Add stamp, date or "Approved" to a PDF — how it works
2 min read·25 July 2026
Approving, dating or stamping documents as proof of authorisation is a common task in business PDF workflows. This guide covers how to add text stamps, date stamps and approval markings.
What is a PDF stamp?
A PDF stamp is a text or image element you add to a PDF without modifying the original content. Typical examples: "APPROVED", "CONFIDENTIAL", "DRAFT", "ORIGINAL" or a date and initials. A stamp is visible but not always permanent (unless you flatten).
Add text stamp via PDFrust
Use PDFrust Stamp to add text of your choice. Choose the position (corner, centre), font size, colour and angle. Insert today's date automatically or type a fixed text. Stamp appears on all pages or only selected pages.
Stamp PDF
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Add date automatically
Via PDFrust Header/Footer you can automatically add the current date to every page — ideal for archiving and approval documents. Also useful for version numbering: "v3.0 — 25 July 2026" as a footer on every page.
Approval stamp as image
Want a real stamp image — a red or green oval stamp like from a company? Create it as a transparent PNG (in Canva, Photoshop or online) and add via PDFrust Watermark or Insert Image. Position as desired.
Make stamp permanent via flattening
By default a stamp is an annotation that can be removed in some viewers. Use PDFrust Flatten to permanently integrate the stamp into the PDF — after this it can no longer be edited separately. This is recommended for official use of approval stamps.
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