Who Invented Cellophane Tape?

Richard G. Drew, an engineer at the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company or in short the 3M Company, is the inventor of what are now known as cellophane tapes or Scotch tapes. Cellophane tapes are an improved version of masking tapes and the first cellophane tape was made in 1930.

Masking tapes were invented by the same inventor in 1923 and it was specially designed for painters. The tape helped the painter paint a straight border between two colors. The masking tape had adhesive attached only on the edge. That is, there was no adhesive in the middle of the tape.

The same engineer is responsible for having invented the first waterproof tapes. When these cellophane tapes were launched in America, the economy was in tatters but still the tapes earned profit because most people found it cheaper to mend books, documents, window shades and so on, by means of this new product.

However, it was upon another inventor, John A Borden, of the same company, to invent the first tape dispenser with a built-in cutter blade. This was in the year 1932. Currently there are a variety of tapes in use for sticking purposes which include: pressure sensitive tapes, water activated tape, heat activated tape etc.

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