Need a professional seal for your documents? Here’s how to get one.
One of the top five most frequently asked questions around TBAE headquarters is this: How do I get a seal with my name and registration number on it? The question can come from a first-time registrant who just passed the registration examination, a new registrant from out of state, even a longtime design professional who misplaced that old rubber stamp or lost the digital files in a computer crash.
Luckily, it’s simple and inexpensive (even free, depending on circumstances) to get a shiny new professional seal with your name and registration number on it. Let’s start with the no cost solution: a digital seal you can edit yourself.
Log in to your TBAE account, and on your dashboard you’ll find downloadable seal files in a variety of formats: .jpeg, .gif, .pdf, .dwg, and Illustrator. Choose which format works for you and your preferred software, and download the file. In whichever software you are comfortable with, simply open the file, replace “JOHN H. DOE” with your name in capital letters and the “0000” registration number with your own. Anecdotally, it appears that most design professionals choose the easily edited .dwg format and do the quick edits in their preferred AutoCAD software. But choose the option that works best for you!
If you prefer the classic rubber stamp seal, also known as a “wet seal,” you’ll want to find a local or online service provider to do the job. A few seconds on a search engine with keywords “[your city] stamp maker” likely will turn up several options from which to choose. These shops usually offer quick and hassle free turnaround on a simple stamp project, and often offer digital seal files as well (in case you only want an electronic seal but don’t want to edit the template yourself). In writing this article, TBAE staff contacted stamp makers in three Texas cities to get some idea of cost. Wet seal pricing ranged from $17.50 for a simple stamp to $40.25 for a more deluxe product. All three stamp makers also offered digital seal services, with costs ranging from $10 to $15 (or included at no cost with the purchase of a wet seal).
Tip: When placing your order, make sure the stamp maker knows to produce a seal no less than 1.5 inches in diameter, to stay on the good side of TBAE rules. It appears that most service providers know this, but it couldn’t hurt to make sure.
So if you need your first professional seal or a replacement for a lost stamp, we hope this article proves helpful. And as always, if you have any further seal-related questions, we’re always just a phone call away at 512-305-9000.
Sealing tips for TBAE registrants
- Whether affixed electronically or ink-stamped onto your documents, your seal, your signature, and the date of signing should be clearly visible and legible.
- Once a sealed document is issued (conveyed via mail, electronic mail, hand delivery, or in any other way to another individual), the seal may not be removed.
- Electronic sealing of documents is perfectly acceptable and permitted. Electronic signatures are also permitted, provided all the information is clearly visible and legible.
- Fraudulent and improper use of professional seals has long been a common topic of TBAE investigations. If you come across a seal that, for some reason, seems odd, possibly bogus, or just plain unusual, our Investigations Division would love to offer its expertise. We can be reached at 512-305-9000.
Note: the content of this page is adapted from an article in the July, 2018 issue of TBAE’s Licensing News.