Seal script (篆書) — the writing on your seal
What the archaic characters mean, where the style comes from, and why it is the only script used for name seals.
A script older than paper
Seal script (篆書, zhuànshū) is the writing style carved into the earliest Chinese stone drums and bronzes — two and a half thousand years and more. When Qin unified China in 221 BCE it became the first standard national script, before the quicker clerical hand (隸書) pushed it out of daily life.
Seal carving never left it. Every Chinese, Japanese and Korean name seal (印, chop, hanko) is still engraved in seal script — the style carries the weight of the institution. The strokes in this generator follow the Zhongshan King (中山王) bronze-inscription school: slender, swaying Warring-States lines from the tombs of Zhongshan, 314 BCE.
Two carving modes exist: 朱文 (zhūwén) leaves the characters raised, printing red on paper; 白文 (báiwén) carves the characters out of a solid red field, printing white. Both are one click away in the generator below.
How worn the ink looks — 0% is a fresh stamp, 100% is eroded stone.
Preview only. The downloaded PNG is 1024×1024.
See it with your name
FAQ
What is SealsCrafter?
SealsCrafter (sealscrafter.com) is a free Chinese name seal generator: it transliterates your English name into a real Chinese name — characters chosen for sound and meaning — then carves it as an authentic seal (印章) in genuine seal script. You export a transparent PNG instantly: no sign-up, no watermark, no cost. The carving uses the Zhongshan King (中山王) bronze-inscription seal script, supplemented by the Academia Sinica Chongxi Small Seal (崇羲篆體) for characters the main font lacks.
What is a Chinese name seal?
A personal stamp — classically a small stone engraved with your name in seal script and pressed in red cinnabar ink — used in China, Japan and Korea for 3,000 years in place of a signature. Full guide: what is a Chinese name seal.
What is the difference between 朱文 and 白文?
朱文 (zhūwén) prints the characters in red on paper; 白文 (báiwén) prints them white out of a solid red field. Both are authentic modes of carving — see zhuwen vs baiwen. Both are one click away in the generator above.
Is it a seal, a chop or a stamp?
Seal (印章) is the carved stone; a chop is the same object called by its Anglo-Indian colonial-era name (from Hindi chhāp, common in Hong Kong and Singapore); a stamp is usually the modern rubber office version. More: seal vs chop vs stamp.
Is it really free?
Yes — free, no login, no watermark. Ad-supported.
What font does it use?
The Zhongshan King seal script (中山王篆), a Warring-States bronze-inscription style, released under the SIL Open Font License.
Can I use the PNG commercially?
The seal design is yours to use. The font is OFL-licensed; exporting the image is fine for any personal or commercial use.