Library seal maker

A library seal or ownership stamp tells anyone holding a book, file or certificate which collection it belongs to. School, public, university, church and private libraries use these marks on title pages, page edges, bookplates, donor certificates and digital files. The templates on this page give you round, oval and rectangular layouts for ownership stamps and processing marks, which you can edit online and export as a digital image or as artwork for a physical stamp.

Libraries have marked ownership for centuries, from engraved bookplates to the ink stamps that became standard as public and academic collections grew. The job today is mostly practical:

• Ownership: a clear "Property of" mark that identifies stray or returned items and helps when material is lost or removed.
• Processing status: marks such as "Withdrawn", "Discard", "Reference: Do Not Remove", "Donated by ____" or "Date Received ____" that show where an item is in its life cycle.
• Formal documents: a round seal on reading certificates, donor acknowledgments, membership cards or volunteer letters.
• Digital material: a seal image on PDFs, digital bookplates, reports and newsletters, so online material carries the same identity as print.

Keep ownership marks and status marks separate. An ownership stamp should be applied once and stay valid; a status stamp records a later change, such as withdrawal.

Typical fields for an ownership seal are:

• The library or institution name, for example "Riverside Public Library" or "St. Mary's School Library"
• A branch, department or collection name if you have more than one
• City, or city and state, for public libraries
• A short line such as "Property of", "Ex Libris" or "Library Collection"
• An optional simple symbol, such as an open book, a lamp or a star

Status stamps need fewer words. "Withdrawn from Collection · Date ____" or "Gift of the Friends of the Library" is usually enough. Our has more wording and placement examples.

Round seals are the traditional choice for ownership marks: the library name curves around the ring and a symbol or "Ex Libris" sits in the center. For use inside books, a diameter around 1 to 1.5 inches (25 to 38 mm) is common, because it fits on a title page or verso without covering text. Certificates and letterhead can take a larger seal, often 1.75 to 2 inches (45 to 50 mm).

Rectangular stamps suit status marks and anything with a fill-in line, such as "Date Received ____". Narrow rectangles also work for page-edge marking, where the stamp is applied across the closed edge of the book. Ovals are a good option for long institution names that feel cramped in a circle.

1. Choose a template close to the layout you want and set a standard or custom size for where the stamp will go.
2. Replace the sample text with your library's name. On round templates, adjust the curved text (font, size, letter spacing and position) so the name fills the upper arc evenly, and use the lower arc for the city or branch.
3. Replace or remove the center graphic. You can upload your own emblem as an SVG or PNG, or use the built-in stars, lines and polygons. Use only emblems your institution is entitled to use.
4. Pick a border: single, double, triple, dashed, dotted or vintage. A double border gives a classic seal look; a single border is clearer at small sizes.
5. Set the ink color. Black, dark blue and dark red are common choices for library marks. The vintage border and aging effect can give an older look on certificates, but leave the aging effect off for artwork that will become a physical stamp.

To start from a written description instead, the drafts a layout that you then refine in the same editor.

Designing and previewing are free; you pay only when you export, and a single export needs no account.

• PNG ($2.50): a transparent image at 1x, 3x or 10x for PDFs, digital bookplates, websites and printed certificates.
• PNG + SVG + EPS ($2.90): choose this if you plan to order a rubber stamp or an embosser. Send the SVG or EPS to the stamp or embosser maker of your choice; SealsDigital does not manufacture physical stamps.
• All six formats ($3.50): PNG, JPG, SVG, EPS, PDF and DOCX, handy for certificate and letter templates in Word.

Libraries that need a set of stamps, such as ownership, withdrawn and donation marks, may find an unlimited plan ($15.90 per month, $119 per year or $299 lifetime) simpler. Any signed-in account can save each design to My Library for free.

For certificates, donor letters or digitized documents, upload the PDF to the , place the exported PNG, resize it and download the stamped file. Files are processed in your browser and cleared about an hour after use. A seal image on a PDF is a visual mark of ownership or origin; it is not a digital signature and does not prove the document is unchanged.

If you order a physical stamp for books, the ink matters as much as the design. For items you intend to keep long term, ask for archival-quality ink that is fade-resistant and suitable for the paper, and follow your library's preservation guidance for rare or special collections. Our notes on explain what to test. Try the stamp on a spare sheet of similar paper before using it on the collection.

• Making the seal so large that it covers text or illustrations on a title page
• Fitting a long institution name into a small circle, which forces tiny letters
• Using a crest, coat of arms or official emblem the library is not authorized to use
• Mixing ownership and status information in one stamp
• Leaving the aging effect on in artwork sent to a stamp maker

Where should a library stamp go in a book?

Many libraries stamp the title page or its verso, and some add a mark on the page edges or on a fixed page number inside the book. Follow your library's processing procedures so marks are consistent across the collection.

What size should a library ownership stamp be?

For use inside books, around 1 to 1.5 inches across is common. Measure the margins of typical books in your collection and choose a size that fits without covering text.

Can I use the same design for a rubber stamp and an embosser?

Often yes, but embossers usually need simpler artwork with bolder lines. Export SVG or EPS and ask the embosser maker what changes their process needs.

Does a digital library seal protect a PDF?

No. It marks the file visually but does not lock it, verify it or detect changes.