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Broken spine, loose cover and torn pages are unwelcome sights in anyone’s library. Fortunately, a simple roll of tape can help with repairs. Although any masking tape or cellophane tape on hand may be tempting, if you buy a stronger and more elastic professional repair tape to provide better protection on horizontal and round surfaces, you will get Better results. These tapes also tend to be acid-free, which is especially important if you are repairing valuable volumes. Find the tape that best suits your needs in our favorites below-whether you are repairing slender magazines, heavy monographs or beloved art history texts.

This high-quality tape for book binding is discreet, reliable and acid-free. It is made of cloth with high tensile strength and can be stretched to neatly cover curved surfaces such as spine and corners, and keep it in place. The adhesive can be firmly fixed without undulation, and if you need to tear the tape, it will not leave a sticky residue. We also like that this tape is dyed matte, opaque black, which matches the color of any book. It is also tough and can resist wear and tear, in case your book is hit in the future.

If you are looking for tape that matches or complements the palette of colored books, or just a statement tape, please browse BookGuard's products. This professional tape company sells tapes in a variety of matte colors, including forest green, burgundy, orange, and navy blue. As for the performance of the tape, please expect this cotton cloth to have excellent adhesion, which is vinyl-coated to increase thickness and strength. We found that it is easy to cut, fits the angle smoothly, and does not flake off the edges.

Want your tape to be barely visible? Consider Scotch's clear 2-inch tape. It is made of acrylic, a notch thicker than standard packaging tape, and stronger. It also has a little flexibility to reduce the coverage of uneven surfaces. Although you don’t have to worry about this kind of tape becoming brittle and cracking over time, it is not technically acid-free, so we don’t recommend using it for your most precious large books.

Unlike the other tapes on this list, this tape is glued, which means you must wet the adhesive to make it sticky. The backing will immediately bond to any surface it touches-so it requires a certain degree of skill and accuracy-and forms an almost permanent seal that can only be removed with mineral spirits. Acid-free and neutral pH, this is a wise and powerful choice to meet protection needs. Since the tape has scratches in the middle, it is perfect for re-attaching the cover because you can fold it neatly and concisely, but this tape is also gentle enough to hold loose pages. However, it is sold in 3-foot rolls, and the price is about the same as the cost of a typical 15-yard roll.

Finding a good white tape is surprisingly challenging. Some are actually more cream or off-white, while others tend to pick up and show off dirt. This 2-inch wide option is not only a solid bright white, but it is also made of smooth coated cloth that will not attract dirt quickly. If you want a tape that allows errors, this is also a good choice because it is sticky, but it is easy to peel and adjust as needed.

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