- Categories:
- Special Interest
- Tags:
- AmericanHobbyWork
- Where:
- United States
- Date change rule:
- Every May 7
- Holiday emoji:
- ✂️
National Paste Up Day celebrates the ingenious, hands-on technique of physically arranging text and images for print every May 7. This day honors the pre-digital era of graphic design, where artists meticulously cut and pasted elements to create layouts. Dive into the history of print, try your hand at collage, and appreciate the tactile artistry of paste-up.
Want to sponsor National Paste Up Day? Learn how
Expected National Paste Up Day Deals
While major retailers might not run specific ‘Paste Up Day’ promotions, art supply stores and craft retailers often feature sales on paper, adhesives, and cutting tools that are perfect for celebrating the spirit of the day. Look for deals from Blick Art Materials, Michaels, and Joann Stores on items like X-Acto knives, glue sticks, and specialty papers. Online marketplaces like Etsy may also highlight independent artists selling vintage paste-up ephemera or collage kits. We will update this page with confirmed live deals as May 7 approaches.
Platform Guide for National Paste Up Day
Tag @nationaltoday_ and use #NationalPasteUpDay. Share your vintage paste-up finds, modern collage art, or behind-the-scenes glimpses of print design.
TikTok
Tag @www.nationaltoday.com and use #NationalPasteUpDay. Create a time-lapse video of a collage project or a ‘how-to’ guide for a simple paste-up technique.
Mention National Today (facebook.com/nationaltoday) and use #NationalPasteUpDay. Share articles on the history of graphic design or host a virtual ‘show and tell’ of your favorite print layouts.
National Paste Up Day Hero
Saul Bass
History of National Paste Up Day
Before the existence of fancy editing software, designers had to figure out many different ways to create the layout for publication pages, photographs, and advertisements. To do so, artists used the paste-up method, which can be considered equivalent to a sort of collage. Since there were no computers to facilitate the process, the paste-up artist would carefully cut and arrange different sections of typographic elements on a page to create a readable and aesthetically pleasing design.
The paste-up artist would receive the elements in several strips of paper and apply them to a board using wax adhesive. If any photos needed to be attached they went through a thorough halftoning, and colors were inverted for the negative of the entire page to be created. This negative would work as a sort of stamp on the actual pages of the newspaper when turned into a printing plate.
To create the guidelines and margins of the negative, paste-up artists painted them using cyan-colored ink, which would not be seen by the film used to make the printing plates. Should a newspaper already have a line of publishing, the artist wouldn’t have to go through the work of painting those lines on, as the boards would already be available. Since the 1990s, publishers have used computer software to develop layouts and print them out on special printers.
National Paste Up Day timeline
In Ancient Rome, announcements are carvings on rock and metal.
Johann Gutenberg invents the very first press, which helps publish books.
They have small sheets with information for merchants in Europe, and they start circulating.
Newspaper and magazine publishing companies begin to use computer software for layouts.
How Businesses Can Celebrate National Paste Up Day
Local print shops and design agencies can host open house events, showcasing vintage paste-up tools and techniques alongside modern digital workflows. Art supply stores can offer workshops on collage or zine-making, encouraging hands-on creativity. Even coffee shops can display local artists’ collage work or create a ‘community paste-up board’ for patrons to contribute to, fostering appreciation for tactile design.
National Paste Up Day FAQs
When is National Paste Up Day?
In 2027, National Paste Up Day is observed on Friday, May 7, offering a chance to reflect on the evolution of visual communication. This annual celebration highlights the meticulous artistry involved in manual paste-up.
What is paste-up in graphic design?
Before the advent of desktop publishing software in the 1980s and 90s, paste-up was the standard practice for preparing artwork for print. Designers would use waxers, rubber cement, or spray adhesives to position elements, often adjusting them repeatedly until the layout was perfect.
How many graphic designers are there today?
The field of graphic design continues to be a vibrant industry, with hundreds of thousands of professionals globally. Though digital platforms dominate, many designers still draw inspiration from the foundational techniques and aesthetics of the paste-up era.
When did digital design replace paste-up?
While some niche applications and artistic practices still employ physical collage, the widespread adoption of digital tools by the mid-1990s marked the end of paste-up as the primary method for professional print production. This shift dramatically streamlined the design and printing process.
National Paste Up Day Activities
Make paste-up art
The best way to celebrate is to, of course, paste-up art yourself! Grab your scissors and dig into old magazines and newspapers or print out some stuff and glue it all on a blank paper to create a beautiful piece of art!
Read an old newspaper at a museum
You can always visit a museum that displays old newspapers and check the results of paste-up art! You may discover things you’ve never seen before!
Give someone cutouts
If you have a bunch of leftover cutouts from your paste-up art, give them away to someone and ask them to create a beautiful piece for you! They’ll be happy to!
5 Facts About Newspapers You’ll Love
They’re older than you think
In Britain, the first newspaper was published in 1621.
It’s the best place to advertise
Eight in 10 adults went after a product they’ve seen advertised in newspapers.
It has many formats
With the internet, newspapers are now a collection of posts.
It’s almost as big as television
Online news has almost the same viewership as T.V. news.
Weather forecasts are a key feature
70% of Americans consider the weather report the most important detail from the newspaper.
Why We Love National Paste Up Day
It’s all about art
How can we not love celebrating the beauty and importance of artistic expression? This day keeps us akin to our creative essence!
It connects us to our past
To remember paste-up art is to remember our past and appreciate all we have today! Do some research into your past on this day.
It keeps us creative
Making art and using random pieces of pictures and words to create art is a great way to remain creative. And we love creativity!
Social Media Tips for National Paste Up Day
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