When documents are printed they are often done so without any branding or layer of protection. In a shared-printer environment, this is even more of a regular happeningwhere they are left in printer trays for others to see or whatever. Information workers, temporary employees, guests and others may be walking by the printer where the document(s) are in full view.
Where the is no regular policy and user-friendly method of document protection, printed documents are subject 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 situation is only too familiar in any number of companies and recurs every hour of every day. Paper documents are printed for review, collaboration, sharing or dissemination. The startling fact is that they are all too often printed without any type of identification indicating the intent or purpose of the document. For over a hundred years, a common practice was to use a rubber stamp in the top margin of the page. That was, and mostly is, the most common form of paper document management.
The most efficient 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.
It is essential that your paper document management process be able to make your document unmodifiable. Additionally, it should be able to mark one, all or selected pages of any document. And your method must be dynamic in allowing the instant creation of markings to meet any requirements.
Marginal stamping of documents is ineffective for complete protection. This is the primary shortcoming of the rubber stamp which is very outdated. Preventing the misuse or misunderstanding of a document requires marking that cannot be removed. It further requires an user-friendly interface that facilitates and promotes use.
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.
Hollow/Outline, embedded non-contrast sensitive marking is considered the most secure form of document identification. This is where the stamp or legend is embedded in the text and is the same color as the text of the document. This prevents the stamp from being removed by a copier setting or just being covered up as can be done with a rubber stamp in the margin. The hollow/outline form of marking becomes part of the document itself – it cannot be removed. This is the most effective form of paper document management in an overall document management policy.
Automated document marking is the answer for eliminating the use of rubber stamps for paper document marking. StampIt combines the power of a word-processor with the clout of your printer. It’s like having instant, total access to any custom rubber stamp that is completely automated.
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