Regularly, information workers print multi-page documents that are not promptly removed from the printers upon completion of printing. Where there are shared printers, this quite common. Co-workers or temps may also use the printer or pass the worker’s printer where the documents are unprotected for various amounts of time.

Where the is no regular policy and user-friendly method of document protection, printed documents are susceptible to misuse and misinterpretation. While this may not be a common event, when it does happen — and a document is misused — the price can be inestimable.

This occurs daily in thousands of companies on an all-to-frequent basis. When documents are printed for any number of reasons, it is often without any form of label or identification to prevent misinterpretation or misunderstanding. Unfortunately, rubber stamps are the most common form of paper document management and compounding the problem is thier use in the margins.

The most effective method of dealing with paper and PDF document management is to identify and label the document at the time it is printed. In the case of a PDF, the document marking should be done at the time it is created from Word. This requires both a method that is easily implemented and a policy requiring the action. If the PDF is not labeled or identified when it is created from Word, it requires a manual use manipulation and a PDF editing program to mark or stamp the document. Moreover, if the user wants to mark only selected pages of the PDF, each must be done individually which can be a tedious process.

As to the method, the document identification process must be systematic and capable of marking all the documents’ pages with appropriate and/or necessary indicia that is unalterable. The method must also be able to accept user-input to ensure that the marking is wholly appropriate for the document and handle extraordinary situations where truly custom stamps or legends are required.

While a stamp in the margin is better than no stamp at all, it doesn’t make much of an improvement over the old-fashioned rubber stamp. In order to be effective, the method must be automated. And the method must be capable of combining the text and the indicia in such a manner that it cannot be removed. User-friendliness is of paramount importance. If the use of the product requires data entry or command-line use, it is not likely to be used in an effective manner.

The use of a form of document marking known as “visible watermarks” is viable in low-traffic offices when the risk of misuse is low. However, this form of marking is far from secure. Using almost any one of the present-day photocopiers and increasing the contrast will result in an unmarked document that is virtually impossible to differentiate from the “original.” Using color offers better protection but is still subject to removal with current available technology.

Document marking that is embedded in the body/text of a document is the most reliable. This form of marking is where the marking is the same color as the body text which prevents the removal-by-copier scenario. Under this condition there is no marking that can be covered or “contrasted” out of the document. This method provides the most paper document security in a document management program.

StampIt for Word is the standard for automated document marking and is the answer for eliminating the use of rubber stamps for paper document management . StampIt combines the power of a word-processor with the clout of your printer. It’s like having instant, complete access to custom rubber stamps that are fully automated.