--- title: "Tombow MONO Correction Tape: The 4.2 mm Original" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/tombow-mono-correction-tape/" description: "Tombow MONO Original correction tape explained: 4.2 mm × 10 m tape, side application, US item 68620 and 10-pack 68720, refillable versions, and where it's made." category: "Accessories" type: "Correction tape" published: 2026-10-22 updated: 2026-10-22 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 9 products: - name: "Tombow MONO Original correction tape, 4.2 mm × 10 m (US 68620; 10-pack 68720; Europe CT-YT4)" brand: "Tombow" brand_origin: "Japan" made_in: "Not stated" material: "PET film tape; plastic dispenser, 70% post-consumer recycled content excluding tape (Tombow USA)" price_band: "$ (under $5 per item, typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "Tombow Pencil Co., Ltd." model: "MONO Original 68620" mpn: "68620" gtin: "085014686204" url: "https://www.tombowusa.com/products/mono-correction-tape-original-white" --- # Tombow MONO Correction Tape: The 4.2 mm Original > Tombow MONO Original is a side-application correction tape: you pull the dispenser along a line like a pen and lay a 4.2 mm strip of white film you can write on straight away. Each non-refillable dispenser holds 10 m (394 in). In the US it's item 68620, or 68720 in a 10-pack; Tombow Europe calls it CT-YT4. - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/tombow-mono-correction-tape/ - Category: Accessories - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-10-22 - Updated: 2026-10-22 ![White Tombow MONO Original correction tape dispenser beside a page with one word covered and rewritten](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/tombow-mono-correction-tape-16x9.png) *The MONO Original dispenser, drawn in proportion (Tombow publishes no size).* Original drawing (SVG): . Drawings © 2026 Stationery Times, reusable with credit under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ## Product facts | Product | Brand | Brand origin | Made in | Material | Released | Price range (typical US retail, October 2026) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Tombow MONO Original correction tape, 4.2 mm × 10 m (US 68620; 10-pack 68720; Europe CT-YT4) | Tombow (by Tombow Pencil Co., Ltd.) | Japan | Not stated | PET film tape; plastic dispenser, 70% post-consumer recycled content excluding tape (Tombow USA) | – | $: under $5 per item | - Made in (Tombow MONO Original correction tape, 4.2 mm × 10 m (US 68620; 10-pack 68720; Europe CT-YT4)): Not stated. Tombow USA, Tombow Europe, Staples and Amazon don't state a country of manufacture for the MONO Original. Some European listings for the CT-YT4 that appeared in search results give Vietnam, but we couldn't load those pages to confirm, so check the pack. ## Key takeaways - Each dispenser holds 1/6 in × 394 in of tape, which Tombow USA gives as 4 mm × 10 m; Tombow Europe lists 4.2 mm × 10 m. - Its Amazon US 10-pack (68720) had 4.7 stars from 17,884 ratings and ranked #6 in Correction Tape on October 22, 2026. - Tombow Europe says the original MONO tape won iF and red dot design awards in 1996. - Tombow's Japanese site dates its first correction tape to 1991 and its first side-pull tape, MONO White Tape YK, to 1992. - Tombow USA says the dispenser is made from 70% post-consumer recycled plastic, excluding the tape. ## What is Tombow MONO Original correction tape? **It's Tombow's classic side-application correction tape: a small dispenser that lays a strip of dry white film over a mistake, which you can write on at once.** Tombow Europe calls it the original MONO correction tape and the first of its side-action designs. "Side application" means you hold it like a pen and pull it sideways along a line of text, which suits horizontal writing. It's one of the most-bought correction tapes in the US: the Amazon 10-pack (68720) had 4.7 stars from 17,884 ratings when we checked on October 22, 2026. ## Tombow MONO Original specs | Spec | Value | |---|---| | Maker | Tombow Pencil Co., Ltd. (Tokyo) | | Item codes | 68620 (single), 68626 (4-pack), 68720 (10-pack) in the US; CT-YT4 in Europe | | Tape | 1/6 in × 394 in; 4 mm × 10 m (Tombow USA) or 4.2 mm × 10 m (Tombow Europe) | | Tape material | PET film (Tombow Europe), break-resistant | | Refillable | No | | Dispenser | 70% post-consumer recycled plastic, excluding tape (Tombow USA) | | Rewind knob | Yes, to tighten slack tape | | Europe price | €4.50 (about US$5.00) at Tombow Europe | | Price band | $ (under $5 per dispenser) | Tombow doesn't publish the dispenser's size or weight, so our drawing is in proportion. Recycled-content figures vary by market: Tombow Europe says the housing is 100% recycled plastic, and LDLC, a French retailer, says at least 74% of the plastic parts. ## How wide is the tape on a page? **At 4.2 mm, the tape covers one line of handwriting with room to spare inside a 7.1 mm college-ruled line.** That makes it a word-or-line corrector, not one for blocks of text. ![Tombow MONO correction tape over one word on college-ruled paper, drawn to scale, with tape lengths](https://stationerytimes.com/images/tombow-mono-correction-tape-width.svg) *The 4.2 mm tape over writing at 1 mm = 10 px, and tape length per dispenser.