Five years later Drew invented Scotch® Transparent Tape, the first waterproof, clear adhesive tape. Introduced during the Great Depression, Scotch Transparent Tape quickly filled the need of Americans to prolong the life of items they could not afford to replace.

The perfect all-purpose product to keep in your creativity toolbox, Scotch® Washi Tape is the simple solution for everything from adding a personal touch to a gift to DIYing home decor, and everything in between.

John Borden To make the product more useful, the scotch tape sales manager at 3M, John Borden, designed the first tape dispenser in 1932, which had a built-in cutting mechanism and would hold the cut end of the tape until its next use.

Cellulose Acetate The “invisible” film that we know as tape. It starts as cellulose, a long, tough, glucose-laced polymer that gives plants their structure. Typically it's extracted from cotton or wood and treated with acetic acid, the chemical that makes vinegar vinegary.

Scotch tape is a clear sticky tape that is sold in rolls and that you use to stick paper or card together or onto a wall.

What Are The Advantages of Tape?

• Provides structural strength that can replace bolts, rivets, welds and other mechanical fasteners.
• Can use lighter thinner materials.
• Bond dissimilar materials without incompatibility concerns.
• Acts as a moisture seal/environmental barrier.

Washi tape is a decorative, multipurpose masking tape that comes in an array of brightly-colored patterns. It is often used for papercraft projects, such as bookbinding, scrapbooking or journaling, but there are many other creative ways to use it around the home.

Nothing. They're the same thing! Originally marketed as Japanese Masking Tape, at some point the accepted international term for the tape became "washi tape". In Japan, it's known as masking tape (マスキングテープ) and the most renowned brand of washi tape is simply called mt - which stands for "masking tape".

Scotch was the premier reel to reel recording tape manufacturer since they started production in 1948 of the famous 111 “standard play” tape. At the time the formulation was also available with a paper backing. The 111 put the company on the map, and was used as a studio standard throughout the 1950s and early 1960s.

History. In 1930, Richard Drew, a 3M engineer, developed the first transparent sticky tape in St. Paul, Minnesota with material known as cellophane. Drew's inspiration came from watching auto-engineers try to achieve smooth paintings on two-color cars.

What's the difference between Scotch® Magic™ Tape and Transparent Tape? Transparent Tape has a glossy finish, while Scotch® Magic™ Tape is frosty on the roll, but invisible on paper making it perfect for writing on in pen or pencil.

With such strength, it's no wonder that tape has earned the title of "magic." However, the name comes most likely from the one property that distinguishes it from other tape. It is a whitish color on the roll, but when it is applied, it becomes clear, and cannot be seen.

cheap They allegedly told Drew to take his “Scotch” tape back to the drawing board, using the term to mean “cheap,” a derogatory dig at stereotypical Scottish thriftiness. The name, so to speak, stuck. It would be used for the larger range of tapes from 3M (as the company would later be known).

"Introduced during the Great Depression, Scotch Transparent Tape quickly helped people prolong the life of items they could not afford to replace. The new tape was used to seal opened cans, mend torn pages of books, and fix broken toys," Benham said.

• When Was Tape Invented? The first variation of tape was invented in 1845 by a surgeon, Doctor Horace Day.
• What Was Used Before Tape? An assortment of things was used before tape.
• The Many Uses of Different Types of Tape. There are at least 50 different types of adhesive tape, each with their own specific uses.

Adhesives bond and seal simultaneously Using adhesives to bond two surfaces helps seal out water, moisture, dirt and other environmental contaminants. Because the seal has adhesive properties, there is no need for a separate mechanical fastener.