PDF Approval Stamp

Add APPROVED, PAID, RECEIVED, or any stamp to your PDF instantly. Pick a preset or type custom text, set color and opacity, click to position it — then download. 100% Client-Side Your file never leaves your browser.

Step 1 — Open PDF

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Drag & drop a PDF here or click to browse

How it works

This tool uses pdf-lib (a JavaScript PDF manipulation library) and PDF.js (Mozilla's PDF renderer) entirely inside your browser. No file is ever sent to a server.

  1. PDF.js decodes your PDF and renders a canvas preview at full page resolution.
  2. You click to position the stamp; the overlay canvas shows exactly how it will look.
  3. When you click Download, pdf-lib reads the original PDF bytes, computes the stamp transform matrix (translate to click position, rotate, scale) and writes a vector text string directly into the chosen page content streams.
  4. The result is a standard PDF/A-compatible file — not an annotation, not a watermark layer, but permanent page content.

Because stamping is vector text, the stamp is crisp at any print resolution. The stamp bounding box is rotated using the PDF graphics state matrix cm operator before drawing.

Frequently asked questions

Is my PDF uploaded to a server?
No. Everything runs in your browser using JavaScript. Your PDF bytes are read locally by the File API, processed by pdf-lib running in your browser tab, and the resulting file is downloaded directly to your device. No data is transmitted anywhere.
What is the difference between a stamp and an annotation?
PDF annotations (including "stamp" annotation objects) are a metadata layer that can be removed, hidden, or stripped by a PDF editor in seconds. The stamps this tool creates are written as permanent vector content directly into the page's content stream — just like the original text and graphics — and cannot be removed without specialized editing tools. This makes them appropriate for approval workflows, invoicing, and records management.
Can I stamp multiple pages at once?
Yes. Use the page toggle buttons in Step 2 to select which pages get stamped. Tap "All" to stamp every page. Each page receives the stamp at the same relative position (as a fraction of page width and height), so it lands consistently on every page regardless of size.
What font does the stamp use?
The stamp uses Helvetica Bold, which is one of the 14 standard built-in PDF fonts. No font file is embedded, keeping file size minimal. The text is drawn in outlined/filled vector form, so it prints crisply at any DPI.
Does the stamp work on password-protected PDFs?
No. If a PDF has owner-level encryption that restricts content modification, pdf-lib will be unable to modify the page content stream. Open the file in Preview or Adobe Acrobat, remove the password, and then stamp it here.