Engineering drawings go through many revisions before a project is complete — and often after. Without a clear way to mark which version of a drawing is current, site teams can end up building from an obsolete document. Stamps are the industry's solution to this problem.
Why Drawing Stamps Matter on a Job Site
A drawing passed around a site or emailed to a subcontractor looks the same at revision 1 and revision 12. Without a visible status stamp, the person holding the document has no way to know whether it reflects the latest design intent.
That's why document control procedures in engineering and construction typically require that:
- Superseded drawings are clearly marked before being replaced.
- Voided drawings are stamped so they can't accidentally be used.
- Absolute drawings carry a stamp confirming they represent the final, approved state.
- Reviewed or approved copies are stamped before issue.
These conventions exist in ISO 9001, ISO 19650, and most project-level document control procedures.
Common Stamp Types for Engineering Documents
ABSOLUTE
Used to indicate that a drawing represents the absolute, final state — no further revisions are expected. Commonly used when a project is closed out and drawings are archived as "as-built" or "record" documents.
In some workflows, "ABSOLUTE" replaces "FOR CONSTRUCTION" or "IFC" as the final issue status.
VOID
A VOID stamp means the document should not be used in any capacity. It has been withdrawn, superseded by a completely new document, or issued in error. A voided drawing should still be retained for audit purposes — but clearly marked so it can't be mistaken for a live document.
Typical colour: red, to make the status unmissable.
SUPERSEDED
Similar to VOID, but specifically indicates that a newer revision exists. The drawing was valid at the time of issue; it's now been replaced. Useful when you need to retain the version history clearly — you can see the evolution from one issue to the next, and each step is stamped accordingly.
APPROVED / REVIEWED
Used after a checking or approval workflow. A drawing stamped APPROVED has passed review and can be issued for construction or manufacture. Sometimes combined with a reference number or reviewer name below the stamp text.
DRAFT / FOR REVIEW
Applied to documents that are in circulation only for comment and must not be built from. Prevents early-stage drawings being used prematurely.
A Practical Drawing Revision Workflow
- Issue a new revision — send the PDF as "FOR REVIEW" to the checking engineer.
- After sign-off — re-issue as "APPROVED" or "FOR CONSTRUCTION."
- When a newer revision is released — stamp the previous revision as "SUPERSEDED" in your archive.
- When a drawing is withdrawn entirely — stamp it "VOID" and retain in a
voided/archive folder.
With Stamp My PDFs, this takes seconds: open the PDF, pick your stamp text, adjust the colour (red for VOID, green for APPROVED, blue for ABSOLUTE), and download.
Multi-Page Drawing Packs
Structural, architectural, and MEP drawing packages are often issued as multi-page PDFs — sometimes dozens of pages. Stamp My PDFs will apply the stamp to every page in a single pass, so you don't have to open each drawing sheet individually.
Colour Conventions
There's no universal standard, but these conventions are widely used:
| Stamp | Common colour |
|---|---|
| APPROVED / ABSOLUTE | Green |
| FOR REVIEW / DRAFT | Blue |
| VOID | Red |
| SUPERSEDED | Orange or grey |
| REJECTED | Red |
Using consistent colours across your organisation makes the status of a document legible at a glance, even when printed in black and white (the text itself carries the meaning).
File Naming Alongside Stamps
Stamps work best when paired with a consistent file naming convention. A common pattern:
DWG-STRUCT-001-Rev3_SUPERSEDED.pdf
DWG-STRUCT-001-Rev4_APPROVED.pdf
This way, both the file name and the content of the PDF communicate the same status — redundancy that protects against mistakes.
Drawing control is one of those disciplines where a simple visual stamp can prevent expensive rework. If your team doesn't have a consistent stamping workflow, it's worth establishing one — and Stamp My PDFs makes the stamping step fast enough that there's no reason to skip it.