Editing Post-it note

{{Short description|Small piece of paper with a re-adherable strip of glue on its back}}
{{Redirect|Sticky notes|the Windows program with the same name|Sticky Notes}}
{{Use American English|date=August 2020}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2020|cs1-dates=y}}
{{Infobox brand
| name           = Post-it note
| logo           = Post-it-2020.svg
| image          = PostItNotePad.JPG
| caption        = A small pad of original style lined yellow Post-it brand notes
| type           = [[Stationery]], [[paper]]
| currentowner   = [[3M]]
| origin         = [[Cynthiana, Kentucky]], U.S.
| introduced     = {{start date and age|1977}}
| discontinued   = 
| related        = 
| markets        = 
| previousowners = 
| trademarkregistrations = 
| ambassadors    = 
| tagline        = 
| website        = {{URL|https://www.post-it.com}}
}}

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|tack]] [[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]].<ref name="Stik2it.com" /> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Post-it Notes Collections |url=https://www.post-it.com/3M/en_US/post-it/ideas/color/collections/ |access-date=2023-11-09 |website=Post-it}}</ref> 3M's Post-it has won several awards for its design and innovation.<ref name="gale-2021" />

Post-its are versatile and can be used in various settings for various purposes.<ref name="Dove-2018" /> They are commonly used in classrooms and workplaces but can also be found in art, media, and social media.<ref name="Dove-2018" /><ref name="Pop Culture Post-2016" /><ref name="www.instagram.com" /><ref name="micagallery.org" /> Post-its have also been used as tools for public engagement and persuasion.<ref name="Garner-2005" /><ref name="Mattern-2020" /><ref name="Faulkenbury-2017" />

Although 3M's patent expired in 1997, the "Post-it" brand name and the original notes' distinctive yellow color<ref name="NYPost">{{cite news |newspaper=[[The New York Post]] |date=January 9, 1997 |page=32|title=3M sues Microsoft over sticky issue}}</ref> remain registered company [[trademark]]s, 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]].{{efn|See {{cite court |litigants= 3M Company v. Professional Gallery, Inc. | vol=Opposition No. 91173411 | pinpoint= 2014 WL 3686877 |court=Trademark Trial and Appeal Board |date=2014 |url= http://ttabvue.uspto.gov/ttabvue/v?pno=91173411&pty=OPP&eno=98|quote=The above evidence leaves us in no doubt that Post-it is a famous mark for sticky notes.}} {{cite court |litigants= Minn. Min. & Mfg. Co. v. Taylor |vol=21 |reporter=F. Supp. 2d |opinion= 1003 |pinpoint=1005 |court= D. Minn. |date=1998 |url= https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=13725211433817454093&q=21+F.+Supp.+2d+1003&hl=en&as_sdt=6,44 |quote=3M owns a valid mark—'Post-it' ... (this) mark is strong. [T]he evidence submitted is sufficient to establish the fame of the 'Post-it' mark.}} {{cite court |litigants= Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company v. Dole| Opposition No. 91094929 | court=Trademark Trial and Appeal Board |date=1997 |quote=This record establishes ... the fame of opposer's Post-it mark.}} {{cite court |vol= 3M Company| pinpointr=No. B. 14.1.TPE.0.07.02.01/482|court= Republic of Turkey Turkish Patent Institute|date=2009 |quote=[I]t has been determined that the 'Post-it' trademark is a 'well known' trademark recognized broadly by everyone...}}{{cite court |litigants= 3M Company v. Ahmed | vol=Opposition No.OP000402446 |court=United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office |date=2015}} {{cite court |litigants= Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company v. D. Benito| Vol= 28079330052003100444, Resolution No. 1207/2003 | court=Superior Court. Contentious, Madrid, Spain |date=2003}} {{cite court |litigants= 3M Company v. Daval-Frerot | Vol=Opposition No. 15-3630 / PCO | court=National Institute of Industrial Property, France |date=2016}} {{cite court |litigants= 3M Norway AS v. Note-it AS | vol=Opposition No. 200477 |court=Norwegian Board of Appeal for the Industrial Property Office |date=2005}} {{cite court |litigants= 3M Company v. Xρηστοσ Λϵριδησ | vol=Opposition No. B 002276247 | court=Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (EUIPO)|date=2015}} {{cite court |litigants= 3M Company v. Estates Indust. Co., Ltd. | vol= Invalidation No. 2013-890061, Control No. 1285551| court=Japan Patent Office |date=2014}}}}

