How to disable date and time imprinting on a Nikon COOLPIX L18 digital camera

By default, when you snap a picture with a Nikon COOLPIX L18 digital camera, the camera makes a note of the date and time that the picture was taken.  This information is then stored in the picture file itself; when you move or copy the image, the date and time go with it.

The steps below will show you how to prevent your Nikon COOLPIX L18 from imprinting the date and time onto your photos.

• If your camera isn't already on, press the On/Off button on the top of the camera to turn it on.  Then lens should extend and the screen should light up.
• Press the Menu button on the back of the camera.
• Depending on whether your menu is displayed in text or icons, you'll either see a list of options or rows and columns of icons.
• If you have the text-only menu: Use the directional pad to scroll down the list until "Date imprint" is the highlighted choice, then press the right side of the directional pad (labeled with a plus and minus) to select it.
• If you have the icon-based menu: Use the directional pad to scroll through the options until you come to "Date," then press OK to select it.
• Use the directional pad to scroll to "Off," then press OK.
• If you'd rather turn time imprinting off but still save the date each picture was taken, select "Date" instead of "Off".
• Press the Menu button to exit.

🛈 The camera uses its internal clock to record the date and time, so if that clock is wrong, the details for each photo will be inaccurate.

🛈 Disabling date and time imprinting only affects photos taken from that point on.  Any pictures that have already been imprinted with the date and time will still retain that information.

(Originally published on Helium.com, 2011)