| Paper and PDF document marking and identification | | | | for the day-to-day marking of documents with COPY, |
| are one of the five elements of all document | | | | DRAFT, etc. At times, the number of stamps rivaled |
| management systems. If rubber stamps are still | | | | some book collections and took up their own section |
| involved in your methodology, then the this article has | | | | of a desk or drawer. In the last few years, information |
| even more significance. | | | | workers used headers or footers to indicate |
| | | | | document purpose or intent. |
| Electronic documents will, some day, be ubiquitous; but, | | | | An obvious shortcoming of this method of document |
| for the foreseeable future, we are still using paper. If | | | | management was that the font size was usually the |
| PDF files are being created, they most likely are | | | | same size as body text and many times, smaller. |
| coming from your Word document. Creating a PDF file | | | | Copier technology made this type of indicia easy to |
| is the equivalent of printing the file to paper and making | | | | remove and by its nature, it was easily overlooked. |
| it easily readable (and printable) by anyone who | | | | This led to graphics in word processors in the form of |
| possess it. To distribute these documents without clear | | | | watermarks and other formats to be combined with |
| identification as to purpose or intent poses a host of | | | | the text of the document. Printer manufacturers then |
| risks -- all of which can easily be avoided. | | | | followed by allowing users to embed a visible |
| Paper and PDF are often used for review, markup, | | | | watermark into the printing of the document but this |
| meetings, drafts and any number of other purposes | | | | feature was not widely used because of the difficultly |
| for which we prefer or need to use paper. It is then | | | | of use. While watermarks were far superior to rubber |
| that the first version of the document coming its | | | | stamps, they still can be easily removed from |
| electronic womb -- begins the document lifecycle. How | | | | documents by changing the contrast setting on copiers. |
| those documents are identified as to their purpose or | | | | Document marking with graphics can be the most |
| intent will determine the risk in the document's lifecycle | | | | effective method of paper and PDF document |
| and to a large degree, that of its "creator." | | | | identification. |
| When creating a document, the following should be | | | | Word Document Management Using Graphics |
| considered: Who gets the document? The document's | | | | Images draw the eye and get attention much faster |
| purpose, How easily is the document misunderstood, | | | | and more effectively than text. With that knowledge, it |
| How do you convey the intent of the document to the | | | | is clear that documents should be marked in a manner |
| recipient? | | | | that is convenient, precludes alteration and concurrently |
| How to insure (as much as possible) that the | | | | conveys the document's purpose. |
| document is used as intended? How to ensure that | | | | Microsoft® Word has superior tools to effectively |
| the document's purpose is not misunderstood? How to | | | | carry out this process. The WordArt functions provide |
| clearly convey the message with the document? | | | | a host of graphics that can be inserted into your |
| Having a multitude of options instantly available for | | | | document. The greatest degree of document security |
| identification makes this part much easier — keep | | | | is achieved by embedding a graphic in a document |
| reading. | | | | that cannot be removed by a copier's contrast setting |
| In the past and to some degree, the present, | | | | and does not affect the readability of the document. |
| documents that require complex or multi-line legends | | | | StampIt® for Word automates these and other |
| often require ordering custom rubber stamps. | | | | Word features to make document identification a |
| Self-inking stamps were and still are frequently used | | | | snap. And, it makes your documents look better too. |