutely non-compatible, materials can be joined using the right tape with, for example, different types of adhesives.

Supplied by tesa

Single-coated tapes consist of an adhesive applied to only one side of a backing. The adhesive is protected by a silicone-coated or speciality release liner that is removed before the adhesive is put in place. Self-wound tapes do not have release liners but, if necessary, consist of a release-treated film coated on the non-treated side with an adhesive. They are wound on themselves and easily unwound. The correctly adjusted unwinding force can be an important criterion for some applications. Single-sided tapes allow bonding to a surface or joining of two adjacent or overlapping materials.

 

Types of adhesive
Types of backings