A Post-it 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-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. 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.
A small pad of original style lined yellow Post-it brand notes
Arthur Fry with a Post-it note on his forehead
The adhesive side of a Post-it note, magnified 555 times with a scanning electron microscope
Klaus Theweleit reading from a book with post-it notes as bookmarks
Pressure-sensitive adhesive
Pressure-sensitive adhesive is a type of nonreactive adhesive which forms a bond when pressure is applied to bond the adhesive with a surface. No solvent, water, or heat is needed to activate the adhesive.
It is used in pressure-sensitive tapes, labels, glue dots, stickers, sticky note pads, automobile trim, and a wide variety of other products.
Stickers on a laptop, applied with pressure-sensitive adhesive
Post-it notes