==History==
[[File:Fry-lightbulb-on-forehead1.jpg|thumbnail|upright|left|[[Arthur Fry]] with a Post-it note on his forehead]]

In 1968, [[Spencer Silver]], a scientist at 3M in the United States, attempted to develop a super-strong adhesive. Instead, he accidentally created a "low-tack", reusable, [[pressure-sensitive adhesive]] for the aerospace industry.<ref name="3m.com">{{cite web|url=http://solutions.3mae.ae/wps/portal/3M/en_AE/Post-Its/Post-It/Solutions/History/|title=Post-It® Brand|work=3m.com|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202085713/http://solutions.3mae.ae/wps/portal/3M/en_AE/Post-Its/Post-It/Solutions/History/|archive-date=2017-02-02}}</ref><ref name="Donnelly-2012">{{cite news|url=http://www.inc.com/tim-donnelly/brilliant-failures/9-inventions-made-by-mistake.html|title=9 Brilliant Inventions Made by Mistake|last=Donnelly|first=Tim|date=23 August 2012|newspaper=Inc.|access-date=24 August 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.post-it.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Post_It/Global/About/|title=About Post-It® Brand|access-date=2013-02-12|quote=The Post-It® Note was invented as a solution without a problem: Dr. Spencer Silver developed a special, repositionable adhesive, but the 3M scientist didn't know what to do with his discovery.|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130411165856/http://www.post-it.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Post_It/Global/About/|archive-date=2013-04-11}}</ref><ref name="Stik2it.com">{{Cite web |title=The History of Post-it Notes: The Accidents That Led to the Invention of the Sticky Note [INFOGRAPHIC] |url=https://www.stik2it.com/blog/the-history-of-postit-notes-the-accidents-that-led-to-the-invention-of-the-sticky-note-infographic/ |access-date=2023-11-09 |website=Stik2it.com |language=en}}</ref> For five years, Silver promoted his "solution without a problem" within 3M both informally and through seminars, but failed to gain adherents. In 1974, a colleague who had attended one of his seminars, [[Art Fry]], came up with the idea of using the adhesive to anchor his bookmark in his [[hymnal|hymn book]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://web.mit.edu/invent/iow/frysilver.html|title=Inventor of the Week: Art Fry and Spencer Silver|access-date=2007-09-23|publisher=[[MIT]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071014051221/http://web.mit.edu/invent/iow/frysilver.html|archive-date=2007-10-14}}</ref><ref name="useful">{{cite book | title=The Evolution of Useful Things | last=Petroski | first=Henry | author-link=Henry Petroski | pages=[https://archive.org/details/evolutionofusefu00petr_0/page/84 84–86] | year=1992 | publisher=Alfred A. Knopf | location=New York | isbn=0-679-41226-3 | oclc=24906856 | url-access=registration | url=https://archive.org/details/evolutionofusefu00petr_0/page/84 }}</ref> Fry then utilized 3M's sanctioned "permitted [[Bootlegging (business)|bootlegging]]" policy, which allows employees to spend some of their work time on projects of their own choosing, to develop the idea.<ref name="useful" /> The original notes' canary yellow color was chosen by chance, from the color of the scrap paper available at the lab next door to the Post-it team.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thejanuarist.com/why-are-post-it-notes-yellow/|title=Why Are Post-It Notes Yellow?|access-date=2010-02-25|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100228173348/http://www.thejanuarist.com/why-are-post-it-notes-yellow/|archive-date=2010-02-28}}</ref> Fry provided 3M employees with a prototype of the product, and individuals started exchanging messages, demonstrating the product's communicative effectiveness.<ref name="Donnelly-2012" />

[[File:Post-it note adhesive.jpg|thumb|The adhesive side of a Post-it note, magnified 555 times with a [[scanning electron microscope]]]]

