The date stamp on photos, and how to add one
The glowing orange date in the corner of a photo says the 80s, 90s and early 2000s like nothing else. It came from cameras that printed the date straight onto the film. Here's how that worked, and how to use a date stamp now without it looking like a costume.
By the DisCam team ·
Where the date came from
Many compact film cameras from the 1980s onwards had a date back: a tiny display in the back of the camera that shone the date onto each frame as you took the picture. Some cameras could also print the time.
Nobody had to add it later. The date was part of the photo from the moment it was taken, which is why it turns up on so many family albums from the time.
Why it glows
The digits were made of segments, like a digital clock, and they were exposed onto the film from behind. On colour film they usually printed as orange or yellow numbers, with a soft glow where the light spread into the film around them.
That glow is what makes an old date stamp look real. Sharp, flat orange numbers typed on top of a photo don't look the same.
The formats
Cameras offered the date in different orders, and people chose the one they were used to. Day first, as in 15.08.26, is the British and European way. Month first suits the US, and year first is common in Japan. Many cameras also showed the year with an apostrophe and the month and day without leading zeros, as in ’26 8 15.
Making a date stamp look right today
A few things make the difference:
- Keep it small. On a real print the digits are tiny.
- Bottom right is traditional, but move it if it covers a face or the main subject.
- Orange is the classic. White stands out on dark or busy photos, and black suits light ones.
- Use the real date. Part of the charm is knowing exactly when a photo was taken.
- Add the time only when it means something, like a midnight countdown.
Should every photo have one?
A date says snapshot: this happened, on this day. That suits holidays, parties and everyday moments. For a portrait you want to frame, or the wedding photos, you might prefer it clean.
You don't have to choose for good. In DisCam you can save or share any print with the date or without it.
Date stamps in DisCam
DisCam's date stamp copies the softly glowing seven-segment digits of an old camera, with plenty of options:
- Orange, white, green or black digits.
- Classic or Solid segments, standard or italic.
- Four formats: DD.MM.YY, MM.DD.YY, YY.MM.DD and ’YY M D.
- Any corner, with or without the time.
- To stamp the date on a photo you already have, try the free online film filter. It can read the date the photo was taken.
