The same seal design can leave the editor as half a dozen different files. Which one you need depends on where the stamp goes next: a PDF invoice, a Word letter template, a website footer, or a rubber stamp manufacturer. Pick the wrong file and you get a white box over the text, soft edges when the stamp is enlarged, or an attachment the recipient cannot open.
This guide compares the six formats you are most likely to meet with stamp artwork, PNG, JPG, SVG, EPS, PDF and DOCX, and explains when each one is the right choice.
Every stamp file falls into one of two families, or is a container that can hold either.
Raster images, such as PNG and JPG, store a fixed grid of pixels. They display everywhere, but they have a set resolution. Enlarge one beyond its size and curved text and thin rings turn soft or jagged.
Vector files, such as SVG and EPS, describe shapes, lines and text as geometry. Software redraws them at whatever size you ask for, so a vector seal stays crisp on a business card or a banner.
PDF and DOCX are document formats. They can contain images, vector graphics and text, so the result depends on what was placed inside.
A practical rule follows from this: keep a vector or editable master, and create raster copies at the size each job needs. Design your stamp once in the , then export the files your workflow requires.
PNG is the format most people should reach for first. It uses lossless compression, so flat ink colors and sharp lettering stay clean. It also supports transparency, which lets a stamp sit over lines, tables and signatures without a white rectangle behind it.
SealsDigital exports PNG with a transparent background at three sizes:
- 1x for on-screen use at normal size, such as email, web pages and quick previews;
- 3x for documents that people will zoom into or print on an office printer, and for sharp display on high-density screens;
- 10x for large printouts or when you want plenty of resolution to scale down from later.
Larger files are not always better. A 10x PNG in a short email or a small form field adds weight without visible benefit. Choose the smallest size that still looks sharp at the size it will be displayed or printed.
If a stamp still shows a white panel after you place it, the cause is usually an opaque background in the file or the receiving app. The guide to walks through the checks.
JPG cannot store transparency, so the stamp always sits on a solid rectangle. Its compression was designed for photographs. Around sharp edges, such as fine text and thin border rings, it can leave faint blotches, and each re-save adds a little more.
Use JPG when a system accepts nothing else, such as an upload form or portal limited to photo formats, or for a preview image that will sit on a matching white page. For anything placed over existing content, PNG is the better choice.
SVG is a vector format written as text. A simple stamp in SVG is usually small, and it scales to any size without losing sharpness.
SVG opens in web browsers and common design applications, and many current office applications can insert it. Some older software and some upload forms do not accept it, so keep a PNG as a fallback.
Good uses for SVG include:
- website headers, footers and favicons where sharpness on every screen matters;
- handing artwork to a designer who will adapt it;
- keeping a master copy that can be resized later without quality loss;
- engraving or cutting services that work from vector paths, after you confirm their requirements.
Before passing an SVG along, open it on another computer. If the lettering looks different, the file may depend on fonts that are not installed there, and the recipient may need a version with text converted to outlines.
EPS is an older vector format that is still common in print and sign-making workflows. Many print shops and rubber stamp manufacturers can produce a physical stamp directly from an EPS file without redrawing it.
EPS is not a viewing format. Many everyday apps and browsers cannot preview it, so do not send one to a colleague who only needs to look at the stamp. Use it when ordering a self-inking or traditional rubber stamp, an embosser die, or signage, and ask the vendor whether they prefer EPS, SVG or PDF before you place the order.
Almost every device can open a PDF, which makes it a good format for sending a stamp proof to an approver or printing a sheet at a fixed size. Some print vendors ask for PDF artwork as well.
A PDF export of your stamp is a file containing the stamp artwork. It is different from stamping an existing PDF document. To place the stamp on a contract or invoice you already have, use a transparent PNG with the . A PDF containing stamp artwork is also not a digitally signed PDF; it carries no certificate and does not prove who created it.
A DOCX export gives you a Word file containing the stamp, which suits people who build letters, forms and templates in Microsoft Word or a compatible word processor. Copy the stamp from that file into your own document or template.
In Word, set the stamp's text wrapping to "In Front of Text" or "Behind Text" so you can position it over a signature line without pushing paragraphs around. If you later save the document as PDF, open the result and check that the stamp landed where you expected.
| Job | Recommended format |
|---|---|
| Stamping a PDF, slide or email | Transparent PNG (1x or 3x) |
| Website or app graphics | SVG, with PNG as a fallback |
| Word letters and templates | DOCX or transparent PNG |
| Portal that only accepts photos | JPG |
| Rubber stamp or print production | EPS or SVG, as the vendor requests |
| Approval proof or fixed-size printout | |
| Long-term master copy | SVG and EPS, plus the saved design |
Designing and previewing a stamp in SealsDigital is free; the live preview carries a watermark. When the design is final, a single export is a one-time purchase that needs no account: PNG for $2.50, PNG + SVG + EPS for $2.90, or all six formats (PNG, JPG, SVG, EPS, PDF and DOCX) for $3.50. Unlimited plans cost $15.90 per month, $119 per year, or $299 for lifetime access, and include saving designs to My Library. Compare the details on the page.
If you are unsure, PNG + SVG + EPS covers most digital documents and gives a print vendor the vector files they usually want. The full set is useful when colleagues also need JPG, PDF or DOCX copies.
Formats only help if people pick the right file. Name each one by purpose, color and size, such as company-seal-blue-transparent-3x.png, and store the vector master next to the daily-use copies.
Avoid editing exported JPGs repeatedly, and do not enlarge a small PNG to make a bigger one. Go back to the master instead, as explained in the . Test each file in its real destination before you share it widely.
For more advice on preparing stamp artwork, see our other .
Which format is best for adding a stamp to a PDF?
A transparent PNG is usually the best choice. It keeps the lines and text under the stamp visible, and nearly every PDF tool accepts it. Use 3x if the document will be printed or viewed at high zoom.
Why does my JPG stamp have a white box around it?
JPG does not support transparency, so the area around the stamp is always filled with a solid color. Export a transparent PNG instead, then check that no background shape is hiding in the design.
Can I enlarge a PNG stamp without losing quality?
Only up to a point. A raster image has a fixed number of pixels, so stretching it beyond its export size makes edges soft. Export a larger PNG or work from a vector file such as SVG or EPS when you need a bigger version.
What format does a rubber stamp manufacturer need?
Many manufacturers and print shops prefer vector artwork, typically EPS, SVG or PDF. Ask the vendor for their preferred format, size and color requirements before ordering, and send them a proof as well.
