The
Post-it note, invented by
3M's
Art Fry using an adhesive developed by a colleague,
Spencer Silver, is a piece of
stationery with a re-adherable strip of adhesive on the back, designed for temporarily attaching notes to
documents and to other surfaces: walls, desks and table-tops,
computer displays, and so forth. While now available in a wide range of colors, shapes, and sizes, the most common size of Post-it note is a 3-
in (7.5-
cm) square, canary
yellow in color. The notes use a unique low-tack
adhesive that enables Post-it notes to be easily attached and removed without leaving marks or residue. The name "Post-it" and the canary yellow color are
trademarks of 3M. Accepted generic terms for competitors include "
sticky notes" or "repositionable" or "repositional notes." 3M manufactures other products related to the Post-it note concept, leveraging the success of the brand.
Computerized versions of Post-it notes include 3M's own "Post-it Software Notes," and Apple's "Stickies." Until the 1990s, when the patent expired, Post-it notes were only produced in the 3M plant in
Cynthiana, Kentucky. Although other companies now produce them, most of the world's Post-it notes are still made in Cynthiana.
History
In 1968, Dr.
Spencer Silver, a scientist at
3M in the United States, developed a "low-tack", reusable
pressure sensitive adhesive. For five years, Silver promoted his invention within 3M, both informally and through seminars, but without much success. In 1974, a colleague of his,
Art Fry, in a church choir in
North St. Paul, Minnesota, was frustrated that his bookmarks kept falling out of his hymnal. He had attended one of Silver's seminars, and, while listening to a sermon in church, he came up with the idea of using the adhesive to anchor his bookmarks. Fry then developed the idea by taking advantage of 3M's officially sanctioned "permitted
bootlegging" policy. 3M launched the product in 1977 but it failed as consumers had not tried the product. A year later 3M issued free samples to residents of
Boise, Idaho,
United States. 90% of people who tried them said that they would buy the product. By 1980 the product was being sold nationwide in the US; a year later Post-its were launched in
Canada and
Europe.. Post-It Notes are produced exclusively at the 3M plant in
Cynthiana, KY.
In 2003, the company came out with Post-it Super Sticky notes, with a stronger glue that adheres better to vertical and non-smooth surfaces.
Standard post-it notes have only partial adhesive coating on the back, along one edge. Similar products are used for specialized purposes with full adhesive coating; the US Post Office uses such yellow address labels to forward mail.
Post-it notes in art
In 2004, Paola Antonelli, a curator of architecture and design, included Post-it notes in a show entitled "Humble Masterpieces." Rebecca Murtaugh is a California artist who uses Post-it notes in her artwork. In 2001, she created an installation in her bedroom using $1000 worth of Post-it notes: She covered the whole room in Post-it notes, using the ordinary yellow for objects she saw as having less value, and neon colors for more important objects, such as the bed. Since 2002 Jésica López from Monterrey, Mexico (1979), has been painting series of figures and portraits with acrylic on Post-it notes to depict, for instance, the faces of the so called "101 most powerful women" of the "Forbes" list of 2006. Some artists create entire murals of colored Post-It notes.
In 2000 the 20th anniversary of Post-it notes was celebrated by having artists create their artwork on Post-it notes. One note that was made by artist R. B. Kitaj sold for £640 in an auction, making it the most valuable Post-it note on record.
Post-it notes in popular culture
- Post-it notes was used as part of the premise to the 1997 movie Romy and Michele's High School Reunion. As Romy and Michele prepare for their 10 year high school reunion, they decided to make up the story that they invented Post-it notes to overshadow their lack of success. Claiming it "something that everybody has heard about...but nobody really knows who invented it." During the reunion, it was revealed by Heather that they were invented by "a guy named Art Fry".
- In the TV show Dead Like Me, the main characters are told who to "reap" off of sticky notes given to them by Rube with the person's First initial and last name, where they'll die, and "E.T.D." or estimated time of death.
- In the Cartoon show Ed, Edd n Eddy, Edd's parents communicate to him almost entirely using Post-it notes.
- In the HBO show Sex and the City, main character Carrie Bradshaw is dumped by her boyfriend by a Post-it note.
See also
References
External links