3M [[test marketed]] the product as a "Press 'n Peel" in stores in four cities in 1977, but results were disappointing.<ref name="FT">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/f08e8a9a-fcd7-11df-ae2d-00144feab49a.html#axzz18hyDnyKX|title=First Person: 'We invented the Post-It Note'|author=Art Fry and Spencer Silver|access-date=2010-12-20|magazine=FT Magazine|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101218110055/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/f08e8a9a-fcd7-11df-ae2d-00144feab49a.html#axzz18hyDnyKX|archive-date=2010-12-18}}</ref><ref name="2ndchance">{{cite web|url=https://tv.yahoo.com/news/article/tv.accesshollywood.com/tv.accesshollywood.com-couple-who-lost-800000-foxs-million-dollar-money-drop-will-get-another-chance-play-cash|title=TV News Headlines - Yahoo TV|work=Yahoo TV|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615074838/http://tv.yahoo.com/news/article/tv.accesshollywood.com/tv.accesshollywood.com-couple-who-lost-800000-foxs-million-dollar-money-drop-will-get-another-chance-play-cash|archive-date=2011-06-15}}</ref> A year later, 3M launched a massive marketing campaign known as the Boise Blitz.<ref name="Stik2it.com" /> This campaign involved renaming the product to "Post-it Note" and giving out free samples to offices in Boise, Idaho.<ref name="Donnelly-2012" /><ref name="nyt10">{{cite news |last1=Stelter |first1=Brian |date=December 24, 2010 |title=Right on the $800,000 Question, They Lost Anyway |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/25/business/media/25show.html?_r=0 |url-status=live |access-date=2015-09-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201134147/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/25/business/media/25show.html?_r=0 |archive-date=2017-12-01}}</ref><ref name="Stik2it.com" /> This time, results were promising as more than 90 percent of those who received free samples indicated they would buy the product.<ref name="FT" /> Post-its were launched across the United States in 1980.<ref name="nyt10" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Spencer Silver |url=https://www.nndb.com/people/758/000173239/ |access-date=2023-11-09 |website=www.nndb.com}}</ref> The following year, they were launched in Canada and Europe.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.3m.com/us/office/postit/pastpresent/history_tl.html|title=The Evolution of the Post-it Note|access-date=2010-02-13|publisher=3M|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100212214558/http://www.3m.com/us/office/postit/pastpresent/history_tl.html|archive-date=2010-02-12}}</ref>

Post-it Flags were introduced as a new way to organize with color coding, filing and indexing.<ref name="Donnelly-2012" />

In 1995, Post-it Easel Pads were introduced. The following year, Post-it Easel Pads for kids were introduced.<ref name="3m.com" />

In 2003, the company introduced Post-it Brand Super Sticky Notes, with a stronger glue that adheres better to vertical and non-smooth surfaces.<ref name="Green">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/29/arts/29iht-postit.1.6413576.html|title=The all-purpose note that stuck|first=Penelope|last=Green|work=International Herald Tribune|date=2007-07-03|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170624062648/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/29/arts/29iht-postit.1.6413576.html|archive-date=2017-06-24}}</ref>

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.<ref name="Donnelly-2012" />
[[File:Klaus Theweleit W71 01.jpg|thumb|[[Klaus Theweleit]] reading from a book with post-it notes as bookmarks]]
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.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.fastcodesign.com/90163130/post-it-notes-get-an-extreme-makeover|title=Post-it Notes Get an "Extreme" Makeover|last=Schwab|first=Katharine|date=March 7, 2018|work=Fast Co Design|access-date=March 15, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180316023814/https://www.fastcodesign.com/90163130/post-it-notes-get-an-extreme-makeover|archive-date=2018-03-16|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2019, the Post-it App was relaunched.<ref name="Donnelly-2012" />

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.<ref name="Donnelly-2012" />

In 2021, 3M revealed a new logo and launched Noted by Post-it Brand – a collection of paper goods and desktop applications.<ref name="Donnelly-2012" />

=== Awards and honors ===
The Post-it Note team received the internal 3M Golden Step Award in both 1981 and 1982 in recognition of their creation of a lucrative product that resulted in substantial new sales. Additionally, in 1981, they were honored with 3M's Outstanding New Product Award.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Post-it Notes {{!}} MNopedia |url=https://www.mnopedia.org/thing/post-it-notes |access-date=2023-11-09 |website=www.mnopedia.org}}</ref>

