Giving you the ability to share text, images, links, as well as other useful features, PDFs are among the most popular document formats today. However, sometimes you need to include additional information in your document, particularly when it comes to archiving files, or when you need to prove the date when you’ve managed to complete a document.
Even though you always have the option to manually type in a date, in these instances, it might be wiser to add a special stamp that will use information from your server, making for a more reliable option.
To that end, here is how you can include a date in your PDF document:
Adding a specific date stamp
If you wish to add a special stamp that will represent the date when your document was created, simply follow the steps below:
- If you haven’t already, open your PDF file in Acrobat Reader.
- In the main menu, press the Comments icon, and then select the ‘Show Comment & Markup Toolbar’ option.
- Now, click on the Stamp Tool option. Here, you can select the stamp style, and then decide whether you wish to include only the date or the time as well.
- Finally, press on the stamp style to include it in your file. Keep in mind that the stamp will automatically be placed in the middle or at the top of your file. If you wish, you could then click on the Hand Tool in the top toolbar to change the placement of your date stamp.
Adjusting the headers and footers
In case it’s more suitable, you also have the ability to include a date in one (or all) of the headers or footers of your document. Here’s how:
- If you haven’t already, open your PDF file in Acrobat Reader.
- In the menu on the left, press the Document icon, select the ‘Header/Footer’ option, and then click on Add. A new editing window should now appear.
- Next, simply place your cursor on the specific spot in the footer or header where you would like the date to be.
- Press Page Number and Date Format. Select the date information option, and then press OK.
- Now, click on Insert Date to put the date of creation into the specific place you previously chose.
- Finally, press the ‘Apply to Multiple’ option to put the date on all pages, or simply press OK to put the date only on the specific place you chose on the one page.
Note: The steps described in this article relate specifically to Adobe Acrobat Reader. However, the process should be quite similar when using other software meant for reading and editing PDF files.
And there you have it; all the necessary steps you need to take in order to place a date on your PDF file, regardless of the specific program you might be using.
