Daters are useful in the workplace because they can help with cataloguing and organizing. The 4817 Printy Self Inking Dater, with its three datebands that show today's date, along with a standardized 'dial a phrase' message, can be utilized for a wide array of office functions.

The date consists of three clickwheels that feature the current month, day and year, with the year band going forward as far as 12 years. To the left of the date is the one-line message clickwheel, which includes several stock phrases. These consist of the following: ANSWERED, forwardordered, CANCELLED, BILLED, RECEIVED, CHARGED, CHECKED, DELIVERED, ENTERED, PAID, SHIPPED, and FAXED.

As a dater in the Trodat Printy line, this device also has two features, their inclusion being the overall goal of easier and more efficient stamping. These include a soft cap handle for ease-of-use and an efficient ink removal process. With this function, a small button on the side of the stamp allows for easy access to the old ink cartridge, which can be quickly and cleanly swapped for a new one. With this feature, fingers never come into contact with messy ink.