Recently, industrial-use craft tape (sometimes called washi tape, masking tape, or “mt”), which had previously been used only in the visual arts, for automobile painting, and in construction, has undergone a complete makeover and has now become a hip desktop stationery product.

The Kikusui tape company has blended characteristically Taiwanese imagery into its craft tape products. Themes like “blue-and-white flip-flops,” “red plastic bags,” and “Formosan black bear” are all popular with consumers.

Old company, new idea

The Ki­ku­sui company, a Taiwanese‡Japanese joint venture that manufactures adhesive tapes for industrial use, has been around for 48 years. But it is only recently that they have ventured into making desktop craft tape. The idea for this came from the second-generation manager of the firm, mysteriously known only by the ­Internet moniker “Ki­ku­sui Boss,” who says: “I wanted to share Taiwan’s high-quality tape technology with all my fellow citizens.” The result has been a fad for Ki­ku­sui craft tape in the stationery trade.

Kikusui hired bi­august, a creative design and branding firm, to come up with a completely new logo and develop the project concept into commercial products. Ki­ku­sui came out with the resulting new brand—called “Story Tape”—in the late autumn of 2012. The first wave included 28 tape designs in three series: “Taiwan,” “Life,” and “Fairy Tales.” The new product line was an instant hit.

Various motifs in Story Tape’s “Taiwan” series—including “blue-and-white flip-flops,” “red plastic bags,” and “fairground balloon shooting”—emphasize the fact that Ki­ku­sui is a local brand. These references are all part of the collective consciousness of Taiwan, giving consumers a sense of warmth and familiarity. The tape is of high quality, is easy to tear off the roll, and adheres well to surfaces, making it a big hit even among the most demanding of stationery product aficionados.

Cutting-edge designer Cheng Wei-jr’s specialty is using tape to tell stories. For her, craft tape means “connections.” She has had many beautiful interpersonal experiences as a result of it.

Tape “recording”

The defining feature of Ki­ku­sui’s Story Tape is that each roll of tape carries a meaning, or at least a mood. “Ki­ku­sui Boss” (whom we will henceforth call KB) and designer ­Cheng Wei-jr, who work closely together, found the process of designing new tape stories increasingly good fun as they got more deeply into developing the “stories” and ideas. KB would often relate memories of visits to scenic locations, and Cheng would then deftly convert these into illustrations and images.

For example, while vacationing in Okinawa, KB picked up a blue-and-white plastic flip-flop that a niece had dropped and that was floating in the sea. ­Cheng transformed this into the tape known as “Andante Cantabile,” which is part of the “Rhythms of Life” series. Another tape, named “Allegro con Grazia,” consisting of circles and other shapes in a lively mixture of various shades of pink and blue, came to ­Cheng in a dream while she was taking an afternoon nap.

The Internet figure known only as “Kikusui Boss” has received many cards from customers embellished with the company’s craft tape. Each handmade card represents dedicated creative input by a “Friend of Kikusui” and demonstrates their attachment to the company’s products. (courtesy of Kikusui)

Not customers, but friends

Interestingly, KB loves to show consumers how much their patronage means to the company and so scoured the four corners of Taiwan to find little gift items for “Friends of Ki­ku­sui” (a nickname KB made up for loyal customers) who bought the initial offerings of Story Tape. In response, these Friends of Ki­ku­sui sent back their own gifts of cards or decorative items hand-made using all kinds of tape. KB—who admits to a penchant for butting into other people’s lives and giving them advice—never tires of being an online “life counselor” to these friends via Facebook, chatting with them about their problems, relationships, and feelings.

How much do fans reciprocate this affection? In early 2016, KB had run out of inspiration and wanted to take a break, and so left the following message on Facebook: “When summer comes and the thermometer hits 33 degrees again, I will return for more storytelling.” As the days passed and summer approached, friends began recording the daytime temperature on KB’s fan page each day as a reminder that it would not be long before the 33 degree mark was reached. Finally in mid-July KB returned in illustrious fashion with a new line of Story Tape called “The Language of Flowers.”

Tank Chen points to craft tape produced from photos of polar auroras and says that these are InkFool’s bestselling line. It is also the first ever craft tape made in Taiwan using photographs.

