How to Stamp Exhibits in Adobe Acrobat
A complete guide to manually stamping legal exhibits in Adobe Acrobat Pro. We'll cover the step-by-step process, time estimates, and honest advice on when Acrobat vs. alternatives like ExhibitPrep makes sense.
Stamping One Exhibit in Acrobat (6 Steps)
Here's the complete manual process for stamping a single exhibit document.
Open PDF in Acrobat Pro
10 secondsOpen your exhibit document. Note: This requires Adobe Acrobat Pro ($22.99/mo)—the free Reader cannot add stamps.
Access the Stamp Tool
10 secondsNavigate to Tools → Stamp → Custom Stamps. If this is your first time, you'll need to create a custom stamp first.
Create Custom Stamp (First Time Only)
10-15 minutesDesign your exhibit stamp in Word or PowerPoint, save as PDF, then import into Acrobat as a custom stamp. This is a one-time setup.
Position the Stamp
30 secondsClick on the document to place the stamp. Manually drag to position and resize. Acrobat doesn't have preset positions.
Copy to Each Page
20 seconds per pageFor multi-page documents, copy the stamp to each page individually. There is no "apply to all pages" option.
Save and Repeat
VariesSave the file. Then repeat the entire process for each additional exhibit, manually changing the exhibit number each time.
Reality Check: Stamping 50 Exhibits
A typical trial preparation involves 30-75 exhibits. Here's what to expect.
Adobe Acrobat
Manual process
ExhibitPrep
Automated batch process
Save 115+ minutes per trial prep
That's nearly 2 hours of billable time recovered
Stamp exhibits in 2 minutes — no Acrobat subscription needed
Upload your PDFs, pick a template, batch-stamp everything at once. Pay $4.99 per session, not $239/year.
What Acrobat Lacks for Exhibit Stamping
Adobe Acrobat is powerful for general PDF editing, but lacks exhibit-specific features.
Batch Stamping
Must stamp each file and page individually
Legal Exhibit Templates
Must create custom stamps yourself
Auto-Numbering Sequence
Manually change exhibit numbers
Table of Contents
Create manually in separate document
Slipsheet Generation
Must create divider pages manually
Per-Exhibit Page Numbers
No A1, A2, B1, B2 trial binder format
The Honest Take
We're not here to bash Adobe. Here's when Acrobat makes sense.
Keep using Adobe Acrobat if:
- You already pay for Acrobat Pro and use it daily for PDF editing, form creation, OCR, document comparison, and other general PDF work
- You only stamp a handful of exhibits once or twice a year and don't mind the manual process
- Your firm has standardized on Acrobat and switching tools isn't practical
Consider ExhibitPrep if:
- You're paying $240/year for Acrobat but only use it to stamp exhibits a few times per month—ExhibitPrep's Day Pass ($9) costs 90% less for that specific job
- You need batch stamping, trial binders, or legal-specific templates that Acrobat doesn't include
Cost Comparison
What you'll pay for exhibit stamping specifically.
Adobe Acrobat Pro
$275.88/year
- Full PDF editing suite
- Form creation
- OCR text recognition
- No batch stamping
- No legal templates
ExhibitPrep Single Use
Pay only when you need it
- Batch stamp all exhibits
- 26 legal templates
- Trial binder + TOC
- Slipsheet generation
ExhibitPrep Day Pass
Unlimited exhibits for a day
- Everything in Single Use
- Unlimited documents
- Full 24-hour access
- Great for trial prep
See the Difference: Batch Stamping in Action
Watch how ExhibitPrep stamps 50 exhibits in minutes, not hours.
Ready to Try the Faster Way?
Preview your stamped exhibits free—pay only when you're ready to download. No subscription, no installation required.
Adobe Acrobat Exhibit Stamping FAQ
Can I batch stamp exhibits in Adobe Acrobat?
Adobe Acrobat does not have built-in batch stamping for exhibits. You must stamp each document and each page individually. For batch stamping, you need third-party tools like ExhibitPrep, which can stamp 50 documents in 5 minutes compared to 2+ hours in Acrobat.
How much does Adobe Acrobat Pro cost?
Adobe Acrobat Pro costs $22.99/month ($275.88/year) for individuals, or $14.99/user/month for teams. This includes all PDF editing features, not just exhibit stamping. If you only need exhibit stamping occasionally, pay-per-use alternatives like ExhibitPrep ($4.99 per session) are more cost-effective.
How long does it take to stamp exhibits in Acrobat?
Stamping one exhibit in Acrobat takes approximately 3 minutes: open file (10 sec), select stamp (10 sec), position on page 1 (30 sec), copy to each additional page (20 sec each). For a 50-exhibit trial preparation, expect 2-3 hours of repetitive work.
Does Acrobat have legal exhibit templates?
Adobe Acrobat does not include legal exhibit templates. You must create custom stamps yourself by designing in Word or PowerPoint, saving as PDF, and importing. Alternatives like ExhibitPrep include 26 court-ready templates (Plaintiff, Defendant, Petitioner, Respondent, Arbitration, etc.).
Can Acrobat create a table of contents for exhibits?
Adobe Acrobat cannot automatically generate a table of contents for exhibits. You must create it manually in a separate document. ExhibitPrep generates TOC automatically with exhibit labels, titles, and page ranges in trial binder format.
Does Acrobat work on Mac?
Yes, Adobe Acrobat Pro works on both Windows and Mac. However, the Mac version has historically had some feature limitations compared to Windows. Browser-based alternatives like ExhibitPrep work identically on any operating system.
What features does Acrobat have that ExhibitPrep does not?
Adobe Acrobat Pro includes features ExhibitPrep does not: general PDF editing, form creation, OCR text recognition, PDF creation from any application, redaction tools, digital signatures, and document comparison. If you need these features, Acrobat may be worth the cost.
When should I use Acrobat vs. ExhibitPrep for exhibits?
Use Adobe Acrobat if you already pay for it and use it daily for PDF editing, forms, and contracts. Use ExhibitPrep if you only need exhibit stamping occasionally—it costs 90% less for that specific task and includes batch stamping, legal templates, and trial binder features.