How to Replenish a Tape Dispenser

Eject the depleted roll. The empty roll is typically situated on a plastic spindle or roller. Remove both the empty roll and the roller holding it in place. Extract the spindle from its resting grooves by lifting it upwards and towards the rear of the dispenser.

• Smaller tape dispensers might lack a spindle. You should spot a plastic core (or roller) with the empty cardboard tape roll encasing it; extract both components from the dispenser.

Extract the depleted tape roll. Glide the empty tape roll off its spindle, and dispose of it appropriately. If the empty roll is made of cardboard, it can likely be recycled along with paper.

Prepare a fresh roll. Retrieve a new, full roll of tape from its packaging. Double-check the packaging to ensure you have the correct size for your dispenser.

Position the tape correctly. Grasp the full roll so that when you tug the tape, it unwinds across the top of the roll. The adhesive side of the tape should face downward, toward the ground. (If you're holding it incorrectly, the tape will extend away from you, pulling from beneath the roll; the sticky side of the tape strip will face upward, toward the ceiling.)

Insert the tape roll onto the spindle. Glide the new tape roll onto the tape dispenser spindle from either direction; most rollers will fit into the dispenser either way.

Position the spindle correctly.

Hold the spindle so that the paper tab at the end of the roll faces upward and toward the front of the dispenser. Slide the spindle and the new full roll of tape back into the dispenser. Ensure it settles into its holding grooves, allowing it to move freely.

Insert the tape. Grasp the paper tab at the tape's end and draw it towards the cutting edge on the dispenser's end. Glide the tape over the sharp edge and tug downward to sever the colored tab.

Eject the depleted roll. Slide the empty cardboard roll off the spindle securing it in place. The spindle and roller on most packing tape dispensers are fixed and non-removable.

Position the new roll. Extract a fresh tape roll from its packaging, and orient it so it unwinds counterclockwise on the roller. Ensure the end of the tape with the colored tab faces toward the metal cutting edge.

Load the dispenser. Pull the loose end of the tape from the roll and pass it through the gap between the roller and the safety shield. The adhesive side of the tape should face downward.

• Some dispensers lack a safety shield. In such cases, simply guide the tape around the spinner with the tape strip running over the roll's top; the sticky side of the tape should be underneath the tape strip.

Guide the tape. Pull the colored tab from the tape roll's end over the sharp cutting edge of the dispenser. Slice off the colored tab.

• Keep your fingers clear of the sharp cutting blades.

Fine-tune the tensioner. On the spindle center holding the tape, there might be a button to adjust the tape's tension level. Adjust it accordingly to ensure smooth tape flow when applied to a crate or box.

Test the dispenser. Verify that the tape is loaded correctly and the tensioner is adjusted properly. #*Obtain a large box and securely close its open edges on top.

• Grasp the dispenser handle and apply the tape to the far side of a package, precisely at the seam where the open edges of the box meet. Ensure the sharp cutting edge faces away from you. It will resemble holding a “tape gun.”
• The tape should adhere to the box's surface automatically. If not, pull the tape strip slightly and manually adhere the tape's end to the box.
• Press the dispenser firmly against the box's surface while pulling the entire unit across the top of the box.
• Pull the tape over the edge of the box nearest to you, then tear the tape off using the dispenser's sharp cutting edge. Manually stick the tape's edge to the box if necessary.

• Applying a few drops of cooking oil or WD-40 on the spindle knobs will ensure the roll moves smoothly.

• The metal cutting edge is extremely sharp and requires careful handling.

• Tape Dispenser
• New full roll of tape