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A Post-it note (or sticky note) is a small piece of paper with a re-adherable strip of glue on its back, made for temporarily attaching notes to documents and other surfaces. A low-adhesion pressure-sensitive adhesive allows the notes to be easily attached, removed and even re-posted elsewhere without leaving residue. The Post-it's signature adhesive was discovered accidentally by a scientist at 3M. Originally small yellow squares, Post-it Notes and related products are available in various colors, shapes, sizes and adhesive strengths. As of 2024, there are at least 28 documented colors of Post-it notes. 3M's Post-it has won several awards for its design and innovation.
Post-its are versatile and can be used in various settings for various purposes. They are commonly used in classrooms and workplaces but can also be found in art, media, and social media. Post-its have also been used as tools for public engagement and persuasion.
Although 3M's patent expired in 1997, the "Post-it" brand name and the original notes' distinctive yellow color remain registered company , with terms such as "repositionable notes" used for similar offerings manufactured by competitors. While use of the trademark 'Post-it' in a representative sense refers to any sticky note, no legal authority has ever considered it a generic trademark.
3M test marketed the product as a "Press 'n Peel" in stores in four cities in 1977, but results were disappointing. A year later, 3M launched a massive marketing campaign known as the Boise Blitz. This campaign involved renaming the product to "Post-it Note" and giving out free samples to offices in Boise, Idaho. This time, results were promising as more than 90 percent of those who received free samples indicated they would buy the product. Post-its were launched across the United States in 1980. The following year, they were launched in Canada and Europe.
Post-it Flags were introduced as a new way to organize with color coding, filing and indexing.
In 1995, Post-it Easel Pads were introduced. The following year, Post-it Easel Pads for kids were introduced.
In 2003, the company introduced Post-it Brand Super Sticky Notes, with a stronger glue that adheres better to vertical and non-smooth surfaces.
In 2014, 3M released Post-it Super Sticky Dry Erase Surface, an instant dry erase surface that is stain-free and customizable to quickly fit on walls, cabinets, desks and more. In 2018, 3M launched Post-it Extreme Notes, which are more durable and water-resistant and which stick to wood and other materials in industrial environments.
In 2019, the Post-it App was relaunched.
In 2020, 3M released the Post-it Flex Write Surface – a whiteboard surface that can be written on with dry erase and permanent markers without leaving stains behind when cleaned with water and soap. The company also released Post-it Foil Tabs, which were a revamp of the Post-it Tab with the purpose of satisfying the rise of personalization and bullet journaling trends of customers.
In 2021, 3M revealed a new logo and launched Noted by Post-it Brand – a collection of paper goods and desktop applications.
In 2010, the creators of the Post-it note joined the National Inventors Hall of Fame as a result of the widespread success of the Post-it note.
In 2019, the Post-it app was awarded 'Best of' App of 2019 by Google Play.
In 2021, the Post-it app won the Google Material Design Award within the motion category which awards apps that utilize unique design systems.
Silver and Fry both concluded their careers at 3M after achieving the highest accolades for their research and receiving numerous international engineering awards.
In 1997, 3M sued Microsoft for trademark infringement for creating an electronic Post-it in Microsoft's Office 97 and using the term "Post-it" in a help file.
They offer a wide variety of advantages in a classroom—for instance, they are cost efficient, don't take time to set up, and are simple enough to be used by almost any age group. They have uses in concept mapping, labeling models, and more. They can also be used when explaining and teaching about broader terms like genetics.
They are used in the workplace both to convey information and to offer praise or words of encouragement. They can help boost communication between coworkers and can help communications between departments. They can also serve to praise people or tell them to keep up the good work.
They can be used to annotate textbooks in place of standard highlighting and sideline note-taking methods, allowing the pages to remain free of markings. Additionally, Post-it notes can be used to visually guide students to important points in the textbook, helping them find information faster.
They are convenient for team exercises involving graphic organizers, such as a Ishikawa diagram. Students can easily collaborate on an organizer by each contributing one idea or clause on a Post-it.
Post-it notes have appeared in episodes of various TV shows, including The Office, Parks and Recreation, Being Mary Jane, and Doctor Who. Post-its have also appeared in films, including Bruce Almighty, Ex Machina, and Romy and Michele's High School Reunion.
Due to its collaborative use in the workplace, Post-its are commonly seen in LinkedIn posts. One LinkedIn member posted about mapping the customer journey through Post-its with tips on involving different team members and organizational strategy.
In 2012, Turkish artist Ardan Özmenoğlu was selected to have a solo exhibition at Bertrand Delacroix Gallery in the art district of Chelsea, Manhattan. The exhibition, titled "E Pluribus Unum" (Latin for "Out of many, one"), opened November 15, 2012 and featured large scale works on Post-it notes.
In 2004, Paola Antonelli, a curator of architecture and design, included Post-it notes in a show entitled "Humble Masterpieces".
Rebecca Murtaugh, a California artist, who uses Post-it notes in her artwork, in 2001 created an installation by covering her whole bedroom with $1000 worth of the notes, using the ordinary yellow for objects she saw as having less value and for more important objects, such as the bed.
In 2000, the 20th anniversary of Post-it notes was celebrated by having artists create artworks on the notes. One such work, by the artist R. B. Kitaj, sold for £640 in an auction, making it the most valuable Post-it note on record.
The Lennon Wall, a message board created during the 2014 Hong Kong protests from a stretch of curved staircase in the Central Government Complex, is covered in multi-colored Post-it notes with handwritten messages from supporters.
In 2011, at the Munich, Germany Apple store, a group of Apple fans paid tribute to Steve Jobs by constructing a portrait of him out of 4001 Post-it notes. The use of Post-its resembled pixel art as each Post-it acted as a single pixel.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, artist Cauleen Smith created a video work featuring sticky notes called "Covid Manifesto". Smith used Instagram as a platform to engage with the social injustice posed by the pandemic. Covid Manifesto is part of an online exhibit at the Carnegie Museum of Art, which premiered on September 3, 2021.
Sidewalk Labs, a Google-owned company that focuses on urban innovation, opened a public workspace in Quayside, Toronto, that supports public engagement in the city-planning process. Plans are presented here and the public can freely share their ideas, opinions, and feedback on potential projects, often in the form of Post-it note annotations.
Post-it notes have also been used in museums to allow for more public interactivity and participation. In 2016, at the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, the public wrote their reflections on the life of Prince on Post-it notes and posted them near the exhibit. Some Post-it notes were archived by the museum to preserve the public sentiment expressed at the time.
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