Adhesive tape, a cornerstone of modern bonding technology, traces its lineage to ancient adhesives. As early as 70,000 BC, South African cave dwellers combined red ochre and tree sap to seal cave paintings, foreshadowing basic adhesive chemistry. By 2000 BC, the Egyptians had documented glue recipes, while the Chinese (618–906 BC) refined animal glue from stag horn and fish bladder for surface bonding. For centuries, animal-based glues such as horse glue dominated, especially in the 1700s, until the advent of synthetic adhesives revolutionized bonding materials in the modern era.

The modern tape industry began in 1845 when Dr. Horace Day created the first adhesive tape, known as surgical tape, by combining a rubber-based adhesive with fabric strips. This innovation provided the foundation for today’s pressure-sensitive adhesives. Surgical tape led the market for 50 years, until 1901, when German inventor Oscar Troplowitz launched Leukoplast—an adhesive patch distributed by Beiersdorf AG—further advancing wound care and medical tape applications.

Major tape innovations continued in the 20th century. In 1921, Earle Dickson, an employee at Johnson & Johnson, invented the Band-Aid after his wife’s surgical tape failed to stay on her fingers. By bonding gauze to cloth-backed tape and covering it with crinoline, Dickson produced a reliable wound dressing. Johnson & Johnson quickly recognized the product’s value, promoted Dickson, and mass-produced Band-Aids—making adhesive bandages a household staple.

The invention of masking tape in 1925 by Richard Drew at 3M marked a breakthrough for the automotive and painting industries. Aimed at helping auto manufacturers achieve clean lines on two-tone cars, this pressure-sensitive tape later became known as Scotch Tape. 3M evolved into a global leader in adhesive tape manufacturing, offering a diverse range of tape products.

During World War II, Johnson & Johnson developed duct tape in 1942 to repair and waterproof soldiers’ ammunition cases. This versatile, water-resistant tape soon found utility beyond the battlefield, becoming a staple for both industrial and consumer applications. Advances in materials science and fabrication methods have since led to the development of specialty tapes, including double-sided tape, ultra-strong adhesives, and ultra-thin tape options for demanding applications.