Adhesive Dots provide a clean instant bond and are often more suitable than hot or liquid glues or adhesive tapes. Adhesive dots leave much less mess, residue, and odor which help present a product in the best way while increasing productivity and reducing costs. Removable glue dots also allow you to create a bond that can be removed when needed.
Aubry’s Choice For Best Adhesive Dots
My choice is Glue Dots®. They come in multiple profiles, diameters, and tacks. The dots made for crafters are acid-free and non-toxic. You can get them in plastic dispensers like tape rollers. I really like how convenient they are. But you can also get them in bulk boxes.
Things To Think About
Adhesive dots are a quick and convenient alternative to hot glue, tape, and wet adhesive. You just have to place a dot where you want the embellishment to go. Then you press the item onto the dot. Most of the time, you will want the dot to be hidden.
So you need to think about three things when you are picking them out:
- Their shape – most glue dots are circles, so they are round. A few manufacturers offer other shapes like lines and rectangles.
- Their size – they come in various diameters. Tiny dots can be used to hold very small embelishents or added to intricate ones. Large dots can be used to offset single large items.
- Their thicknesses – they come in differenct thickneses. Thinner dots hold items really close to the background. While the thicker dots hold things above the background like they are floating.
What Is An Adhesive Dot
Adhesive dots also called glue dots or glue tabs, are disks or rectangles of double-sided, pressure-sensitive adhesives which bond instantly. They are used as an instant bonding alternative to hot-glues, tape, and wet adhesives.
Who Invented Them
John Downs invented Glue Dots® in 1997. Originally they were developed for the industrial market. His customers needed an instant bonding alternative to tapes and glues. Later the company expanded into the consumer marketplace.
When Do You Use Them
You can use adhesive dots when you need a clean, instant bonding alternative to hot glue, tape, or wet adhesive. I use glue dots to add embellishments when I am scrapbooking or card making. They are good with photos and gift tags.
How Thick Is The Dot
A glue dot’s thickness is called its profile.
The three most common profiles are:
- Low Profile – 1/64″
- Medium Profile – 1/16″
- High Profile – 1/8″.
How Big Is The Dot
Since glue dots are usually circles, their size is called the diameter.
Some of the most common diameters are:
- Minis – 3/16″
- 3/8″
- 1/2″
What Is The Tack
When manufacturers talk about how well an adhesive dot sticks to something, they talk about tack—the greater it is, the stronger the glue dot bonds to things.
Tack is usually one of the following:
- Low tack – items stick well but can easily be removed
- Medium tack – is a stronger bond; paper is difficult to remove without damage, while hard, slick things like plastics can be removed
- High tack – is a permanent bond for most surfaces
- Super high tack – is a very stable permanent bond
Acid-Free Adhesives
If you are doing any archival papercraft like scrapbooking, bookbinding, card making, or working with photographs, you need acid-free adhesives.
Acid-free adhesives don’t yellow or grow brittle with age. They won’t damage your paper or other project elements.
So look for ‘acid-free’, ‘pH neutral’, ‘photo-safe’, or ‘archival safe’ in the glue dot’s product description.
Are Adhesive Dots A Choking Hazard
Yes. Because of their small size, adhesive dots are a choking hazard. They are not for children under 3 years old.
The 5 Best Adhesive Dots
1. Glue Dots
Glue Dots are the original adhesive dots. They work in a wide range of papercrafts.
You can get them in box dispensers, sheets, or palm-sized tape runners.
They are available in multiple tacks, colors, and adhesives. All of them bond instantly.
All Glue Dots are acid-free so they are photo safe. Plus they are nontoxic so they are kid-friendly.
Original Glue Dots
You can get dots in a paper dispenser box. Like all box dispensers, dots get caught in the box. You will have to remove the protective cover from each dot after you apply it.
