How To Tape A Box For Shipping

November 8, 2022

Seal your packages with confidence

I'm never more excited than the moment I get to send a customer their order of our stunning packing tape! By now you've been reading our many packing tape tips on tape thickness, surface prep, and are ready to ship your own packages with confidence! Wait! How will you apply the tape to best keep it all in?

Which taping method should you use?

For this tip we are assuming you're sending a corrugated box where the flaps meet at the center. Let's talk about the most common methods, along with their pros and cons...

Along the seam

Along the seam is the most common method, but risky. This method is the best way to save time and resources, but has the highest chance of opening during transportation. With this method the ends of the flap are exposed, this presents a catching hazard that could cause the package to open unexpectedly.

H-Seal

H-seal is the most common method used to seal heavy boxes for shipment. Absolutely use this when shipping items that are heavier or greater value. This has tape along the center where the flaps meet and along both edges. This creates a solid hold along the flap edges and eliminates the edge catch hazard. This method can be tricky to master because the tape around each corner needs to be fully adhered to the box and not sticking up.

H-Seal with middle seal

H-Seal with middle seal should be used on rectangle packages to reinforce the middle of the box. The seal at the middle of long rectangle boxes will be the most vulnerable, so take time to add an extra strip of packing tape across the middle.

Cross Seal

Cross Seal is more common with moving boxes. It's just a blend of the other methods above. Tape along the center where the flaps meet and then across the middle. This leaves the edges with an exposed catch hazard, which isn't ideal for packages going through the mail system.

Hot Pawz Packing Tape Tip Blog How To Tape A Package

Don't underestimate the shipping process

Keeping your packages from being damaged during shipping comes down to choosing the right package, packing tape, and method of taping. This starts with not underestimating the forces a package will endure and continuing to read all our packing tape tips!