How to add a stamp to a PDF on Mac
For the times a document needs a status rather than a name.
A stamp says what state a document is in. It is a different job from a signature, which says who agreed to it, and from a watermark, which covers the whole page.
Stamps is part of Premium, so it carries a small lock in the document actions panel and in the menu bar. The lock is a label rather than a barrier — you can open the feature and see what it does before deciding to unlock it. Reading and every page operation stay free.
Adding one
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Open Stamps
From the document actions panel, under Content.
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Choose the stamp
Approved, Draft, Confidential, Received and the rest of the usual set.
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Place it
Click where it goes and drag to size it. The corner of the first page is conventional for a status; over the signature block is conventional for an approval.
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Add the detail that makes it useful
A stamp saying “Approved” is worth more with a date and a name beside it in a text box. “Approved by whom, when” is the question it will be asked.
Stamp, watermark or text box?
| Mark | Covers | Says |
|---|---|---|
| Stamp | A corner or a block of one page | The status of this document |
| Watermark | The whole of every page | How this document may be used |
| Text box | Wherever you put it | Whatever you type |
A practical rule: use a stamp for a decision, a watermark for a warning, and a text box for information.
Which means whoever receives the document can move it, resize it or delete it. If the stamp is the point — an approval on a record, a confidentiality mark on something being circulated — flatten the document so it becomes part of the page.
Stamping a set of documents
Marking forty documents “Received” one at a time is exactly the kind of job batch recipes exist for. Set it up once and run it across the folder.
Frequently asked questions
How do I add an Approved stamp to a PDF on a Mac?
Open Stamps from the document actions panel, choose the stamp, and click where it should go. Add a date and a name in a text box beside it — that is what makes an approval useful.
What stamps are included?
The usual set: Approved, Draft, Confidential, Received and others.
What is the difference between a stamp and a watermark?
A stamp marks one place on one page with a status. A watermark runs across the whole of every page as a warning about how the document may be used.
Can a stamp be removed by the person I send it to?
Yes, unless you flatten the document first. Flattening makes it part of the page.
Can I stamp a lot of documents at once?
Yes, with a batch recipe across a folder.