You can also get a plastic desktop dispenser. You can put any of the original glue dot standard rolls in it. It comes in two versions: one preloaded with dots; one empty.
| Item | Adhesive Diameter | Adhesive Color | Adhesive Tack | Quantity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ultra-Thin Glue Dots® Roll | 3/8 inch | Clear | Permanent | 300 Dots |
| Removable Glue Dots® Roll | 1/2 inch | Clear | Removable | 200 Dots |
| Craft Glue Dots® Roll | 1/2 inch | Clear | Permanent | 200 Dots |
| All Purpose Glue Dots® Roll | 1/2 inch | Amber | Super Strength | 300 Dots |
| Removable Dots™ 2500 Count Bulk Roll | 1/2 inch | Clear | Removable | 2,500 Dots |
| Permanent Dots™ 2500 Count Bulk Roll | 1/2 inch | Clear | Permanent | 2,500 Dots |
You can also get two kinds of sheets. The first holds individual dots on a large sheet. The second is a single adhesive sheet you can cut to fit.
| Item | Adhesive Diameter | Adhesive Color | Adhesive Tack | Quantity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mini Glue Dots® Sheets | 3/16 inch | Clear | Permanent | 252 Dots (21 Sheets) |
| Ultra-Thin Glue Dots® Sheets | 3/8 inch | Clear | Permanent | 252 Dots (21 Sheets) |
| Permanent Dots™ Sheets | 1/2 inch | Light Blue Tint | Permanent | 60 Dots (5 Sheets) |
| Removable Dots™ Sheets | 1/2 inch | Clear | Removable | 60 Dots (5 Sheets) |
| Poster Dots™ Sheets | 1/2 inch | Clear | Removable | 60 Dots (5 Sheets) |
| Repositionable Double-Sided Sheets | 2 ¾X4 inch | Clear | Repositionable | 5 Adhesive Sheets |
| Advanced Strength Double-Sided Sheets | 2 ¾X4 inch | Amber | Super Strength | 5 Adhesive Sheets |
Dot N Go
Dot N Go works like a tape runner. They are palm-sized tape runners that dispense individual dots.
| Item | Adhesive Diameter | Adhesive Color | Adhesive Tack | Quantity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Permanent All Purpose Glue Dots® Dot N Go® | 10 mm | Transparent | Permanent | 125 Dots |
| Removable Poster Dots® Dot N Go® | 10 mm | Transparent | Removable | 200 Dots |
| Removable Multi Surface Glue Dots® Dot N Go® | 10 mm | Transparent | Removable | 125 Dots |
| Permanent Dots™ Dot N Go® | 3/8 inch | Light Blue Tint | Permanent | 200 Dots |
| Removable Dots™ Dot N Go® | 3/8 inch | Clear | Removable | 200 Dots |
| Poster Dots™ Dot N Go® | 3/8 inch | Clear | Removable | 200 Dots |
| Craft Glue Dots® Dot N Go® | 3/8 inch | Clear | Permanent | 200 Dots |
| Mini Glue Dots® Dot N Go® | 3/16 inch | Clear | Permanent | 300 Dots |
| Permanent Glue Squares® Dot N Go® | 3/16 inch | Amber Tint | Permanent | 450 Dots |
| Permanent Glue Dots® Dot N Go® | 3/8 inch | Light Blue Tint | Permanent | 200 Dots |
| Removable Glue Dots® Dot N Go® | 3/8 inch | Clear | Removable | 200 Dots |
| Ultra-Thin Glue Dots® Dot N Go® | 3/8 inch | Clear | Permanent | 300 Dots |
| Removable Glue Squares® Dot N Go® | 3/16 inch | Clear | Removable | 450 Dots |
| Glue Dots® Dot N Go® Project Pack | 3/8 inch | N/A | Permanent | 3 Dispensers |
| Glue Dots All Purpose Dots™ Dot N Go® Permanent Dispenser | 3/8 inch | N/A | Permanent | 125 Dots per Dispenser |
| Glue Dots All Purpose Dots™ Dot N Go® Removable Dispenser | 3/8 inch | N/A | Removable | 125 Dots per Dispenser |
2. Therm·O·Web Zots
Zots, what a fun name!
These adhesive dots are photo-safe and acid-free. So they are good for both cardmaking and scrapbooking.
They come in a range of sizes and tacks that work well with a variety of embellishments like:
- beads
- buttons
- paper flowers
- chipboard accents.
Zots Rolls
These Zots come in a paper dispenser box. Box dispensers are problematic for everyone because the dots get caught in the box. Plus you have to remove the protective cover from each dot after you apply it.