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.<ref name="gale-2021">{{Cite web |date=May 25, 2021 |title=Chemist whose compound made Post-it Notes stick. |url=https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&u=albu78484&id=GALE&#124;A662797141&v=2.1&it=r&sid=ebsco |access-date=February 13, 2023 |website=gale}}</ref>

In 2019, the Post-it app was awarded 'Best of' App of 2019 by [[Google Play]].<ref name="Donnelly-2012" />

In 2021, the Post-it app won the Google Material Design Award within the motion category which awards apps that utilize unique design systems.<ref name="Frean" />

Silver and Fry both concluded their careers at 3M after achieving the highest accolades for their research and receiving numerous international engineering awards.<ref name="Donnelly-2012" />

===Competing claims===
[[Alan Amron]] claimed to have been the actual inventor in 1973 who disclosed the Post-it note technology to 3M in 1974.<ref name="LAT-Sticky">{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/nation/ct-post-it-note-inventor-lawsuit-20160311-story.html|title=Sticky lawsuit: $400M dispute lingers over Post-it inventor|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=March 12, 2016|access-date=March 13, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170314063535/http://www.latimes.com/nation/ct-post-it-note-inventor-lawsuit-20160311-story.html|archive-date=March 14, 2017}}</ref><ref name="Frean">{{cite web|url=http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/business/industries/consumer/article4717729.ece|title=Sticky situation as inventor sues 3M for $400m over Post-it Notes|last=Frean|first=Alexandra|date=March 21, 2016|work=[[The Times]]|access-date=March 13, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-date=2016-05-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160509102359/http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/business/industries/consumer/article4717729.ece}}</ref> His 1997 suit against 3M resulted in a confidential settlement.<ref name="LAT-Sticky" /> As part of the settlement, Amron agreed not to make future claims against the company unless the settlement agreement should be breached.<ref name="LAT-Sticky" /> However, in 2016, he launched a further suit against 3M,<ref name="LAT-Sticky" /><ref name="Frean" /> asserting that 3M was wrongly claiming to be the inventor, and seeking $400 million in damages.<ref>''Alan Amron v. 3M Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Co. et al.'', case number 9:16-cv-80125, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.</ref> At a preliminary hearing, a [[federal judge]] ordered the parties to undergo [[mediation]].<ref name="LAT-Sticky" /> The suit was subsequently dismissed, upholding the previous 1998 settlement.<ref name="Kang">{{cite web|url=https://www.law360.com/articles/838227/fla-man-s-400m-suit-over-invention-of-post-it-notes-tossed|title=Fla. Man's $400M Suit Over Invention Of Post-It Notes Tossed|last=Kang|first=Y. Peter|date=September 9, 2016|work=[[Law360]]|access-date=March 13, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170314064026/https://www.law360.com/articles/838227/fla-man-s-400m-suit-over-invention-of-post-it-notes-tossed|archive-date=March 14, 2017}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=3M Sues Microsoft Over Post-It Note Trademark {{!}} The Seattle Times |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19970108&slug=2517732 |access-date=2023-11-10 |website=archive.seattletimes.com}}</ref>

== Types ==
Post-it Notes come in a variety of colors, collections, sizes, and rulings.<ref name="3M">{{Cite web |title=Post-it |url=https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/c/b/post-it/ |access-date=2023-11-08 |website=3M}}</ref> The original Post-it note color is Canary Yellow, the color of the notes when they were initially invented, and it remains one of the most popular colorways to this day.<ref name="3M" /> All the notes are recyclable, but 3M has also introduced Greener Post-It Notes, which feature a 67% plant-based adhesive and recycled paper that uses no new trees.<ref name="3M" />

=== Colors ===
* White
* Black
* Gray
* Red: Candy Apple Red
* Pink: Positively Pink, Papaya Fizz, Power Pink, Tropical Pink, Guava
* Blue: Fresh Mint, Blue Paradise, Aqua Splash, Sea Glass, Washed Denim
* Yellow: Canary Yellow, Citron, Sunnyside
* Purple: Iris Infusion, Moonstone
* Green: Acid Lime, Lucky Green, Limeade 
* Orange: Vital Orange<ref name="3M" />

=== Collections ===
* Beachside Café 
* Oasis
* Summer Joy
* Simply Serene
* Supernova Neons
* Energy Boost
* Floral Fantasy
* Playful Primaries 
* Wanderlust Pastels
* Poptimistic 
* Sweet Sprinkles<ref name="3M" />
*ButterScotch Yellow

