The Complete Guide to Exhibit Stamping
Everything attorneys and paralegals need to know about marking exhibits for court filings, depositions, and trials—from basic conventions to advanced workflows.
- Use the exhibit labels required by your court’s local rules and case order. Some courts use letters for one party and numbers for another; others use numbers or assigned ranges for every party. Confirm the scheme before labeling the set.
- Exhibit stamps are typically placed in the lower right corner of the first page, away from signatures and body text.
- Exhibit stamps identify documents for trial or deposition use, while Bates numbers track every page of a discovery production — the same document may carry both.
- Deposition exhibit stamps usually include the deponent's name and the deposition date alongside the exhibit number.
- Manually stamping 50 documents in Adobe Acrobat takes roughly 2-3 hours; batch stamping the same set in ExhibitPrep takes about 15 minutes.
- ExhibitPrep runs in the browser with 29 court-ready templates and works on Mac, Windows, iPad, and Chromebook.
What is Exhibit Stamping?
Exhibit stamping is the process of adding identification labels to documents used as evidence in legal proceedings. These stamps—like "Exhibit A" or "Plaintiff's Exhibit 1"—allow everyone in a courtroom to reference the same document without confusion.
Properly stamped exhibits are essential for:
- Court filings — Exhibits attached to motions, declarations, and briefs
- Depositions — Documents marked during witness examination
- Trial binders — Organized collections for courtroom use
- Arbitration — Evidence submitted in alternative dispute resolution
Exhibit Labeling Conventions
Plaintiff = Numbers
Plaintiffs, petitioners, and prosecution use sequential numbers: Exhibit 1, 2, 3, 4...
Defendant = Letters
Defendants and respondents use alphabetic letters: Exhibit A, B, C, D...
Use the exhibit labels required by your court’s local rules and case order. Some courts use letters for one party and numbers for another; others use numbers or assigned ranges for every party. Confirm the scheme before labeling the set.
When You Need Exhibit Stamps
Motion Practice
Exhibits attached to declarations, briefs, and motions. Usually pre-marked before filing.
Depositions
Documents shown to witnesses during examination. Marked sequentially as introduced.
Trial Preparation
Creating trial exhibit binders with TOC, slipsheets, and organized pagination.
Arbitration
Evidence submitted to arbitrators. Often uses Claimant/Respondent designations.
See Exhibit Stamping in Action
Watch how to stamp 50+ exhibits in one pass with ExhibitPrep.
Step-by-Step Exhibit Stamping Workflow
Gather Your Documents
Collect all documents to be marked. Ensure each is in PDF format and review for completeness.
Choose Your Labeling Convention
Plaintiffs use numbers (1, 2, 3), defendants use letters (A, B, C) per court rules.
Select an Exhibit Template
Pick the template matching your case: Plaintiff, Defendant, Deposition, Joint, Arbitration, etc.
Position the Stamp
Place stamps consistently—typically lower right corner of the first page.
Apply and Download
Batch stamp all documents and download as individual files or combined PDF with TOC.
Common Exhibit Stamping Mistakes
Stamp all your exhibits in under 2 minutes
29 court-ready templates for plaintiff, defendant, family law, criminal, arbitration, and more.
Save Hours on Exhibit Preparation
Manual exhibit stamping in Adobe Acrobat takes approximately 2-3 hours for 50 documents. With ExhibitPrep's batch stamping, the same job is one pass.
Ready to Stamp Your Exhibits?
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Start Stamping Free →Exhibit Stamping FAQ
What is exhibit stamping?
Exhibit stamping is the process of adding identification labels (like "Exhibit A" or "Plaintiff's Exhibit 1") to documents used as evidence in legal proceedings. These stamps help courts, attorneys, and witnesses reference specific documents during depositions, hearings, and trials. Consistent exhibit stamping helps make documents easy to identify, and many courts have rules on how exhibits are marked, so check yours.
Should plaintiffs use numbers or letters for exhibits?
Use the exhibit labels required by your court’s local rules and case order. Some courts use letters for one party and numbers for another; others use numbers or assigned ranges for every party. Confirm the scheme before labeling the set.
Where should exhibit stamps be placed on a document?
Exhibit stamps are typically placed in the lower right corner of the first page of each exhibit. This location keeps the stamp visible without obscuring important content like signatures, letterheads, or body text. Some courts require stamps on every page—check your local rules. ExhibitPrep allows you to position stamps anywhere on the page using drag-and-drop positioning.
What is the difference between exhibit stamps and Bates numbering?
Exhibit stamps identify documents as specific exhibits (Exhibit A, Exhibit 1) for use at trial or deposition. Bates numbering assigns unique sequential page numbers across all documents in a production (SMITH000001, SMITH000002) for discovery tracking. They serve different purposes: exhibit stamps for courtroom reference, Bates numbers for document control during discovery. You may need both on the same document.
Can I batch stamp multiple exhibits at once?
Yes. ExhibitPrep supports batch stamping of unlimited documents in a single session. Upload all your exhibits, select a template, and the tool automatically increments labels (A, B, C or 1, 2, 3) across all documents. Batch stamping 50 exhibits takes about 5 minutes compared to 2+ hours when stamping manually in Adobe Acrobat.
Do I need special software to stamp exhibits?
While you can stamp exhibits manually with stickers or using Adobe Acrobat's watermark feature, purpose-built exhibit stamping software like ExhibitPrep is significantly faster and more reliable. ExhibitPrep is browser-based (no installation required), includes 29 legal templates, supports batch processing, and generates tables of contents automatically. It works on any device—Mac, Windows, iPad, or Chromebook.
What information should an exhibit stamp include?
A standard exhibit stamp includes: (1) the word "Exhibit" followed by a letter or number, (2) optionally the party designation (Plaintiff's, Defendant's), and (3) for depositions, the deponent name and date. Some stamps also include the case name or number. ExhibitPrep offers templates for all common formats, plus customizable fields for specialized needs like arbitration or multi-party cases.
Are exhibit stamps different for federal court vs state court?
The basic format is similar, but local rules vary. Federal courts follow the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and local district rules. State courts follow their own codes. ExhibitPrep provides templates for common exhibit-label formats; inspect the exact export and check your court’s current rules and any case-specific order before filing.