Custom vs plain packing tape and poly mailers: is printing worth it?
Printed tape costs $9.03 or more a roll; plain clear tape is $1.56. Printed poly mailers run about $0.90 each against $0.20 plain. Here's what the difference works out to per order, and when it pays.
By Supply Run · prices checked Nov 6, 2026 · shipping not included
The short answer
- Custom tape is cheap branding per box. A roll seals roughly 100 boxes, so printed tape adds about $0.07 a box over plain. The catch is the first order: a case or more, and some suppliers add a plate fee.
- Printed poly mailers cost several times plain ones ($0.90 vs $0.20 each at 500). On a $30 order that's still small, but on a stream of cheap orders it adds up fast.
- A good middle ground: plain boxes or mailers with custom tape or a printed sticker. Most of the branded look for a fraction of the cost.
Tape, per roll
Smallest order at each supplier, with plate fees spread across the rolls. Custom tape is 1-color unless the supplier prints full color.
| Roll | Plain, cheapest | Custom, cheapest | Custom costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2" × 110 yd | $1.56 The Boxery, 36 rolls | $9.03 Tape Jungle, 36 rolls incl. plate | 5.8× as much |
| 3" × 110 yd | $2.34 The Boxery, 24 rolls | $13.54 Tape Jungle, 24 rolls incl. plate | 5.8× as much |
How many boxes a roll seals depends on the box and how you tape it. One strip over the top seam and one over the bottom of a 12 × 12 × 6 box, folded down the ends, uses about a yard, so a 110 yd roll does around 100. H-taping uses two to three times as much.
Poly mailers, per mailer
| 10 × 13 mailers, 500 | Each | Order |
|---|---|---|
| Plain white (Uline) | $0.20 | $100 |
| Printed (Vistaprint) | $0.90 | $450 |
The cheapest plain mailer per piece is The Boxery at $0.09, but only by the case of 1,000.
When printing pays
- Print it if customers film or photograph the unboxing, if the package is the first thing a new customer sees from you, or if you ship gifts where the outside matters.
- Stay plain if most orders are reorders from people who already know you, if margins are thin, or if you're still changing your logo or colors.
- Start with tape. It brands every box at the lowest cost per shipment, it works on plain boxes, and one design covers every box size.
- Mind the minimums. Custom tape starts at a case of 24 to 36 rolls at most suppliers, and some charge a one-time plate fee. Plain tape comes in cases of 24 to 36 too, and some sellers offer 6-packs.