=== Paper ruling ===
Post-it notes come in both lined and non-lined varieties, with the non-lined variant being the more common of the two.<ref name="3M" />

=== Product variety ===
Varying types of Post-it notes are available on the market that vary in material, functionality, or stickiness.<ref name="3M" /> The currently available varieties are listed: Super Sticky Notes, Extreme Notes, Greener Notes, Cube Notes, Recycled Notes, Pop-Up Notes, Assorted Shapes and Size Notes, Notes with a Tab

=== Dimensions ===
The typical Post-it is 3 inches by 3 inches, but a variety of sizes are now offered.<ref name="3M" /> The currently available dimensions in inches include:1{{fract|3|8}} x 1{{fract|7|8}}, 2 x 2, 2.8 x 2.8, 3 x 3, 3 x 5, 3.8 x 7.8, 3.9 x 2.9, 4 x 4, 4 x 6, 5 x 8, and 11 x 11.<ref name="3M" />

=== Pads per pack ===
Post-its are sold in various quantities, ranging from smaller packs with 1 to 6 pads per pack and larger packs that contain from 12 to 36 pads per pack.<ref name="3M" /> The currently available quantities are listed: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 14, 18, 24, 27, and 36 pads/pack.<ref name="3M" />

=== Sheets per pad ===
The number of sheets per pad also varies, with the typical pad containing 100 sheets.<ref name="3M" /> The available sheets per pad include: 30, 45, 50, 70, 75, 90, 100, and 400 sheets per pad.<ref name="3M" />

== Uses ==

=== Workspaces and the classroom ===
[[File:Structured Data on Commons data modelling session at the Wikimania 2019 Hackathon - post it notes 02.jpg|thumb|An example of Post-it note use in the workplace]]
Post-it notes can be used in design teams to offer up personal ideas, assist in group activities like brainstorming, and support design thinking and design outcomes.<ref name="Dove-2018">{{Cite journal |last=Dove |first=Graham |journal=Design Studies |date=July 2018 |volume=57 |pages=112–134 |title=Grouping Notes Through Nodes: The Function of Post-It Notes in Design Team Coginition |doi=10.1016/j.destud.2018.03.008 |s2cid=115282358 |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0142694X18300255? |access-date=2023-02-20|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

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.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Weisenberg |first=Richard |journal=Journal of College Science Teaching |date=1997 |volume=26 |issue=5 |pages=339–344 |title=Appropriate Technology for the Classroom – Using 'Post-it Notes©' As an Active Learning Tool: Discovering a Simple yet Effective Teaching Device in Everyday Classroom Supplies |jstor=42991016 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/42991016 |access-date=2023-02-20}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Holton |first=Lisa |journal=ABA Journal |date=January 2004 |volume=90 |issue=1 |page=20 |title=Strange Currency: In One Firm, Post-It Notes and Bonuses Promote Good Work |jstor=27842907 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/27842907 |access-date=2023-02-20}}</ref>

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.<ref name="Davis-Wiley-2015">{{Cite web |last=Davis-Wiley |first=Patricia |date=August 2015 |title=Enhancing Metacognitive Literacy: A Research Study Using Sticky Notes in the Classroom |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325504204 |access-date=2023-11-08 |website=Research Gate}}</ref> Additionally, Post-it notes can be used to visually guide students to important points in the textbook, helping them find information faster.<ref name="Davis-Wiley-2015" />

They are convenient for team exercises involving graphic organizers, such as a [[Ishikawa diagram|fishbone diagram]].<ref name="lsa.umich.edu">{{Cite web |title=Sticky Notes: The Low Tech Teaching Tool {{!}} U-M LSA LSA Technology Services |url=https://lsa.umich.edu/technology-services/news-events/all-news/teaching-tip-of-the-week/sticky-notes-the-low-tech-teaching-tool.html |access-date=2023-11-09 |website=lsa.umich.edu |language=en}}</ref> Students can easily collaborate on an organizer by each contributing one idea or clause on a Post-it.<ref name="lsa.umich.edu" />

