Post-it Picture Paper

By Christina VanGinkel

Print, peel, and stick is not a phrase that I ever thought I would hear associated with paper for my photo printer, but then I was given a sample of Post-it picture paper. The paper comes in a matte or semi-gloss finish, and works in most inkjet printers the same as any other photo paper. Choose Other Inkjet Paper or Plain Paper when your printer asks you to specify what type of paper you are printing on. What is so unique about it though, is that it comes with a peel off backing that exposes a sticky side. The sticky side is not so sticky though that once you stick it somewhere, it is there for good, but rather the backing is the same as the sticky side of a regular Post-it note. This means that not only can you stick your favorite snapshots wherever you want to, then you can peel them up and re-stick them somewhere else!

The paper is thin in comparison to my regular photo paper, but for the purpose of what it is, I do not find that to be a negative factor at all, but a positive one. At first, I thought about using the photos for projects such as my son’s schoolwork. He could easily print and apply pictures right into his school projects with ease. For example, he has an Invention Convention coming up, and he has to assemble a bulletin board in relation to the invention, which shows the steps taken to create it, and how it works. Due to the size of the poster board, there is no way to print directly onto the board. Last year, he cut out his pictures and taped or glued them down. I do not remember which one, but I do know that he had issues with one of the pictures falling off during the day of the display, and he had to tape it onto the board. If he had printed his pictures onto this paper that would never have been an issue. The more I thought about the uses for this paper though; I realized that it could work for a lot more projects.

In school, he could use them on his folders, notebooks, and even inside of his locker. Because they will peel off without leaving residue (except for some very rare cases with some delicate fabrics and papers, which is noted on the packaging), school kids could stick them almost anywhere their imagination could think up.

For parents of very young children, they could even use them to place a personalized note inside their lunch box or backpack. If a child has to remember to go somewhere different from their regular routine after school, but they are too young to read, send the written note for the teacher, and one with a picture of their destination for the day for them. If they open their backpack to see a smiling face of grandma stuck to the inside flap of their backpack, what better a reminder than that!

In a small child’s room, you could use this paper to make illustrated tags to correspond to what is in their drawers or toy cubbies. Because the paper will peel off whenever you want it to, updating the look when they outgrow the need for such a thing, is easy as can be.

For work, you could use these to illustrate reports at the last minute, add some pizzazz to the file cabinets, or to stick a picture of a loved one front and center, to help keep you motivated to meet the big deadline. In addition, because you are at work, these photos can be peeled off if the need ever arises.

How about creating place cards for an outdoor party on a windy day, or tagging baskets of supplies at a class, where the users change each week. Simply make the nametags, apply, and at the end of the week, peel them off and put on new ones. Unlike other labeling systems, these can be easily switched around. I cannot remember the last time I was so excited about a new product, let alone a new paper product. The possibilities are as they say, endless. Pick up a pack of these, and let me know what uses you come up with for them!