Sellotape is a British brand of transparent, cellulose-based, pressure-sensitive adhesive tape. Founded in the 1930s, it is the leading brand in the United Kingdom and is generally used for joining, sealing, attaching, and mending.
Similar to how the brand name Scotch Tape came to be used in Canada and the United States when referring to any brand of clear adhesive tape, Sellotape has become a genericised trademark in the United Kingdom and a number of other countries where it is sold.
History
Sellotape was originally manufactured by Colin Kinninmonth and George Grey in the Acton area of London.[1] The name was derived from Cellophane, at that time a trademarked name, with the "C" changed to "S" so the new name could be trademarked.[2] It was made at a factory in Borehamwood from 1930 to about 1950, when it moved to Welwyn Garden City.
The range of tapes available in the 1950s and 1960s was immense compared with what is available today, including RBT (reinforced banding tape), metallic tapes, and a tape used for repairing PCBs.