=== Media ===
Post-its have appeared in a variety of movies and TV shows and are a widely used prop across different media channels.<ref name="Pop Culture Post-2016">{{Cite web |date=2016-06-09 |title=Pop Culture Post-Its: The Moments That Will Always Stick {{!}} Decider |url=https://decider.com/2016/06/09/pop-cultire-post-it-moments/ |access-date=2023-11-09 |language=en-US}}</ref> In ''[[Grey's Anatomy]]'', the Post-it became an iconic symbol of commitment after [[Meredith Grey|Meredith]] and [[Derek Shepherd|Derek]] used a blue Post-it to declare their wedding vows, a significant pop-culture moment.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Weatherhead |first=Shaina |date=2023-05-18 |title='Greys Anatomy Season 19: The Post-it Note's Return Explained |url=https://collider.com/greys-anatomy-post-it-note-explained/ |access-date=2023-11-09 |website=Collider |language=en}}</ref> In season six of ''[[Sex and the City]]'', the Post-it was used to facilitate a breakup.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-11-01 |title=Actually, Carrie Bradshaw Getting Dumped Via Post-it Wasn't That Bad |url=https://www.vogue.com/article/sex-and-the-city-carrie-berger-post-it-break-up |access-date=2023-11-09 |website=Vogue |language=en-US}}</ref>

Post-it notes have appeared in episodes of various TV shows, including ''[[The Office]]'', ''[[Parks and Recreation]]'', ''[[Being Mary Jane]]'', and ''[[Doctor Who]]''.<ref name="Pop Culture Post-2016" /> Post-its have also appeared in films, including ''[[Bruce Almighty]]'', ''[[Ex Machina (film)|Ex Machina]]'', and ''[[Romy and Michele's High School Reunion]]''.<ref name="Pop Culture Post-2016" />

=== Social media ===
On [[Instagram]], the hashtag “#postitnotes” contains over 242,000 posts.<ref name="www.instagram.com">{{Cite web |title=Instagram |url=https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/postitnotes/ |access-date=2023-11-09 |website=www.instagram.com}}</ref> The posts under this hashtag feature post-its as art mediums, bookmarks, flipbooks, and more.<ref name="www.instagram.com" />

Due to its collaborative use in the workplace, Post-its are commonly seen in [[LinkedIn]] posts.<ref>{{Cite web |title=&quot;post-it notes&quot; {{!}} Search {{!}} LinkedIn |url=https://www.linkedin.com/content/search/post-it%20notes |access-date=2023-11-09 |website=www.linkedin.com |language=en}}</ref> One LinkedIn member posted about mapping the customer journey through Post-its with tips on involving different team members and organizational strategy.<ref>{{Cite web |title=James W. Burnes on LinkedIn: When was the last time you mapped your customers' journey? Here are my… |url=https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jamesburnes_when-was-the-last-time-you-mapped-your-customers-activity-7127647193829666816-CIDg |access-date=2023-11-09 |website=www.linkedin.com |language=en}}</ref>

=== Persuasion ===
As one of the top-selling consumer items on the market, Post-it notes may have a positive effect on how users take in the information presented on them. This is backed up by research that aimed to see just how helpful these small strips of paper can be to those who utilize them.<ref name="Garner-2005">{{Cite journal |last=Garner |first=Randy |journal=Journal of Consumer Psychology |date=2005 |volume=15 |issue=3 |pages=230–237 |title=Post-It® Note Persuasion: A Sticky Influence |doi=10.1207/s15327663jcp1503_8 |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1057740805701133 |access-date=2023-03-11|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

=== Art ===
[[File:Postitmosiac.jpg|thumb|Post-it notes used to create a [[mosaic]]]]

