Post-it® is a low-tack adhesive slip of paper that can be moved around without leaving residue. The product was invented in 1974 by Art Fry and Spencer Silver at 3M Corporation. The first Post-its® hit the market in 1978 but received little reaction until free samples were distributed to offices. Today, Post-it® comes in eight standard sizes, 25 shapes, and 62 colors. It has become so popular that it has even been elevated to the level of art.
A Post-it® is a slip of paper with a low-tack adhesive that allows it to be placed and moved around multiple times without leaving residue or causing damage. Some consumers refer to Post-it® as a sticky note or just a sticker, and brightly colored slips of paper have become ubiquitous in most offices around the world. They have also made the leap into the digital world, where they are used to label documents as they are on paper documents. The original Post-it® Note is manufactured by 3M Corporation, which retains the brand name. Other companies make similar products, which are branded as sticky or repositionable notes.
The origins of the Post-it® are quite interesting. The story begins in 1968, when Spencer Silver was working with adhesives in the 3M laboratory and trying to figure out how best to use them. He came across an adhesive that was too weak to hold anything, but noted that it left no residue and that it was easy to reposition cards that had been coated with adhesive. Though he’s been toying with the adhesive for some time, he’s been unable to find a solid use for it, but he’s kept it in mind.
In 1974, another 3M employee, Art Fry, became frustrated with paper markers in his church hymnal. The markers kept slipping away, often at inopportune times. Silver suggested coating the markers with the mild adhesive and Post-it® was born. By 1977, the notes were incredibly popular at 3M’s headquarters, and the R&D team was pushing to see them presented to the public.
The first Post-its® hit the market in 1978 and received little reaction. 3M only tested the product in a small number of cities but was disappointed by the lack of sales. Eventually, the company resorted to distributing free samples to offices and other businesses, and many people who used them were immediately hooked. In 1979, product release was expanded to 11 western states, and by 1980 Post-it® was in a number of offices across the United States. Office workers have actually started mailing Post-its to people in areas without them.
The company continues to produce the classic Post-it®, which comes in a small, convenient format and a striking lemon yellow color. According to 3M, there are eight standard sizes of Post-it®, available in 25 shapes and 62 colors. Clearly, the company has capitalized on the brand’s success, with a huge assortment of products aimed at different users, from college students to environmental activists.
Post-it® has become so much a part of American society that notes have even been elevated to the level of art. Using multicolored Post-it® Notes, the artists produced huge murals, sculptures and an assortment of other pieces. Post-it® jokes are also very popular, especially in offices; many of these pranks involve using mass numbers of cheap banknotes to cover offices, homes, or even cars.
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