Packing Tape Roll Size Chart: Widths, Lengths, Mil and Boxes Per Roll

Updated September 3, 202625 roll sizes326 stocked tapes

Carton sealing tape comes in 2 inch (48 mm) rolls of 55, 110 or 1,000 yards and 3 inch (72 mm) rolls of 55 or 110 yards, in 1.6 to 3.1 mil hot melt or acrylic. The chart lists every stocked roll size with its adhesive, thickness range, rolls per case, how many boxes one roll seals and the lowest cost per yard, plus how to size a roll to a box.

Standard roll sizes

Carton sealing tape is sold by width and length: 2 inch (48 mm) wide by 55 or 110 yards for hand dispensers, 1,000 yards for case-sealing machines, and 3 inch (72 mm) for wide or heavy seams. Thickness is quoted in mils, from 1.6 mil economy hot melt to 3.1 mil premium acrylic, and the adhesive is either hot melt (rubber-based, aggressive initial tack, best on recycled board) or acrylic (clear, UV and temperature stable, best for long storage and print).

Tape is cut from 48 mm and 72 mm master rolls, so nominal 2 in and 3 in tapes are 1.88 in and 2.83 in wide.
Roll	Metric	Where it is used
2 in x 55 yd	48 mm x 50 m	Hand dispensers; the retail and small-shipper standard
2 in x 110 yd	48 mm x 100 m	Hand dispensers on busy benches; half the roll changes
2 in x 1,000 yd	48 mm x 914 m	Machine rolls for case sealers
3 in x 55 yd or 110 yd	72 mm x 50 or 100 m	Wide seams, double wall boxes, reinforced closures
1.88 in (48 mm) rolls	48 mm	Same as 2 in for every practical purpose; the nominal 2 in roll is 48 mm

Stocked rolls with boxes per roll and cost per yard

Live catalog on September 3, 2026. Boxes per roll assumes one 16 in strip across the top seam and one across the bottom of a 12 x 12 x 12 in box (2 in of overhang each side); an H-seal with four 12 in flap strips uses about 150 percent more tape.
Roll size	Adhesive	Thickness	Color	Rolls per case	Boxes per roll (top and bottom seal, 12 x 12 box)	Cost per yard (lowest)	Stocked variants
2 in x 55 yd	acrylic	1.8 to 3.5 mil	clear, tan	6 to 36	about 62	2.97 cents	24
2 in x 55 yd	hot melt	1.6 to 2.5 mil	clear, tan	6 to 36	about 62	3.32 cents	9
2 in x 55 yd	natural rubber	1.7 to 2.2 mil	clear, tan	6 to 36	about 62	3.71 cents	9
2 in x 55 yd	see product	1 to 8 mil	clear, colored, printed, tan	1 to 36	about 62	2.64 cents	70
2 in x 110 yd	acrylic	1.6 to 2.6 mil	clear, colored, tan	6 to 36	about 124	2.31 cents	17
2 in x 110 yd	hot melt	1.6 to 2.5 mil	clear, tan	6 to 36	about 124	2.92 cents	12
2 in x 110 yd	natural rubber	1.9 mil	clear, tan	6 to 36	about 124	4.34 cents	5
2 in x 110 yd	see product	1.6 to 8 mil	clear, colored, printed, tan	1 to 36	about 124	2.38 cents	70
2 in x 220 yd	see product	see product	clear	36	about 248	2.91 cents	1
2 in x 1,000 yd	hot melt	1.6 to 2.5 mil	clear	6	about 1,125	2.34 cents	3
2 in x 1,000 yd	see product	1.8 to 2.5 mil	clear, tan	1 to 6	about 1,125	3.28 cents	6
2 in x 1,500 yd	see product	1.9 mil	clear	6	about 1,688	4.55 cents	1
3 in x 55 yd	acrylic	2.2 to 3.5 mil	clear, colored, tan	6 to 24	about 62	6.04 cents	13
3 in x 55 yd	hot melt	2.5 mil	clear	6 to 24	about 62	7.07 cents	2
3 in x 55 yd	see product	2.2 to 3.5 mil	clear, colored	6 to 24	about 62	5.52 cents	17
3 in x 110 yd	acrylic	1.6 to 2.6 mil	clear, tan	6 to 24	about 124	3.41 cents	15
3 in x 110 yd	hot melt	1.6 to 2.5 mil	clear, tan	6 to 24	about 124	4.29 cents	8
3 in x 110 yd	natural rubber	1.7 to 2.2 mil	clear	6 to 24	about 124	6.10 cents	3
3 in x 110 yd	see product	1.6 to 8 mil	clear, colored, printed, tan	6 to 24	about 124	3.57 cents	28
3 in x 1,000 yd	hot melt	1.9 to 2.5 mil	clear	4	about 1,125	3.88 cents	2
3 in x 1,000 yd	see product	9 mil	clear	4	about 1,125	6.24 cents	1
4 in x 5 yd	acrylic	see product	colored	1	about 6	1256.00 cents	1
4 in x 72 yd	acrylic	1.8 to 2 mil	clear	6 to 18	about 81	4.86 cents	4
5 in x 72 yd	acrylic	2 mil	clear	12	about 81	9.49 cents	1
6 in x 72 yd	acrylic	2 mil	clear	12	about 81	8.67 cents	1

