Starting from adhesive to glue, binder, Blu-tack, gum, and sellotape, numerous things help in sticking things either on a surface or with another thing together.
That said, stickers and tapes are two commonly used adhesive materials in everyday life, as they have good adhesive bond strength.
Key Takeaways
- Stickers have adhesive on one side and a design or message on the other, while tape has adhesive on both sides.
- Stickers are used for decoration or conveying information, whereas tape is used for binding, sealing, or attaching objects.
- Stickers are single-use items, while tape can be used for various applications.
Sticker vs Tape
A sticker is a type of label. A sticker can be pasted on books, products or walls. There are different types of stickers. Stickers are also available in different designs. Stickers can also be used for decoration. Tape is a type of strip which can be used to tie up or hold things together. Tapes can be of four types.
Labels used for decoration or catalyzing something, in a pictorial representation, are called stickers. R Stanton Avery invented the first sticker.
The shapes, sizes, and colors of stickers determine the functions they serve. They can be stuck on walls, notebooks, and other surfaces; so that they are labelled.
Long strips made of adhesive material with one side of pressure-sensitive adhesive, or both sides, are called tapes. Although there are two materials, the tape is made up of; acrylic and PVC.
Tapes are for adhering two things together. Richard Drew invented tapes to stick the bandaid to his patients’ wounds.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Sticker | Tape |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | It is a piece of paper or designed label or vinyl that has pressure-sensitive adhesive on one side. | It is a straight strip of adhesive material, with pressure-sensitive adhesive on one side or both sides. |
| History | In the 16th century, stickers were used to hide blemishes & R. Stanton Avery invented an adhesive-type sticker in 1935. | The tape originated from St. Paul, Minnesota, by Richard Drew in 1930. |
| Types | There are various types of stickers from custom-designed, polyesters stickers to clear vinyl stickers. | There are four types of tapes water-activated tapes, heat-sensitive, drywall tape to pressure-sensitive tapes. |
| Thickness | A sticker has a thickness of 8.3 mils. | A standard thickness of a tape is 2.7 mils, i.e, 0.07mm. |
| Purpose | Stickers are used for decoration, to stick a thing together, used to represent any brand, and many more. | With its adhesive, tape aids in the bonding of two items. |
What is Sticker?
A type of adhesive label used for decoration or to catalyst something in a pictorial representation. Stickers come in different shapes and sizes with colors and designs depending on their functions.
It was in the sixteenth century when to hide their imperfections, and a few French aristocrats wore stickers on their faces.
During the 1880s, European entrepreneurs used gum paste for the labels of their goods to promote their products to clients. It wasn’t until the 1900s that an adhesive paste specifically made for stickers appeared on the market.
Subsequently, in 1935, R. Stanton Avery was credited for designing the first self-adhesive sticker.
Not only were stickers used to hide flaws or to label things, but also collecting stickers has become a hobby for a few people. Moreover, January 13th is national stick day, initiated by sticker company, StickerGiant.
From bringing out a simple explanation to branding a product for political causes and as a promotional and marketing strategy, stickers play a major role in everyday life.
The stickers on automobiles are called bumper stickers, which used to be a sign of road rage. Window stickers are of vinyl labels. A sticker is made by converting the PVC into flat sheets and attached to pressure-sensitive adhesive materials.
What is Tape?
Tape is also an adhesive material but is a long strip. Anything can be secured using tapes, including glasses, plastics, and metallic materials.
For example, transparent tapes, where only one side has glue, are called Textile Grade Tapes, used in almost every industry.
Moreover, a few famous types of tape are paper tape, duct tape, electrical tape, floor marking tape, and box-sealing tape; each type of tape is attributed to different circumstances. In 1845, a surgeon named Richard Drew created the notion of tape with the sole purpose of glueing strips of fabric to his wounded patients.
Earlier, to make two things together, rope & strings are used; but after the invention of tape, it sticks two things together easier.
Over and above, there are also packaging tapes, double-sided tapes, water-activated tapes, strapping tapes, filament tapes, cloth, and masking tapes for all kinds of purposes.
Tapes are widely employed everywhere because of their super-effective properties.
Firstly, with their adhesive force being strong, it makes peeling hard and binding of objects easy. Secondly, due to its high tensile strength, it sticks coercively with things.
And lastly, on account of dielectric strength, it firmly sticks at all temperatures, even at a high temperatures.
Main Differences Between Sticker and Tape
- A sticker is a small piece of label/printed paper or vinyl adhesive material on one side. A Tape is narrow, straight transparent with pressure-sensitive adhesive heat-sensitive double the sides.
- A sticker made of vinyl & strong adhesive lasts up to 5 years, but tape sticks for up to 2 years.
- R. Stanton Avery invented stickers in 1935. Meanwhile, Richard Drew designed sticky tape in 1930.
- A Sticker’s thickness is 8.3 mils & with paper, the backing is 15 mils. On the other hand, the thickness of a tape is 2.7 mils with a paper backing thickness of around 5.0 mils.
- Stickers aid in decoration and functional purposes; to represent brands by personalized/customizing the sticker, bumper stickers, etc. Tapes help to stick two items jointly without the inclusion of screws & other materials.
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0886335008006299
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/adfm.201500034
Last Updated : 27 July, 2023
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
