In the field builder, both Signature and Stamp look like image-bearing fields, but they carry different legal weight — especially in GCC business contexts.
Signature
A signature is the individual's mark of agreement. It binds that person to the document. Signers can either:
- Draw their signature with a mouse / touch / stylus
- Type their name, which renders in a script-style font (Great Vibes)
- Upload an image of their handwritten signature
In all three cases, the captured image embeds into the final PDF at the field's exact location.
Stamp
A stamp is the organization's corporate seal — typically a circular or rectangular mark with the company's name, registration number, and sometimes a logo. In Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, and most other GCC jurisdictions, contracts between companies (B2B, vendor agreements, partnership deeds) are often only fully enforceable when both:
- The signing officer signs personally, AND
- The company stamp is applied
This is rooted in commercial law tradition — the stamp represents corporate authorization in a way an individual signature cannot.
Using stamps in SahlSign
In the field builder palette, drag a Stamp field onto the PDF the same way you would a signature field. When the signer reaches the stamp field on the signing page, they upload an image of the company seal (JPG / PNG). The image embeds preserving aspect ratio so circular stamps stay circular.
The Certificate of Completion records stamp fields separately from signature fields in the per-signer forensic block, labeled "STAMP". A reviewer / auditor can see exactly which marks were signatures (individual binding) and which were stamps (corporate authorization) at a glance.
When to use which
- Personal contract (e.g., employment offer, individual NDA) — signature only
- B2B contract (e.g., vendor agreement, partnership) — signature + stamp for each party
- Government / regulated filing (e.g., commercial registration update) — usually signature + stamp + sometimes a third "official seal" field for the notary