All About Tape Runners

When choosing an adhesive for your next project, there are a few factors to keep in mind. The first component would be what materials you are sticking together. For me, the second is ease of use. Cost and availability are also big factors in choosing adhesive.

In this article I will focus on tape runners. There are quite a few different varieties on the market, and I'll compare and contrast a few of those, and discuss the benefits and drawbacks to using tape runners when paper crafting. (For a general overview of adhesive types you can see our related article: Sticky Business. Also look for other articles on specific kinds of adhesives.)

For those of you who may be new to scrapbooking, or simply unfamiliar with the term, a tape runner is a small, handheld mechanism that contains a roll of adhesive which you apply directly to the paper. There are no peel-and-stick tabs or liquid components; it is a dry adhesive best used for paper-to-paper adhesion.

Tape runners can come in solid, clear strips, such as the Tombow Mono Permanent; in small squares or pieces of double-stick tabs, such as the Vario Tab Dispenser or 3L Permanent Tape Runner; or they can come in a dotted form. Xyron and EK Success both have a high- quality dotted tape runner.

All varieties provide a strong hold when sticking paper to paper. It's my personal opinion that the Tombow Mono and other solid-strip adhesives hold better for heavier items such as embellished tags and chipboard. The Xyron adhesive, on the other hand, is more easily rubbed away if you get a few dots where they are not wanted. If you have very small items to attach, 3L-style tape runners use very small pieces of double-stick tape which can be applied exactly where you want them.

Tape runners do have one major drawback in my opinion,in that they don't work well with lumpy and bumpy embellishments. Buttons, metal embellishments, glittered items, and anything with more bulk than chipboard is really going to need a different adhesive to make sure it stays where you want it. My preferred adhesive for these items is liquid glue, which I will discuss in an upcoming article.

One of the benefits to using tape runners is their popularity among crafters. They are readily available in your local scrapbook store, online, or in large retail outlets. Prices for these tape runners will run between $6.99 and $12.99 typically, while refills will cost around $3.99. Some of the big chain stores have their own variety that can be as cheap as $3.99 for the unit and $2.99 for a pair of refills.

When choosing a tape-runner system, price is always going to be a factor. Keep in mind that while some refills are considerably less expensive, they are usually also smaller. In the end you might spend more on refills by purchasing multiples of the inexpensive ones rather than paying for the more expensive type with more adhesive per refill. Just double check your packaging, compare your brands and see what's going to work best for your budget in the long run.

Also, be aware that some tape runners are not refillable. It's my preference to spend a little more up front and have a refillable model such as the Tombow Mono, Xyron, or the Vario Tabs. The refills are typically a few dollars less than purchasing a non-refillable adhesive runner. While 3L is a handy and inexpensive option, I prefer not to have to purchase a whole new unit each time.

Also note when purchasing your adhesive that there are both permanent and temporary adhesives. The benefits and uses of temporary adhesive are discussed in a separate article, so realize that the manufacturers I've listed (Xyron, Tombow, Vario, and 3L) also offer temporary adhesives in tape runner form. These adhesives are not meant for heavy items or for permanently sticking anything together, so don't use them on layouts or projects that you want to have last.

My best suggestion is to experiment with different types of adhesive runners. Ask to borrow a friend's at a crop, or purchase a few different types the next time you see them on sale. Trial and error is always a great way to figure out what you do, and consequently don't, like in an adhesive system. The feel, how sticky the adhesive is, and especially how easy or difficult they are to refill can all be determining factors in how well you like the adhesive runners available on the market.