Manual dater stamps — the kind with a separate ink pad, as opposed to pre-inked stamps with the ink built into the die — use a hinged die plate over the date wheels. Once you know the sequence, changing the date takes a few seconds.

Step by step

  1. Open the stamp: Press the stamp down slightly and engage the side locking button to release, or flip open the hinged die plate.
  2. Expose the wheels: Lift and swing the die plate away to access the central date bands.
  3. Turn the wheels: Rotate the small plastic wheels or cogs inside to change the month, day, and year to your desired date.
  4. Close: Carefully close the die plate back into place and release the locking mechanism by pressing down on the stamp frame.
  5. Test the stamp: Stamp on a scrap piece of paper to make sure the date prints clearly and is aligned correctly.

That's it — no tools needed, and the mechanism is built to hold its position between uses, so you're only ever adjusting it when the date actually needs to change.

Need a wider date range or a specific format? Our adjustable dater stamps support up to a 12-year range — see the FAQ for the full detail.