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Sealing a mylar comic bag with the wrong tape is how collectors damage the exact books they’re trying to protect — high-tack tapes like masking tape can tear the bag or leave residue on the comic if it ever needs reopening. This is a narrower market than most — only a couple of tapes are purpose-built for archival use, and collectors have settled on a short, well-tested list of low-adhesive alternatives for the rest.
| # | Product | Price | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | E. Gerber Archival Comic Book Tape | $12-$22 | Amazon |
| 2 | J-Lar Clear Tape | $10-$20 | Amazon |
| 3 | Shurtape J-LAR Library Clear-to-the-Core Tape | $15-$30 | Amazon |
| 4 | Neschen Filmoplast P Archival Tape | $10-$20 | Amazon · eBay |
| 5 | Filmoplast P90 Archival Tape | $10-$20 | Amazon · eBay |
| 6 | Scotch Magic Tape (3M) | $4-$9 | Amazon · eBay |
| 7 | ScotchBlue Painter’s Tape (3M) | $6-$14 | Amazon · eBay |
The picks, in detail
E. Gerber Archival Comic Book Tape
The purpose-built option: E. Gerber makes the Mylite sleeves most serious collectors use, and this is the tape made to seal them.
- Clear double-sided acid-free tape
- 1/4 inch x 36 yards
- From the maker of Mylites 2, Mylites 4 and Mylites+
- Made specifically to seal the fold-over flap on Mylar sleeves
- One roll seals roughly 300-400 comics
- Used by archivists for encapsulation generally, not just comics
- Intended as a permanent seal, so it is the wrong choice if you expect to reopen the bag
- Sold mainly through comic and archival suppliers rather than general retail
J-Lar Clear Tape
The archival trade’s standard clear tape, explicitly used for edge-sealing Mylar enclosures.
- Crystal-clear polypropylene base
- Acid-free with a non-yellowing acrylic adhesive
- Abrasion, grease, oil and solvent resistant
- Genuinely archival – stocked by conservation suppliers like TALAS and University Products
- Clearer and stronger than general-purpose office tape
- Doubles as label protection and spine reinforcement
- Single-sided, so it seals the outside of a seam rather than bonding a flap from within
- Stocked by preservation suppliers, not craft shops
Shurtape J-LAR Library Clear-to-the-Core Tape
The wide library format of J-Lar, for anyone sealing bags in volume or reinforcing magazine spines too.
- 2 inches x 72 yards
- Clear to the core
- Tear by hand
- Far better value per yard than small archival rolls
- Tears by hand, so no dispenser needed
- 2 inch width is wider than you need for a comic bag seam
- Large roll is overkill for a small collection
Neschen Filmoplast P Archival Tape
The thin, transparent sibling of the P90 – the archival choice when the repair needs to be as close to invisible as possible.
- Thin transparent archival paper tape
- Acid-free and wood-free
- Non-yellowing pressure-sensitive adhesive
- Far less visible than the opaque P90 on a display bag
- A genuine conservation product stocked by archival suppliers like TALAS
- Made for repairs where appearance matters
- Thinner and less robust than the P90
- Still a paper tape, so it is not truly invisible on clear Mylar
Filmoplast P90 Archival Tape
Neschen’s archival paper tape, long used in book and paper conservation.
- Acid-free wood-free archival paper tape (50 gsm)
- Buffered with calcium carbonate
- Passed the PAT test, ISO 18916 accelerated-ageing standard
- Non-yellowing acrylic adhesive
- A genuine conservation product with a long track record
- Available from most archival suppliers
- Opaque paper rather than clear film, so it is visually obvious on a Mylar bag
- Better suited to boards and boxes than to sleeve seams
Scotch Magic Tape (3M)
Not archival, but the tape collectors most often reach for when they want a seal they can undo later.
- Matte finish
- Low tack relative to packing tape
- Available everywhere
- Cheap and universally available
- The most commonly cited choice when the bag may need reopening for grading or resale
- Not an archival product – do not treat it as a long-term seal
- Adhesive will degrade over years, unlike the acrylic archival tapes
ScotchBlue Painter’s Tape (3M)
The removable option: low tack, clean removal, and no pretence of being archival.
- Low-tack acrylic adhesive
- Designed for clean removal
- Multiple widths
- Removes cleanly from Mylar without tearing it
- Good for temporary storage or bags you handle often
- Visually obvious blue on a display bag
- Explicitly temporary – not for long-term storage
Buying tips
- Never let any tape – archival or not – touch the comic itself. It goes on the Mylar sleeve only.
- Decide first whether the seal is permanent. E. Gerber’s double-sided tape and J-Lar are meant to stay put; if the bag may be reopened for grading or resale, use a low-tack tape instead.
- Skip masking tape and packing tape entirely – collectors consistently report both damaging bags or books on removal.
- One roll of E. Gerber archival tape seals roughly 300-400 comics, which makes it far cheaper per book than the sticker price suggests.
- Buy the archival tapes (E. Gerber, J-Lar) from comic or document-conservation suppliers – general craft stores rarely stock either.
- Scotch Magic Tape is not archival. It is the pragmatic choice for books you handle often, not for a long-term seal on a valuable issue.
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