How many boxes a roll seals

A roll's yield depends on the box length and the seal pattern. A single strip across each of the top and bottom seams uses the box length plus about 4 inches of overhang, twice. For a 12 x 12 x 12 box that is 32 inches per box, so a 55 yard roll (1,980 in) seals about 62 boxes and a 110 yard roll about 124. Under this example, an H-seal adds four 12 inch flap strips, bringing use to about 80 inches per box and cutting yield by about 60 percent; a 3 inch tape used on the same box seals the same count but with more grip per seam. The packing tape per box page has the calculation for other box sizes, and the tape mil thickness guide covers which thickness holds on which board.

Hot melt vs acrylic

Hot melt grabs fast and holds on recycled and dusty kraft, works in cold rooms down to about 32 F, and is the choice for automated case sealers. It yellows and can release over months in heat.
Acrylic stays clear, holds from about 0 to 150 F and for years in storage, and is the choice for long-term storage boxes and printed tape. Its initial tack is lower, so press it down.
Natural rubber has the highest tack of the three for waxed or hard-to-stick surfaces and cold temperatures, at a higher price.

Buying and using tape

Match the dispenser. Hand dispensers take 2 in or 3 in rolls on a 3 in core; machine rolls need the case sealer's core and OD.
Buy by the case. 36 rolls of 2 x 55 or 6 rolls of 2 x 1,000 are the standard cases; cost per yard falls by a third from single rolls.
Use the right mil. 1.6 to 1.9 mil for light single-wall boxes under 30 lb; 2.0 to 2.6 mil for standard shipping; 2.6 mil and up for double wall, heavy or long-storage boxes.
Seal across the center seam and 2 inches down each side; add flap strips for boxes over 40 lb or with contents that push on the flaps.
Store rolls flat, cool and dry. Heat softens adhesive and rolls stored on edge flatten.

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Frequently asked questions

How many boxes does a roll of packing tape seal?

A 2 in x 55 yd roll seals about 60 boxes with one strip top and bottom on a 12 inch box, or about 25 with the stated full H-seal; a 110 yd roll about double that. Bigger boxes use proportionally more.

What size is a standard roll of packing tape?

2 inches (48 mm) wide by 55 yards (50 m); 110 yards for busy benches and 1,000 yards for tape machines. 3 inch (72 mm) rolls are for wide or double wall seams.

Is 1.88 inch tape the same as 2 inch tape?

Yes. Tape is slit from 48 mm master rolls, which is 1.88 inches; nominal 2 inch rolls and 1.88 inch rolls are the same width and fit the same dispenser.

Hot melt or acrylic packing tape?

Hot melt for fast tack on recycled kraft, cold rooms and case sealers; acrylic for clear, long-lasting seals on boxes that will be stored or shipped in heat, and for printed tape.

What mil packing tape should I use?

1.6 to 1.9 mil for light single-wall boxes, 2.0 to 2.6 mil for standard shipping, 2.6 mil and up for double wall, heavy or long-storage boxes. Thickness matters less than adhesive type on recycled board.