* Ten meters is roughly 46 lines across an 8.5 in (216 mm) page, by our arithmetic. Tombow USA says the tape takes pen, pencil or marker straight away. ## How does it compare with other Tombow tapes and BIC? **The MONO Original is the classic non-refillable side tape; Tombow's refillable MONO adds 2 m of tape per cartridge, and the [BIC Wite-Out EZ Correct](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/bic-wite-out-ez-correct/) is its main US rival.** | Tape | Width × length | Refillable | Application | |---|---|---|---| | Tombow MONO Original (68620) | 4.2 mm × 10 m | No | Side | | Tombow MONO refillable (68665) | 1/6 in × 472 in (about 12 m) | Yes, snap-in cartridge | Side | | BIC Wite-Out EZ Correct | 4.2 mm × 12 m | No | Side | Tombow USA also sells a MONO Hybrid style and pen-style MONO Air tapes; the light-pulling [MONO Air](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/tombow-mono-air-correction-tape/) has its own guide. If you'd rather lift pencil marks than cover them, a precision eraser like the [Tombow MONO Zero](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/tombow-mono-zero-eraser/) does that job. ## When did Tombow start making correction tape? **In 1991, with a push-type tape called MONO White Tape MS, according to Tombow's Japanese site.** A year later, in 1992, came its first side-pull tape, the MONO White Tape YK, chosen because it makes horizontal text easier to correct. Tombow added a 2.5 mm pen-type tape (MONO White Tape PX) in 1995 and the MONO Air, with its lighter-pulling Air Touch system, in 2016. The company says its correction tapes now hold the top share in Japan; the story of the MONO name itself is in our [Tombow history](https://stationerytimes.com/stories/tombow-history/). ## Is the US MONO Original sold in Japan? **Not under that name: the closest model on Tombow's Japanese site is the side-pull MONO YS, which also holds 10 m of 4.2 mm tape.** Tombow doesn't say the two are the same product, and the YS also comes in 5 mm and 6 mm. Tombow Japan lists the MONO YS at ¥330 (about US$2.10) with tax and says its plastic is at least 70% recycled. Its usage notes warn that sharp-tipped pens such as mechanical pencils and fountain pens can peel the tape when you rewrite. ## Where is Tombow MONO correction tape made? **Tombow doesn't say, and none of the US retailer pages we read state a country.** Tombow is a Japanese company based in Tokyo. Search results for European CT-YT4 listings mention Vietnam, but we couldn't open those pages to check, so look at the pack if origin matters to you. ## Frequently asked questions ### How wide is Tombow MONO correction tape? 1/6 in, which Tombow USA gives as 4 mm and Tombow Europe as 4.2 mm. That covers one line of handwriting on college- or wide-ruled paper. ### Can you refill Tombow MONO Original correction tape? No. Tombow USA lists the Original as non-refillable. Tombow makes a separate refillable MONO tape, item 68665, with snap-in cartridges. ### Can you write on Tombow correction tape with a pen right away? Yes. Tombow USA says you can write over it immediately with pen, pencil or marker, with no drying time. ### Tombow MONO or BIC Wite-Out EZ Correct: which has more tape? The BIC holds 12 m, the MONO Original 10 m, both about 4.2 mm wide. Tombow's refillable MONO holds 12 m (472 in) per cartridge. ### Does Tombow correction tape show on photocopies? Tombow USA says its adhesion to paper gives clean copying. Tombow Japan warns that some copiers and printers can jam on corrected sheets or not print on the tape. ### Is Tombow MONO correction tape made in Japan? Tombow doesn't say. Tombow is a Japanese company, but none of the maker or US retailer pages we read state the country of manufacture, so check the pack. ## Sources - [トンボの修正テープ物語 (Tombow Japan: first correction tape MONO White Tape MS in 1991, side-pull MONO White Tape YK in 1992, PX 1995, MONO Air 2016)](https://www.tombow.com/sp/kids/correction_tape/history_tombow.html) - [モノYS (Tombow Japan: side-pull MONO YS, 4.2 mm × 10 m CT-YS4, ¥330, 70% recycled plastic, usage notes)](https://www.tombow.com/products/mono_ys/) - [Tombow USA: MONO Correction Tape Original, White (68620; 1/6 × 394 in, 4 mm × 10 m, non-refillable, 70% post-consumer waste)](https://www.tombowusa.com/products/mono-correction-tape-original-white) - [Tombow USA: MONO Correction Tape, Original, 10-Pack (68720)](https://www.tombowusa.com/products/mono-correction-tape-original-10-pack) - [Tombow USA: MONO Correction Tape Refillable (68665, 1/6 × 472 in)](https://www.tombowusa.com/products/mono-correction-tape-refillable) - [Tombow Europe: MONO YT4 correction tape (CT-YT4; the original side-action MONO tape, PET tape, 100% recycled housing, iF and red dot 1996, 4.2 mm × 10 m, €4.50)](https://www.tomboweurope.com/en/products/product/CT-YT4) - [LDLC: Tombow MONO CT-YT4 roller, 4.2 mm × 10 m (French; at least 74% recycled plastic components)](https://www.ldlc.com/fiche/PB00508203.html) - [Staples: Tombow MONO Original Correction Tape, White (68620; 0.17 in × 32.8 ft; refill 68666 listed)](https://www.staples.com/tombow-mono-original-correction-tape-white-68620/product_850448) - [Amazon US: Tombow 68720 MONO Original Correction Tape, 10-pack (ratings, rank, UPC 085014687201), read October 22, 2026](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001LDKAX2)