An employee packing a parcel with super red writing with a tape dispenser. Shipment of breakable products may be stressful. Regardless of you being a company in the UK or only sending a fragile gift to your friend, delicate tape can work to preserve your items.
This is a special printed tape where the boxes are pointed out with the term FRAGILE and advising the courier to be cautious regarding the items. Indeed, the guidelines used by Royal Mail in package delivery recommend the use of packaging tapes and labels when carrying delicate packages.
This guide will describe what is meant by fragile tape and its application, as well as what to take into consideration when purchasing a tape.
Definition
A roll of clear packing tape with the bold red warning text FRAGILE. Being a piece of specialised self-adhesive packing tape that is printed with cautionary messages (such as the word ‘FRAGILE’) to warn handling hands that a package is filled with fragile goods. It typically possesses three major aspects:
- Clear Warning: The message can be clear through bright lettering of “FRAGILE” in red or black on a high-contrast background.
- Reinforced, Waterproof Tape: It is a tape made out of tough plastics (polypropylene or PVC) that are used to attach strongly to cardboard and can resist ripping, keeping the boxes closed safely.
- Weather Resistance: A lot of the fragile tapes are waterproofed to allow them to survive dampness, heat or cold without becoming sticky; thus, the warning remains in place even during damp UK weather.
Use Cases
- Shipping Perishable Items: Every time you send glassware, ceramics, electronics or other delicate items, you should use fragile tape. It reminds the workers in the mail offices that the package requires special consideration.
- E-commerce Orders: To prevent returns and avoid claims due to damaged delivery, online stores in the UK have been known to apply delicate tape to customer orders (e.g., sensitive products).
- Warehouse and Fulfilment: In warehouses, there are delicate tape-flag boxes that need to be gently handled. This prevents cases of mishandling of valuable inventory by staff.
- Home Moving and Gifts: Relocating or posting a personal gift? Delicate tape puts couriers and movers on notice of delicate contents (family heirlooms or electronic devices).
- Art and Antiques: Fragile tape is commonly used with valuable works of art or antiques when transporting them by art galleries or museums or by museum collectors when transporting the art to reduce the risk of damage.
In case of such situations, one can use weak tape to minimise breakages and errors. According to one industry guide, fragile tape is used to signal to the handle of the package that it contains delicate items… bright colours and clear commercial characters are the obvious signals to a shipping person to be careful.
Benefits
- Increased Manipulation and Breakage Prevention: Bold “FRAGILE” labels attract the attention of those handling them, which helps them not to be rough. This will greatly limit the occurrences of accidents such as falls or uneven piling.
- Professional Appearance: A branded or printed taped package will appear professional and care about what is inside. This will instil more confidence in the customers and is a good image for the business.
- Cost Savings: The Tape is another low-cost precaution that can pay off in the long term. A single broken item will prevent replacement expenses and dissatisfied customers, which will pay off with huge margins.
- Courier Compliance: The recommendation or requirement to mark fragile shipments is implied, or stipulated by, many couriers (including those in the UK). You are doing best practices at no extra expense.
In general, including a weak piece of tape on your packages indicates that you are concerned about safe delivery. It serves as an easy alarm that can go miles far in the case of breakable goods.
Buying Considerations
In selecting these tapes, look after the following characteristics:
- Material & Strength: the majority of weak tapes are made out of plastic (PP or PVC). When carrying heavy or heavyweightparcels, choose a heavy reinforced and extra-strength adhesive tape. Lightweight items can be tape-wrapped using standard tape.
- Print Visibility: Ensure that the FRAGILE print has been printed large, bold and in high-contrast colours (usually red on white) so that people can notice it.
- Roll Size: The width is approximately 48 mm in size, with larger tape available. Another factor is roll length (metres), depending on the number of parcels you are going to send.
- Weather Resistance: Tape must have a moisture rating in the damp UK climate. The tapes with a plastic back tend to last longer in rain and cold than those with paper.
- Green Alternatives: In case the green factor matters, we have biodegradable paper tapes and water-based glues. Remember paper tapes are weakly made when wet.
- Branding: Show signs/blow; some fragile tape suppliers will custom-print the tape (using your logo or colours). This may serve as marketing but preserve packages.
- Budget: Compare the cost per roll and seek bulk offers. A slightly more expensive, higher-quality tape can usually justify its cost in terms of superior protection.
- UK Supplier: In the UK, domestic packaging suppliers can deliver fast. Make sure that they can deliver tape roll at any time to you.
Your package weight and shipping conditions will be balanced with the tape strength and durability, with the result of providing the best protection.
Conclusion
A fragile tape is a simple and powerful method of packaging breakable shipments. Its written warning printed in bold on the box closes it and is a clear indication that one should handle it with care lest it get damaged. The UK business and consumers all gain by using it and even Royal Mail recommends protecting fragile items in order to deliver them safely.
This tape is best used with good padding and hard boxes in order to maximise safety. According to the experts, it is not just a sealing solution but also one of the key elements in the safety of your packages. Simply put, including a roll of quality fragile tape in your packing list is a cheap measure that can help you avoid the pain of damaged goods in the future.
