The leading stamp manufacturer to date, Trodat is a pioneer in the industry. Trodat specializes in developing innovative technology that leaves clean, sophisticated impressions. From crafting stamp inks in the kitchen in 1912 to manufacturing thousands of stamps per year in over 40 international subsidiaries today—Trodat’s story is one of forward-thinking inventiveness.
Early History (1900s-1970s)
It all began in 1912 Vienna with Franz Just, his wife and their kitchen stove. The couple boiled stamp inks to be poured into glass bottles. What began as a small pursuit soon became a thriving business, largely due to professionals traveling in and through Vienna. As a result, they moved to larger headquarters in 1927.
Trodat stamps will eventually become a household name, but at this point in the early 1900s—they were still operating under a different name and remained local. Twenty years later in 1947, however, Walter Just had a plan for the company’s expansion.
Right after the war, distrust in the Austrian shilling was pervasive. Regardless, Walter secured land to relocate to Wels, Austria. He was luckily able to receive European Recovery Program (ERP) loans, through which the United States gave foreign aid to Western Europe. This move signified the company’s imminent transformation into an international exporter. In 1951, they moved to Upper Austria and sent products to Switzerland, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Germany.
In 1968, the Trodat name as we know it was born. The business began to create some of the most successful products of its time—in particular, they engineered the Trodate date stamp. The company registered a patent, “Trodat.” The “Tro” refers to plastic previously used (Trolitul), and the “dat” signifies “date.” The success of these products led to the company adopting “Trodat” as its official name.
Trodat continued spearheading the stamp market with the advent of the plastic, self-inking stamp in 1976. To date, this product increases workplace efficiency and remains one of Trodat’s most popular, practical stamps.
Mid-History (1990 – 2000s)
Trodat continued to engineer high-quality stamps for professionals across industries. The first of many companies at the time, Trodat utilized laser technology to develop stamp text plates. Trodat’s new line of stamps raised the bar for office professionals. These ergonomic stamps featured advanced design elements that increased reliability and consistency.
In their continued effort to provide efficiency and ease to its customers, Trodat developed an online shop in 1998—enabling individuals and companies to this day to create custom stamps or find other classic Trodat stamps.
Contemporary (2001-now)
Since the millennium, Trodat developed several innovations, none more groundbreaking than the introduction of color. In 2005, with the help of its sister company, Trotec, Trodat developed and patented multi-color impressions technology.
Just three years later, it introduced a reimagined design of the rubber stamp with the portable Mobile Printy. The new product was the actualization of a vision to create a functional, practical, and—as its name suggests—mobile stamp. Of course, many would-be users of Mobile Printy may have worried about the potential mess with an on-the-go stamp. However, the stamp’s recessed ink cartridge prevented contact with the stamp's ink to ensure users’ fingers would remain clean. Clearly, the company quelled consumers’ concerns, having sold more than one million Mobile Printys in its first year alone.
In the last decade, Trodat’s development has not only positively impacted its customers—but the environment, too. Trodat introduced a climate-neutral stamp in 2011: the Original Printy 4.0. The company cut CO2 emissions by 49% from its production and designed the new product with up to 65% post-consumer recycled plastic. And to offset the unavoidable emissions in production, Trodat invested in Gold Standard climate protection projects recommended by the WWF®.
Trodat’s journey has been a monumental one for the stamp industry and for various other industries themselves. From warehouses to courthouses and foodservice facilities, diverse businesses appreciate the ease that comes from products such as self-inking date stamps. Trodat stamps will likely continue to transform, offering even greater efficiency and originality to small and large companies alike.