Compiled from 9 sources; we haven't tested this product ourselves yet. How we research
Quick answer
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.
On this page10 sections
The MONO Original dispenser, drawn in proportion (Tombow publishes no size).
Product facts
Product
Tombow MONO Original correction tape, 4.2 mm × 10 m (US 68620; 10-pack 68720; Europe CT-YT4)
PET film tape; plastic dispenser, 70% post-consumer recycled content excluding tape (Tombow USA)
Price range
$under $5 per item
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Notes on these facts
Made by Tombow Pencil Co., Ltd.. Country of manufacture 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. Price: example listing.
Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026. Conversions to US dollars are approximate, at October 2026 rates (US$1 = ¥158 = ₩1,330 = NT$32.5 = CN¥6.7 = SEK 9.9 = DKK 6.7 = ₺49.6 = C$1.41 = A$1.43 = CZK 21.7; €1 = US$1.12; £1 = US$1.32; CHF 1 = US$1.21).
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.
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 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 has its own guide. If you’d rather lift pencil marks than cover them, a precision eraser like the Tombow MONO Zero 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.
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.
