Guides
Chinese seal guides
Plain-English guides to Chinese seals — also called chops — from the stones they are carved in to where to stamp them. Want to see your own name first? Find your name in Chinese or carve a seal online.
Seal stones
Shoushan, Qingtian, Changhua and Balin — the four famous seal stones of China, where they come from and how to choose one.
The Four Famous Seal Stones of ChinaShoushan, Qingtian, Changhua and Balin: where China's four famous seal stones come from, what they are made of, and how they look and carve.
Shoushan Stone: Fuzhou's Seal Stone and TianhuangShoushan stone comes from the hills north of Fuzhou. Its history, the field, water and mountain stones, and why Tianhuang is the most prized seal stone.
Qingtian Stone: Zhejiang's Classic Carving StoneQingtian stone comes from Qingtian County in southern Zhejiang. Its history in seal carving, its famous varieties and its heritage-listed carving craft.
Changhua Stone and Chicken-Blood Stone: A GuideChanghua stone from Lin'an, Hangzhou, and its chicken-blood stone: where it is mined, why the red is cinnabar, how it is graded and how to care for it.
Balin Stone: Inner Mongolia's Seal StoneBalin stone comes from Bairin Right Banner in Chifeng, Inner Mongolia. Its history, chicken-blood and jelly stones, colours, hardness and how it carves.
Shoushan vs Qingtian Stone: Which Is Better for a Seal?Shoushan vs Qingtian stone for a personal seal: how they differ in look, carving feel, durability and price, and how to spot dyed, fake or resin stones.
Chinese seal basics
What a Chinese chop is, how seal script and the two carving styles work, and how Chinese seals differ from Japanese hanko.
What Is a Chinese Chop? Meaning, History and UsesA Chinese chop is a seal carved with a name and stamped in red. Where the English word comes from, how seals developed and how they are used today.
Yin vs Yang Seals: Baiwen and Zhuwen ExplainedBaiwen (yin) seals print white characters on red; zhuwen (yang) seals print red characters. How each is carved, where they came from and how to choose.
Seal Script (Zhuanshu): Why Chinese Seals Look AncientSeal script (篆书 zhuànshū) is the ancient Chinese writing still carved on seals. Small and large seal script, the Shuowen Jiezi and how to read it.
Chinese Seal vs Japanese Hanko: What's the Difference?Japanese hanko grew out of the Chinese seal tradition but are used very differently today. Compare scripts, shapes, materials, registration and use.
How to use a seal
Where to stamp a seal on a painting, letter or journal, and how to use seal paste and look after a stone seal.
Where to Put a Seal on a Chinese Painting or CalligraphyWhere the name seal, head seal, corner seal and collectors' seals go on Chinese painting and calligraphy, and how to stamp letters and books cleanly.
How to Use Seal Paste and Care for a Stone SealWhat traditional Chinese seal paste is made of, how to stir it and ink a seal, how to clean and store a stone seal, and when a modern ink pad makes sense.