You may have heard the word “washi tape” or “paper masking tape” before, perhaps seen some random posts on Pininterest and other social media about it, but what exactly is washi tape and what are its main characteristics? Washi tape is actually a type of decorative tape that has printed distinctive colorful patterns making it very useful for all types of decoration purposes.

Washi paper is usually made of natural Bamboo, Hemp, Bark Tree or other plant-derived fibers that are native to Japanese and Chinese regions. In China especially, where the first paper was invented around 105 A.D, paper products have evolved over the centuries and washi tape is one of the latest manufactured products out of paper, making its entrance in the Chinese market over the last decade.

Despite their paper and thin appearance, washi tapes are just as durable as regular duct tapes. They are also renowned for their following benefits:

• In huge variety of colors and patterns-from solid colors to beautiful, artistic, and complex art patterns.
• Easy to use and tearby hands without scissors
• Can be easily removed without leaving sticky traces
• They are also affordable and the average cost of a washi tape ranges from $2-8.

The width of the washi tape usually ranges from 1/3 inch to 2 inches, although smaller or bigger widths are also found in the market. Washi tapes are found both in major offline and online stores such as etsy.com, amazon, and ebay.

Snail tape categories
Based on the appearance and their texture, Snail washi tapes, are further divided into 4 main categories, although there are many variations to these as well:

• Paper washi tape. This has a paper layer on top of the sticky layer and isavailable in multiple patterns and colors by printing.
• Foil washi tape. Unlike paper washi tape, this has a foil/metallic layer on top which usually appears gold, silver, or fuchsia.
• Glitter tape. A variation of the foil washi tape with the addition of a glitter layer, usually in any solid color e.g. blue glitter or pink glitter although some glitter patterns e.g. rainbow may be present as well.
• Washi tape sticker. This has all the above three categories in one sticker,that can be cut in any shape or form you desire, for any decoration purpose.