A Modern Timestamp for Deposition Recording

DepoStamp is a small, customizable on-screen date and time stamp designed specifically with deposition videographers and legal professionals in mind.

The idea is simple: put a professional-looking timestamp directly on the screen so it becomes part of whatever you're recording.

For example:

AUG 17, 2026 — 04:52:37 PM

You can customize the appearance to fit your recording setup, including the font, size, color, spacing, alignment, black background bar, opacity, and text outline.

Need white text with a black outline? No problem.

Recording someone wearing a white shirt and worried the timestamp will disappear into the background? Add a semi-transparent black bar behind it.

Want a completely transparent timestamp? Turn the background off.

Why I Built It

For years, tools such as GeekTool made it possible to put simple information directly onto the Mac desktop. It worked extremely well for things like a visible timestamp.

But technology moves on, and some of those older tools aren't keeping up with modern Apple Silicon Macs.

I wanted something simple that did one job well:

Put a clear, customizable timestamp on the screen during a deposition.

I also wanted it to work well for the way legal videographers actually work — not just as a generic desktop clock.

Useful for Live Remote Depositions

One of the things I'm particularly interested in is using DepoStamp for live remote depositions.

When you're working with Zoom, Teams, OBS, or other remote-deposition workflows, having the timestamp visible on the actual screen provides another layer of redundancy.

Because the timestamp is displayed on the screen itself, it can be captured by your screen/HDMI recording setup as well as your software-based recording workflow.

That gives you another independent record of the date and time.

Designed to Stay Out of Your Way

DepoStamp runs quietly in the background rather than becoming another application window you have to manage.

Once you've positioned and configured the timestamp, you can lock it in place and make it click-through, allowing you to continue operating your deposition software underneath it.

That means you can set it up once and then concentrate on the deposition.

Built With Legal Videographers in Mind

This isn't a massive software package with dozens of features you'll never use.

It's a small utility built around a very specific need I've encountered throughout my years working in legal video.

And I'm making it available free to the legal-video community.

There is a voluntary Donate button for anyone who finds it useful and wants to support the project, but there is no requirement to donate and no subscription.

I'd Like Your Feedback

This started because I needed a tool for my own workflow.

Now I'd like to see whether other videographers find it useful too.

If you work in legal video, court reporting, remote depositions, trial presentation, or another field where having a reliable on-screen timestamp is important, give DepoStamp a try.

I'd especially like to hear what you would change, what features you'd like to see, or anything that doesn't work the way you expect.

After 30+ years in legal video, I've learned that the best tools are often the ones built by people who actually understand the problem they're trying to solve.

I hope DepoStamp saves you a little time and a few headaches.

It's free. Give it a try — and let me know what you think. - https://danielholmstock.com/depostamp.html#how