How to Insert the Last Printed Date and Time in Microsoft Word Using the PRINTDATE Field

In legal firms, corporate compliance departments, engineering practices, and medical administration, maintaining clear audit trails on physical paperwork is essential. While inserting standard dynamic dates via the DATE field updates every time a file is opened, and the SAVEDATE field reflects file modifications on disk, neither indicates when a specific physical hard copy or PDF export was actually generated. The PRINTDATE field code in Microsoft Word solves this by recording the exact timestamp of the most recent print or export job, embedding verifiable revision metadata directly into document headers, footers, or title pages.

Understanding How the PRINTDATE Field Operates

The PRINTDATE field retrieves the internal document property recording the last time the file was sent to a physical printer or exported via virtual print drivers (such as Microsoft Print to PDF). Unlike standard dates that recalculate upon document re-opening, PRINTDATE remains static until a subsequent print command successfully completes.

If a document has never been printed or exported, Word displays a placeholder pattern (typically 0/0/0000 00:00:00 or blank). When combined with other document tracking metadata such as SAVEDATE for last saved timestamps, REVNUM for revision counts, and EDITTIME for tracking total editing duration, PRINTDATE provides a comprehensive document lifecycle history.

Positioning the Field in Headers or Footers

Audit timestamps are typically placed within document footers or legal disclaimers so they appear unobtrusively on every printed page:

1. Open your document in Microsoft Word.
2. Double-click the header or footer area at the top or bottom of any page to enter Header & Footer editing mode.
3. Place your cursor at the desired insertion point (for instance, right-aligned next to page numbering).
4. Type an introductory prefix, such as Printed: .

Method 1: Inserting PRINTDATE via the Ribbon Interface

If you prefer using the graphical Word interface:

1. With your cursor in position, click the Insert tab on the ribbon.
2. In the Text group, click Quick Parts and select Field….
3. In the Field dialogue box, select Date and Time from the Categories dropdown.
4. In the Field names list, select PrintDate.
5. Under Date formats on the right, select your preferred presentation (such as d MMMM yyyy or dd/MM/yyyy HH:mm).
6. Click OK.

Word inserts the field, rendering the date and time of the last print job formatted to your specifications.

Method 2: Inserting PRINTDATE Using Keyboard Shortcuts

Power users can insert the field code directly using keyboard combinations:

1. Place your cursor where you want the print timestamp to appear.
2. Press Ctrl + F9 (or Cmd + F9 on macOS) to generate a pair of special field code brackets: { } (do not type standard curly braces from your keyboard).
3. Inside the brackets, type:

   PRINTDATE \@ "dd MMMM yyyy 'at' HH:mm"

4. Press F9 (or right-click inside the field and select Update Field) to evaluate the code and display the resolved timestamp.

Customising Date and Time Formatting Switches

The \@ switch controls how the timestamp is rendered. You can customize the date string using standard formatting tokens:

• \@ "dd/MM/yyyy": Formats the date as 10/11/2026.
• \@ "dddd, d MMMM yyyy": Formats as Tuesday, 10 November 2026.
• \@ "d MMM yyyy, h:mm am/pm": Displays a 12-hour clock format (e.g. 10 Nov 2026, 3:45 pm).
• \@ "HH:mm:ss": Formats a 24-hour time string with seconds.

Configuring Word to Update Fields Automatically on Print

To ensure that the PRINTDATE field updates dynamically during the printing process itself:

1. Click File > Options.
2. Select the Display category on the left.
3. Under Printing options, ensure the checkbox labelled Update fields before printing is ticked.
4. Click OK.

Whenever you print the document or export to PDF, Word automatically recalculates the timestamp, ensuring hard copies reflect their exact moment of production.

Leveraging specialized field codes alongside automated mechanisms to automatically update date and time fields provides airtight document governance across business, technical, and regulatory paperwork.