"The Yellow Stickee Diary of a Mad Secretary", by Rosa Maria Arenas, is the mini [[Graphic journalism|graphic journal]] of an office worker/artist, exhibited July 7 through August 25, 2013, at the Michigan Institute of Contemporary Art (MICA) Gallery in [[Lansing, Michigan]]. The 41 drawings displayed are a tiny percentage of the more than 2000 original drawings that constitute the Yellow Stickee Diary Project which Arenas created while working temp jobs from 1994 to 2005. Printed with archival inks on archival paper, the reproductions include "stickee sized" (3″ × 5″) framed prints and enlargements of the original drawings (which were all done on Post-it notes).<ref name="micagallery.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.micagallery.org/the-yellow-stickee-diary-of-a-mad-secretary-july-august-2013-show/|title=MICA Gallery|work=micagallery.org|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130910181624/http://www.micagallery.org/the-yellow-stickee-diary-of-a-mad-secretary-july-august-2013-show/|archive-date=2013-09-10}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ardan Ozmenoğlu "E PLURIBUS UNUM": Nov 15 – Dec 15|url=http://www.bdgny.com/exhibitions/ardan-ozmenoglu-e-pluribus-unum-2012/|access-date=26 October 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131219220436/http://www.bdgny.com/exhibitions/ardan-ozmenoglu-e-pluribus-unum-2012/|archive-date=19 December 2013}}</ref>

[[File:'Occupy Paradeplatz' in Zürich 2011-10-22 14-52-16.JPG|thumb|left|[[Occupy movement]] Post-it notes at the [[Paradeplatz]] in [[Zürich]]]]

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 [[neon color]]s for more important objects, such as the bed.<ref name="Green"/>

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.<ref name="Post-It Note raises £640">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/1089371.stm |title=Post-it Note raises £640 |access-date=2007-08-23 |date=2000-12-27 |work=[[BBC News]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081223003904/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/1089371.stm |archive-date=2008-12-23 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://postitartists.com |title= Home |work= Art Community |publisher= Post-it® Notes Artists |url-status= live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141020050715/http://postitartists.com/ |archive-date= 2014-10-20 }}</ref>{{Failed verification|date = April 2017}}

[[Lennon Wall (Hong Kong)|The Lennon Wall]], a message board created during the [[2014 Hong Kong protests]] from a stretch of curved staircase in the [[Central Government Complex (Hong Kong)|Central Government Complex]], is covered in multi-colored Post-it notes with handwritten messages from supporters.<ref name=20141115NYTrescue>{{cite news | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/15/world/asia/rescuing-protest-artwork-from-hong-kongs-streets.html | title = Art Spawned by Hong Kong Protest; Now to Make It Live On | first = Joyce | last = Lau | date = November 14, 2014 | location = Hong Kong | work = The New York Times | access-date = April 12, 2017 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170405103347/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/15/world/asia/rescuing-protest-artwork-from-hong-kongs-streets.html | archive-date = April 5, 2017 }}</ref>

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.<ref name="Arya-2011">{{Cite web |last=Arya |first=Aayush |date=2011-10-17 |title=Fans design Steve Jobs portrait using Post-it Notes at Apple Store |url=https://thenextweb.com/news/fans-design-steve-jobs-portrait-out-of-4001-post-it-notes-at-apple-store |access-date=2023-11-09 |website=TNW {{!}} Apple |language=en}}</ref> The use of Post-its resembled [[pixel art]] as each Post-it acted as a single pixel.<ref name="Arya-2011" />

During the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], artist [[Cauleen Smith]] created a video work featuring sticky notes called “Covid Manifesto.”<ref name="Cooper-2021">{{Cite news |last=Cooper |first=Alwa |date=2021-08-27 |title=Sticky Note Manifestoes Written During Quarantine |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/27/t-magazine/cauleen-smith-video-art.html |access-date=2023-11-08}}</ref> Smith used Instagram as a platform to engage with the social injustice posed by the pandemic.<ref name="Carnegie Museum of Art">{{Cite web |title=Cauleen Smith: Pandemic Diaries |url=https://carnegieart.org/exhibition/cauleen-smith/ |access-date=2023-11-09 |website=Carnegie Museum of Art |language=en-US}}</ref> Covid Manifesto is part of an online exhibit at the [[Carnegie Museum of Art]], which premiered on September 3, 2021.<ref name="Cooper-2021" /><ref name="Carnegie Museum of Art" />{{clear}}