There is one removable zot and another high-profile dot. These give you some options you don’t get with all adhesive dots.
| Item | Adhesive Diameter | Adhesive Profile | Adhesive Color | Adhesive Tack | Quantity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zots Bling | 1/8 inch | 1/64 inch | Clear | Permanent | 325 Dots |
| Zots Small | 3/16 inch | 1/64 inch | Clear | Permanent | 300 Dots |
| Zots Medium | 3/8 inch | 1/64 inch | Clear | Permanent | 300 Dots |
| Zots Medium | 3/8 inch | 1/64 inch | Clear | Removable | 200 Dots |
| Zots Large | 1/2 inch | 1/64 inch | Clear | Permanent | 300 Dots |
| Zots Craft | 1/2 inch | 1/16 inch | Clear | Permanent | 250 Dots |
| Zots 3D | 1/2 inch | 1/8 inch | Clear | Permanent | 200 Dots |
Zots Singles
These Zots come in a resealable bag. The dots come individually, not on paper tape.
Individual dots get around the major complaint about rolls, but it has its own problems. You have to keep track of and handle the individual dots. So you will need to make sure you don’t touch the adhesive before you apply them.
| Item | Adhesive Diameter | Adhesive Profile | Adhesive Color | Adhesive Tack | Quantity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zots Singles Small | 3/16 inch | 1/64 inch | Clear | Permanent | 175 Dots |
| Zots Singles Medium | 3/8 inch | 1/64 inch | Clear | Permanent | 175 Dots |
| Zots Singles 3D | 3/16 inch | 1/64 inch | Clear | Permanent | 125 Dots |
3. Scotch Adhesive Dots
3M has done an excellent job developing two product lines.
The first is Scotch Create. It is marketed to crafters. The second is Scotch. It is marketed to the general consumer.
There is a much wider range of sizes and tacks in the Scotch Create line. So it is a better choice for crafters.
Scotch Create
Scotch created a line of adhesive marketed directly to crafters – Scotch Create. They are all acid-free and photo-safe. So they are designed to work safely with photos.
Like the other dots, they will hold the paper, wood, metal, and foam embellishments used in cardmaking and scrapbooking.
| Item | Adhesive Diameter | Adhesive Color | Adhesive Tack | Quantity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initially Repositionable | 0.45″ (11mm) | White | Repositionable | 850 squares |
| Permanent | 0.45″ (11 mm) | White | Permanent | 1000 squares |
| Clear Ultra Thin | 0.3″ (8mm) | Clear | Permanent | 200 dots |
| Permanent Clear Small | 0.2″ (5mm) | Clear | Permanent | 300 dots |
Scotch Permanent Adhesive Dots
The dots come in a paper dispenser box. Everyone has the same complaint about paper box dispensers – the dots get caught in the box. These Scotch adhesive dots are no different.
The permanent tack adhesive is photo safe. It is designed to work with paper, wood, metal, and foam. So it holds embellishments well for both cardmaking and scrapbooking.
| Item | Adhesive Diameter | Adhesive Color | Quantity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium Craft | 0.3″ (8mm) | Clear | 300 dots |
| Small Craft | 0.2″ (5mm) | Clear | 300 dots |
| 3D Popup | 0.43″ (11mm) | Clear | 75 dots |
4. Elmer’s CraftBond Glue Spots
Elmer’s CraftBond is a product line marketed to crafters. Adhesive dots are part of the line.
All of them are archival safe, acid-free, and photo-safe. They come in a box, which means they get hung up inside it.
Elmer’s only offers a permanent bond. So this limits the range of projects they can be used for.
| Item | Adhesive Diameter | Adhesive Profile | Adhesive Color | Adhesive Tack | Quantity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mini | 3/16 inch | 1/64 inch | Clear | Permanent | 300 Dots |
| Small | 3/8 inch | 1/64 inch | Clear | Permanent | 300 Dots |
| Medium | 1/2 inch | 1/64 inch | Clear | Permanent | 200 Dots |
5. Gorilla Adhesive Dots
Gorilla offers a range of adhesives. However, it only offers a single kind of adhesive dot.
The 1/2 inch clear dot has a permanent adhesive. It is photo-safe and acid-free.
The dots come on a sheet, so they do not hang up in the box. Each box contains 150 dots.
Final Thoughts
Adhesive dots are a nice addition to your papercraft supplies. They are a quick and convenient alternative to hot glue, tape, and wet adhesives.
When they come in a handy palm-size dispenser, I think they are a nice alternative to a tape roller. For me and a lot of other papercrafters, the box dispensers are more trouble than they are worth.
Like any other adhesives, you will need to select the most appropriate tack for your project. And don’t forget to check that they are acid-free and photo-safe when you are doing archival papercrafts like scrapbooking and cardmaking.
Explore Further
Aubry’s Guide To Paper Craft Adhesives covers my recommendations for all kinds of dry and wet adhesives you will need for paper crafts.