Transitioning from a traditional industry

In addition to tape created through cooperation between manufacturers and designers, ordinary consumers can also make and share their own original tape creations.

“InkFool” is a brand developed under the flag of the ­Aiska International Corporation. It provides customized printing services, allowing consumers to transform their own illustrations into craft tape.

Tank Chen, who heads up product design in Ink­Fool’s digital printing department, says that this line of business all started when the boss threw a roll of wa­shi tape at him and asked him to figure out how it was manufactured. The underlying business question was this: How is it that this little roll of tape could sell for more than ten times the price of traditional adhesive tape?

Chen explains that craft tape requires markedly different adhesiveness compared to ordinary tape. It must be made so that it can be removed from one surface and re-attached securely to another surface time and time again; so that it does not leave a sticky residue; and so that it does no damage to the paper surface. InkFool has thoroughly researched each step in the process, from materials to printing to adhesive properties, and through trial and error has developed a deep reservoir of knowhow about craft tape.

The first batches of tape produced by Ink­Fool included images derived from photos, tattoos, embroidery, woodcuts, oil paintings, and collages. Especially noteworthy is Ink­Fool’s “receipt craft tape.” Printing till-receipt rolls is the core business at Ink­Fool, so they asked the designer to create a tape that mimicked receipts; after going into mass production they sold 1500 rolls within five days.

A scene at the InkFool factory. Transitioning from a traditional industry, the firm has researched every aspect of the craft tape manufacturing process and, through trial and error, accumulated a great deal of knowhow.

Customized service

Following the entry of their products into the craft tape market, once consumers had developed confidence in the Ink­Fool brand, in June of 2014 they rolled out a customized craft tape printing service. Their clientele consists mostly of high school and university students, and most of the images come from Japanese comic books and anime.

At one point InkFool custom-manufactured 20,000 rolls of tape in one month to fill orders from 300 customers. The income from these little rolls of tape not only permitted the digital printing division, which was going through a transitional period, to earn some income, but production of the tapes also raised market visibility for all Ink­Fool products. They now can be found at the toniest retailers including Kingstone bookstores, Mi­tsu­ko­shi department stores, and Pinkoi.

InkFool’s till-receipt craft tape is both creative and functional. (courtesy of InkFool)

Mixing and matching with Mr. Eggplants

Slowly but surely, colorful craft tape has quietly stolen onto our desktops and become a way to embellish our daily lives with a little flash and pizzazz. Inevitably many consumers have come up with their own inventive adaptations for craft tape. “Mr. Eggplants,” who owns more than 200 rolls, is one example.

Mr. Eggplants—who is in fact a woman—began writing a blog in 2013 teaching netizens how to use craft tape to decorate their notebooks and pocket diaries. She is especially adept at mixing and matching colors and patterns to create endlessly changing applications for this material.

Mr. Eggplants says that craft tape differs from other materials in that it can be used much more flexibly and can express many different visual effects. Moreover you always have the chance to undo anything you have done—just pull off the tape and start again!

Craft tape is a way to add color to life and create reminders of important moments.

Stories waiting to be finished

Kikusui Boss says that craft tape is “sharing” because the Story Tape label originated with KB’s desire to share tape with other people in Taiwan. Though KB remains anonymously in the shadows and has never met any of the “Friends of Ki­ku­sui” face to face, manufacturer and consumers have developed a unique emotional attachment over the years through sharing their common experiences; these days will always live on in their memories.

For Story Tape designer ­Cheng Wei-jr, craft tape means “connection.” Through craft tape she has made many wonderful and meaningful interpersonal connections. She loves to see the way other people use her creations to express themselves in their daily lives, and to see these creations made even more beautiful thanks to the clever ideas and creative adaptations of online friends.

Rolls of craft tape are like unfinished stories, just waiting for the right person to come along and unravel them and write new chapters. Do you want to add some more color to your life? Try craft tape!

A personal diary belonging to Mr. Eggplants. She (this “Mr.” is in fact a woman) compares craft tape to the buttons on clothing—they brighten up the item and attract the eye.