A practical glossary of PDF stamping terms, including visible PDF stamps, signature images, cross-page seals, digital signatures and no-upload PDF tools.
Visible PDF stamp
A visible PDF stamp is an image or text mark placed on a PDF page. It is commonly used for review, approval, receipt, circulation records or internal office workflows. A visible stamp is different from a certificate-backed digital signature.
PDF seal
A PDF seal is a visible mark, often based on a company seal image, placed on a PDF document for visual review or office workflow purposes.
Signature image
A signature image is an image file placed on a PDF page. It is a visual mark and is not the same as cryptographic signer verification.
Approval mark
An approval mark is a visible label such as APPROVED, RECEIVED or PAID used to show document status.
Cross-page seal
A cross-page seal places parts of a seal across multiple pages so the document can be checked visually.
Seam stamp
A seam stamp is another name for a cross-page seal used along page edges.
Digital signature
A digital signature usually uses certificates and cryptographic validation to detect changes and identify a signer.
Electronic signature
An electronic signature is a broad term for electronic signing methods. Requirements and legal effects vary by workflow and jurisdiction.
Certificate authority
A certificate authority issues certificates used in trusted digital signing workflows.
No-upload PDF tool
A no-upload PDF tool is designed to process common document tasks in the browser instead of sending files to a remote conversion server.
Browser-based PDF processing
Browser-based PDF processing means the PDF is handled by JavaScript libraries on the user device.
Offline PDF stamping
Offline PDF stamping means the PDF workflow runs locally on a computer without using a web upload process.