Seal Terminology Glossary
Every term below is one concept, defined once. Where the concept has an entry in Wikidata or Wikipedia, it is linked so there is no ambiguity about which thing is meant.
- Seal
- A device that presses an emblem or text into ink so it marks a document as authentic. The impression it leaves is also called a seal.
Guides: Round, Oval, or Square: How to Choose a Seal ShapeHow to Design a Company Seal: A Complete Guide
References: Wikipedia (en)Wikidata
- East Asian seal
- The seal tradition shared by China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan, in which a carved stamp in red ink carries the authority a handwritten signature carries elsewhere.
Templates: Chinese Company Seal GeneratorJapanese Hanko Generator (Company Maru-in)Korean Dojang Generator (Company Ingam)
Guides: Hanko and Electronic Seals in JapanDojang and Electronic Seals in Korea
References: Wikipedia (en)Wikidata
- Company seal
- The seal that binds an organisation rather than an individual — the round 公章 in China, the 会社実印 in Japan, the 법인인감 in Korea, and the corporate or common seal in common-law countries.
Templates: Chinese Company Seal GeneratorRound Company Seal GeneratorCorporate Seal Generator
Guides: How to Design a Company Seal: A Complete Guide
References: Wikipedia (en)Wikidata
- Contract seal (合同专用章)
- A Chinese seal reserved for signing agreements, so contract authority can be delegated to a team without handing over the company seal itself.
Templates: Chinese Contract Seal Generator
Guides: Are Image Seals Legally Valid?
- Invoice seal (发票专用章)
- The oval Chinese seal required on an official fapiao. It is the only seal permitted on a tax invoice and carries the company's taxpayer identification number.
Templates: Chinese Invoice Seal Generator
- Perforated seal (骑缝章)
- A seal stamped across the edges of a stack of pages so the impression is split between them, showing that no page was later added or replaced.
Templates: Chinese Perforated Seal Generator (骑缝章)
Guides: Seal Placement Guide: Where to Put a Digital Seal on a Document
- Notary seal
- The seal a notary public applies to certify that a signature, copy or fact was witnessed. Its wording and dimensions are normally fixed by the jurisdiction that commissions the notary.
Templates: Notary Stamp Generator
References: Wikipedia (en)Wikidata
- Rubber stamp
- A hand stamp with a moulded rubber face, used for routine marks — dates, RECEIVED, APPROVED, an address block — rather than to carry legal authority.
Templates: Date Stamp Generator (Received)Approved Stamp Generator
Guides: How to Turn a Paper Stamp Into a Clean Digital Seal Image
References: Wikipedia (en)Wikidata
- Electronic seal
- A cryptographic seal bound to a legal person that proves a document's origin and integrity. Unlike a picture of a seal it can be verified, and under eIDAS it is a defined legal instrument.
Guides: Electronic Seal vs. Electronic Signature: What's the Difference?Electronic Seals in China: What You Need to Know
References: Wikipedia (en)Wikidata
- Electronic signature
- Data attached to a document indicating a signatory's approval. Legal effect depends on the assurance level, from a typed name up to a qualified signature backed by a certificate.
Guides: Electronic Seal vs. Electronic Signature: What's the Difference?Are Image Seals Legally Valid?
References: Wikipedia (en)Wikidata
- Anti-counterfeit code
- The 13-digit number engraved along the bottom arc of a Chinese official seal. It is registered with the police when the seal is carved, so an impression can be traced back to the registered seal.
Templates: Chinese Company Seal Generator