The Pressure Sensitive Tape Council defines a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) as requiring two things: aggressive and permanent tack, and adhesion with finger pressure. This simple definition makes the concept of a PSA easy for anyone to understand. It also leaves room for differentiation: a variety of adhesive chemistries and tape formats can be combined to help ensure that a specific tape satisfies a specific need.
While a couple of types of tape can cover most general household needs, production on an industrial scale requires tapes with specific properties so that each assembly performs predictably and is the same as all the others. Important considerations involve both the type of adhesive, designated by its main chemical component, and the format of the tape.