Add a stamp to a PDF

Last updated on May 28, 2025 | Also applies to Adobe Acrobat 2017, Adobe Acrobat 2020

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Stamp a document

Apply a stamp to a PDF like a rubber stamp on paper. Choose from predefined stamps or create custom ones. Dynamic stamps fetch details from your computer and the Preferences dialog box, allowing you to include name, date, and time information.

Refer to the topics below to learn how to:

Add a stamp
Modify a stamp
Create a custom or custom dynamic stamp
Delete a custom stamp
Delete a custom stamp category

Try it in the app
Apply stamps to your PDFs in a few simple steps.

Open Acrobat

Stamp tool categories in Acrobat — Stamp tool categories

A. Dynamic stamp B. Sign Here stamp C. Standard business stamp D. Custom stamp

Add a stamp

Open a document, and then from the All tools menu, select View more > Add a stamp.
From the left panel, select Stamp and then select a desired stamp from the required category.
To use an image from clipboard as a stamp, select Paste Clipboard Image as Stamp Tool.
Select the spot in the document where you want to apply the stamp.

Tip

You can also drag a rectangle to define the size and placement of the stamp.

Note

If you haven’t provided a name in the Identity preferences, the Identity Setup dialog box prompts you to do so.

Modify a stamp

Use the Select tool or the Hand tool to take any of the following actions:
- To move a stamp, drag it to a new location.
- To resize a stamp, select it and then drag a corner handle.
- To rotate a stamp, select it, move the pointer over the handle at the top, and drag when the rotate stamp icon appears.
- To delete a stamp, right-click the stamp and select Delete.
- To change the stamp’s opacity or the color of its pop-up note, right-click the stamp, and select Properties. In the Appearance tab, set the opacity or color.
- To move a stamp to the favorites list, select the stamp markup using the Select tool or the Hand tool. Then, from the left panel, select Stamp > Add Current Stamp To Favorites.

Create a custom stamp

You can create custom stamps from a number of different formats, such as PDF, JPEG, bitmap, Adobe® Illustrator® (AI), Adobe® Photoshop® (PSD), and Autodesk AutoCAD (DWT, DWG) files.

Acrobat Reader allows you to create custom stamps only in PDF format.

Note

To add an image to a PDF one time only, simply paste the image into the document. Pasted images have the same characteristics as other stamp comments; each includes a pop-up note and editable properties.

From the All tools menu, select View more > Add a stamp > Custom stamps > Create.
Select Browse to choose a file you want to use as a stamp and then select OK.

If the file has multiple pages, scroll to the page you want to use and select OK.
In the Create Custom Stamp dialog, select one of the following categories from the drop-down menu:
- Dynamic
- Sign here
- Standard Business
- Type a new category name
Select OK.

Add a dynamic stamp

Dynamic stamps display accurate name, data and time from your computer or from the identity panel of the Preferences dialog box. To add a dynamic stamp:

Select All tools > Add a stamp.
From the left pane, select Stamp and then select Dynamic.
Select the desired stamp from the options.
Click on the document to place the stamp.

Add date in a newly created stamp

Open the newly created PDF stamp file from the following location of your system user directory. The file is arbitrarily named.
- Windows: C:\Users\[user name]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Acrobat\DC\Stamps
- macOS: /Users/[user name]/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Acrobat/DC/Stamps
From the All tools menu, select Prepare a form > Create > Text field. Place and name the field where you want the date to appear.
Double-click the text field and then in the Text Field Properties dialog:
1. Select Calculate.
2. Select Custom Calculation Script and then select Edit.
In the JavaScript Editor, type the following script and select OK.
Close the Text Field Properties dialog, close Prepare a form mode, and save the file.
Rename the stamp file for easy reference.

The dynamic stamp is ready. Copy the file to the following program directory to use the dynamic stamp on multiple computers.
- Windows: [install_directory]\Adobe\Acrobat\Acrobat\plug_ins\Annotations\Stamps\[language _directory]\
For example, C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Acrobat\Acrobat\plug_ins\Annotations\Stamps\ENU\
- macOS: /Applications/Adobe Acrobat/Adobe Acrobat Pro.app/Contents/Built-In/Comments.acroplugin/Stamps/[language _directory]/

Delete a custom stamp

You can delete only the custom stamps you created, not the predefined ones. When you delete a stamp, the stamp is removed from the Add a stamp tool menu, but the stamp file isn’t deleted.

From the All tools menu, select View more > Add a stamp > Stamps pallette.
Choose the stamp category from the menu, right-click the custom stamp, and select Delete.

Delete a custom stamp category

From the All tools menu, select View more > Add a stamp > Custom stamps > Manage.
Select the category you want to delete, and then select Delete.

Note

Deleting all stamps in a custom stamp category deletes the custom stamp category.

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