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You can print a photo’s capture date on the print when your printer or photo software supports it and the file still carries the camera’s capture information. Whether you can get both the date and the time depends on the exact device: Epson’s PictureMate guide documents separate date and time options, while Canon’s SELPHY CP1000 guide documents only a date imprint. If the camera has already written the date into the picture, turn off the printer’s date option so the print doesn’t show it twice.
Start with the difference between a camera stamp and capture data
Two different things get called a “date stamp,” and the difference determines what you can do later.
- A camera stamp is visible characters written into the image pixels at the moment of capture. Canon’s support article “Inserting the Date into Images (Date Stamp),” dated July 23, 2024, says the date stamp “cannot be deleted from the image data once it has been recorded because the date is written in as an image.” If you want a clean copy without it, you need an unstamped original.
- Capture metadata is the date and time the camera stores in the file’s Exif data. Nothing is visible in the picture itself. A printer or photo application that reads this information can render it on the print, and it can do so without changing the original file.
The practical question is therefore whether the date is already visible in the image or only stored in it. Answer that first, then choose a method below.
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- The printer or software offers an imprint setting. Support is model-specific, so check the manual for your exact model rather than the product family name.
- The file keeps its capture information. Files that have been exported, resized, or passed through some messaging and social apps may lose Exif data. Check the file’s metadata in your photo application before you rely on a print-time stamp.
- The file format is supported. Canon’s SELPHY CP1000 guidance refers to Exif-standard JPEG images.
- The layout allows an imprint. Canon says some page layouts do not permit a date imprint, so a borderless or multi-photo layout may silently drop it.
Method 1: Print directly from a compatible photo printer
This is the most direct route if you print from a memory card or USB drive on a dedicated photo printer. The two manufacturer examples below show how the feature varies.
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Epson PictureMate: date and time options
Epson’s PictureMate guide says you can add the date and time the picture was originally taken to the print. The documented sequence on that model is:
- Select the photo you want to print and open More Options.
- Choose Date Stamp and select a date format, or None to turn it off.
- Choose Time Stamp and select 12-hour, 24-hour, or None.
- Confirm the settings and print.
According to the guide, the date and time settings stay active until you reset them or turn the printer off. Menu labels can differ on other PictureMate models, so use the sequence above only as a guide for the model you own.
Canon SELPHY CP1000: date imprint only
Canon’s support procedure for the SELPHY CP1000 describes a capture-date imprint for Exif-standard JPEG images. Select the date setting in the print settings, then confirm the Date icon is on before you print. The date shown is the one the camera assigned when the photo was taken, and Canon states that this date cannot be changed on the print. Canon’s guide for this model documents a date only, not a time of day.
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Canon’s CP1000 article was last updated March 19, 2015, so confirm the procedure against the manual that ships with your unit if your printer is newer or the menus look different.
Method 2: Print from desktop photo software
If your printer lacks an imprint option, a computer application may still be able to print the capture date from the file’s metadata.
Sony PlayMemories Home on Windows
Sony’s PlayMemories Home support instructions for Windows describe standard printing with a Print date taken option that uses Exif data. The same page describes advanced settings for the position and color of the date. These instructions apply to that application on Windows only. Confirm the software is still available and compatible with your operating system before you plan a workflow around it.
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Canon DPOF and bundled software (legacy routes)
Canon’s older support instructions describe two other routes: bundled Canon software, and DPOF print settings that a photo developer can apply when it makes the prints. These are legacy workflows. Before you use one, confirm that your camera, the software version, and the print service still support DPOF and the date setting. Canon’s instructions do not establish that a particular lab currently honors the setting.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsIf the date is already on the image
When the camera wrote the date into the picture, the file already shows it. Do not also enable the printer’s date option. Canon explicitly warns that the result can show the date twice. Leave the printer setting off and print the image normally.
A printer-side date and a camera-baked date are not interchangeable. A baked-in date is part of the picture and cannot be removed cleanly. A print-time date is applied only to that print.
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If no printer or software option is available
You can add the date manually in a photo editor by placing text over the image. Sony’s support page notes this approach. It has two limits: the text is only as accurate as what the operator types, and it is not a record of the capture time. If you want to keep the original untouched, save the edited version as a separate file.
Compare the options
| Method | Where the mark is applied | Date | Time | What it needs | Reversibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camera stamp | Written into the image pixels at capture | Yes, per Canon’s Date Stamp article | Not stated in the cited sources | A camera with the date stamp feature enabled before the shot | Cannot be removed from the image data |
| Epson PictureMate | At print time | Yes, with a choice of format | Yes, 12-hour or 24-hour | Memory card or USB printing with Exif capture data | Setting applies to the print; reverts at reset or power-off |
| Canon SELPHY CP1000 | At print time | Yes, camera-assigned date | Not stated (guide documents date only) | Exif-standard JPEG; a layout that allows imprint | Date cannot be changed on the print |
| Sony PlayMemories Home (Windows) | At print time | Yes, via “Print date taken” | Not stated in the cited instructions | Application installed on Windows; Exif data in the file | Applies to the print |
| Manual overlay in an editor | Typed into a separate edited file | Whatever the operator enters | Whatever the operator enters | A photo editor and a person entering text | Reversible if you keep the original |
Troubleshooting when the stamp does not appear
- The option is missing from the printer menu. Your model may not support imprint. Check the manual for that exact model.
- The option is on, but no date prints. The file may lack capture metadata, or the layout may not allow an imprint. Check the file’s metadata and try a standard full-frame layout.
- The date is wrong. The print shows the date the camera recorded. If the camera clock was off when the photo was taken, the print will show the wrong date too. Correct the clock on the camera for future shots. This does not change past captures.
- The date appears twice. The camera stamp is already in the image. Turn off the printer’s date setting.
- A print service ignores the setting. Ask the service whether it honors DPOF date settings, or submit a copy with the stamp applied in an editor.
The short version: use the printer or software setting when the file keeps its capture data, use a camera stamp only if you want the date permanently in the picture, and fall back to a manual overlay when neither is available.
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