=== Public engagement ===
In 2016, the day after the [[2016 United States presidential election|US presidential election]], artist Matthew "Levee" Chavez started a collaborative art project called “Subway Therapy.”<ref name="Arcadia University">{{Cite web |title=Subway Therapy: a project by Matthew "Levee" Chavez |url=https://www.arcadia.edu/exhibitions/gallery-archive/subway-therapy-a-project-by-matthew-levee-chavez/ |access-date=2023-11-09 |website=Arcadia University |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="Rosenberg-2016">{{Cite news |last=Rosenberg |first=Eli |date=2016-12-06 |title=Sticky Notes Bearing Election Hopes and Fears Removed from Subway |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/16/nyregion/subway-election-therapy-wall-sticky-notes.html |access-date=2023-11-08}}</ref> Levee set up tables and chairs in [[14th Street–Union Square station|Union Square Station]] and invited commuters to express their thoughts and feelings on Post-it notes.<ref name="Arcadia University" /> Most Post-it notes conveyed people's hopes and fears in response to the election.<ref name="Arcadia University" /><ref name="Rosenberg-2016" /> The public contributed over 50,000 Post-it notes to the subway walls until the project was taken down on December 16, 2016.<ref name="Arcadia University" /><ref name="Rosenberg-2016" /> [[New-York Historical Society|The New York Historical Society]] preserved several thousand of the Post-it notes.<ref name="Rosenberg-2016" />

[[Sidewalk Labs|Sidewalks 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.<ref name="Mattern-2020">{{Cite journal |last=Mattern |first=Shannon |date=February 2020 |title=Post-It Note City |url=https://placesjournal.org/article/post-it-note-city/?cn-reloaded=1 |journal=Places|issue=2020 |doi=10.22269/200211 }}</ref> 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.<ref name="Mattern-2020" />

Post-it notes have also been used in museums to allow for more public interactivity and participation.<ref name="Faulkenbury-2017">{{Cite web |last=Faulkenbury |first=Evan |date=2017-01-09 |title=Sticky notes as tools for public history |url=https://ncph.org/history-at-work/sticky-notes/ |access-date=2023-11-09 |website=National Council on Public History |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2016, at the [[Minnesota History Center]] in St. Paul, Minnesota, the public wrote their reflections on the life of [[Prince (musician)|Prince]] on Post-it notes and posted them near the exhibit.<ref name="Faulkenbury-2017" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-04-18 |title=Prince's suit from 'Purple Rain' on exhibit again |url=https://www.mprnews.org/story/2017/04/18/prince-display-back-up-at-historical-society |access-date=2023-11-09 |website=MPR News |language=en}}</ref> Some Post-it notes were archived by the museum to preserve the public sentiment expressed at the time.<ref name="Faulkenbury-2017" />

==Software implementations==
Virtual Post-it notes have been created for [[computer]]s in the form of [[desktop notes]]. These include 3M's own Post-it Brand Software Notes, [[Stickies (software)|Stickies]] in [[macOS]], [[Sticky Notes|or Sticky Notes]] in [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/products/features/sticky-notes |title=Windows 7 Features 'Sticky Notes' |access-date=2010-12-25 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101224200120/http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/products/features/sticky-notes |archive-date=2010-12-24 }}</ref>

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}
{{Clear}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Post-it notes}}
* {{US patent|3691140}}{{snd}}''Acrylate-copolymer microspheres'' [adhesive formula]
* {{US patent|5194299}}{{snd}}''Repositionable Pressure-Sensitive Adhesive Sheet Material'' [sheet material]
* [http://www.post-it.com/3M/en_US/post-it/ Post-it homepage]
* {{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/701661.stm |title=Sticking around – the Post-it note is 20 |website=[[BBC News]] |date=April 6, 2000}}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.rakemag.com/reporting/features/twenty-five-years-post-it-notes-0 |title=Twenty-Five Years of Post-it Notes |website=The Rake |first=Greg |last=Beato |date=March 24, 2005}}
* [http://www.3m.com/us/office/postit/pastpresent/history.html Post-it Note History by 3M]
* Stavroula Karapapa, (2019). [https://centaur.reading.ac.uk/77706/8/Karapapa%20(1).pdf Post-it note]. In: Claudy Op den Kamp and Dan Hunter (eds.), A History of Intellectual Property in 50 Objects, Cambridge University Press. 

{{3M}}
{{Paper products}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Post-it note}}
[[Category:3M brands]]
[[Category:American inventions]]
[[Category:Paper products]]
[[Category:Printing and writing paper]]
[[Category:Products introduced in 1977]]
[[Category:Stationery]]
[[Category:Office equipment]]
[[Category:Brands that became generic]]