Creating an electronic PE stamp 3

[cedarbluffranch]

I was wondering if anyone on here has created their own electronic PE stamp? I just received my license and ordered my embosser but would like to make my own electronic seal. (Yes, the state I'm licensed in allows use of electronic seals).

Has anyone done this, and if so, how do you do it?

 

[PEDARRIN2]

I think you can stamp a piece of white paper, make a pdf of it and then scan it into a jpeg or tif file.

I am not sure if that is the correct terminology, but I believe that is how we did it in our office.

 

[jpankask]

Our state just began using electronic stamps. What we had to do is make a nice impression on white paper and sign it (no date, our state requires handwritten signature across the stamp) and then scan that into a jpg or tif. Then go to Microsoft photo editor (or any photo editor) and remove as much white space around the stamp as you can, just to the edges of the stamp.

Our stamps are applied to our pdf documents through pre-applied tags at the appropriate places. We use digital signatures on our documents (not the same as an electronic image of your signature, which can be easily copied and pasted to documents).

There are also places online that will create a true electronic stamp for you.

 

[DRWeig]

I scanned mine from a nice, crisp stamp on bright white paper into the Windows Photo software, saved it as a jpeg for specs and as tiff for insertion into AutoCAD drawings.

Good on ya, and congrats on the license!

Goober Dave

 

[JAE]

I've just had my cadd operators draw a replica of the stamped seal. Not too difficult in Autocad.

 

[rday]

Ditto JAE. I have a CAD block for my seal.

 

[cedarbluffranch]

Thanks for your suggestions.

I'm not lucky enough to have CAD operators working for me - but I sat down and spent a half hour or so and figured it out. Now I have my stamp in an AutoCAD format that I can use as required.

 

[JStephen]

I just drew it up in AutoCAD.

 

[Ron]

Do not confuse an electronic facsimile of your signature or seal with an electronic signature that is now allowed by many state boards. The electronic signature allowed by boards is not the graphic impression of a seal, but an encoding system that either does not allow changes to the document or alerts if changes are made.

Putting your graphic impression on a document does not typically satify state requirements.

 

[cedarbluffranch]

Ron,

Your message is neither helpful nor appreciated. I'm tired of getting lectured on this board by people who feel they can prove intelligence by pointing out legal or ethical requirements.

I am well aware of my state's legal requirement of using my stamp. Electronic stamps are permitted in my jursidiction. In my state, simply creating a .PDF file that is locked to prevent editing would be sufficient to meet state requirements for use of electronic stamp.

My question had nothing to do with the use of the stamp. It had to do with the creation of the stamp. Your response did not answer my question, instead, it lectured me on another topic that I did not ask.

My first use of the electronic stamp is to send it to print shop for them to make a rubber stamp from it. Is this an issue with my state board? No, they do not care.

 

[IFRs]

If you go to

http://www.engineerseals.com

you can pick your state, fill in your personal info and get a stamp.

 

[cedarbluffranch]

Sure, engineerseals will do it for a fee.

I paid $22.99, including shipping for my 2" diameter self-inking rubber stamp. It's much cheaper than what I could pay anywhere else.

I paid $28.95 (including shipping) for my 2" diameter embosser from stampxpress.com, compared to $48 from engineerseals.com.

It pays to shop around.

 

[Ron]

cedarbluffranch...don't get your panties in a wad. Sometimes a response might be useful to others besides the questioner...just comments tossed out for anyone's use. Perhaps someone might not know that difference and could be helped by the comment. If not, so be it.

The comments were not intended to lecture, but since you mentioned it, there are many in our profession who do not understand the legal and ethical considerations necessary to practice engineering. Some of it is ignorance, some arrogance, some misunderstanding, and maybe other reasons; however, it occurs.

Congratulations on getting licensed.

 

[cedarbluffranch]

I don't mean to sound too upset, but far too many people on forums simply like to harass other people about ethics etc rather than making a sincere attempt to actually answer their questions.

In order to even take the exam, I had to pass a ethics exam required by my state. Ethics were discussed in the MERM. Ethics were on the exam. Ethics were emphasized at every lecture and every message board I look at to review for the exam.

Now, anytime I post any question and make reference to the fact that I am a PE, there are a minimum of 2 or 3 people that chirp in and lecture me on ethics, use of the stamp, etc. That's what I'm tired of. I have had people tell me it's unethical (and my state will revoke) the my license if I moonlight part-time. I've had people tell me that I can't do things because I don't carry insurance. I have received nothing but negativity since receiving my P.E.

I think half of these people are P.E.s who don't want competition, and the other half are bored people with nothing better to do.

Frankly - I'm tired of the lectures and I'm tired of the negativity surrounding the PE. My question was simple. How do you create an electronic version of the stamp. I figured out how to do it and now have my stamp in an embosser, rubber stamp, and electronic form. And they all are identical, which I'm pleased to see.

 

[Ron]

cedarbluffranch...I applaud your state board for requiring an ethics exam. I wish all states would do so. In Canada, their licensing exam is an ethics exam...it is assumed that technical competence is there (that might be a stretch, but nonetheless, I believe there is a place for both).

I agree that there seems to be a lot of negativity regarding PE's in the forum. It seems to mostly stem from those who practice in a non-public capacity, requiring no licensing. They are incensed that we get irritated when they are called "engineers". Elitist or not, I am still of the belief that only licensed professional engineers should be able to use the term. One of my pet peeves is a local air conditioning company that is not licensed as an engineering company, has no professional engineers on staff, and uses the term "engineers" in their name. The general public perceives "engineers" as being a bit brighter than "Joe the Plumber", so when Joe the Plumber tacks on "engineer" to his title to make himself seem to have more knowledge than he might actually have, I consider that to be false and fraudulent. While our state board agrees, they have little authority to enforce such.

Sorry...didn't mean to hijack your thread with another subject, but I guess these threads go that was sometimes. I suppose it's a "stream of consciousness" effect.

For the record, I impressed my seal on a white sheet of paper, darkened the embossing with a graphite block, then photographed the result in a high resolution macro photograph. I use it as the background for my electronic signature.

 

[GregLocock]

Aye, on the other hand the railway locomotive drivers and weapon designers get a tad amused when their job-title is abducted and held to ransom by a jumped-up union/cartel.
We were here first.


Cheers

Greg Locock

SIGlease see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.

 

[Ron]

touche Greg....I think the French have it correctly..Ingenieur

 

[EddyC]

cedarbluffranch,

I too would like to congratulate you on becoming a PE. As the years go by, you will find that there is a variety of interpretations on what constitutes engineering ethics. Some of that is discussed on this forum, so I encourage you to listen, even when it seems divisive. You will also get to meet many PEs who are not ethical in the course of your career, if you already haven't. Hopefully you will be more ethical than most. I too have detected some elitist attitude on the part of certain engineers, so don't feel alone in that.

I'll have to agree with Ron that contractors shouldn't be allowed to call themselves engineers, but I'll also have to agree with Greg that the restriction shouldn't extend to the folks who give us airplanes, cars, machinery, steam & gas turbines and other sophisticated manufactured products. If the PEs wish for all other engineers to be PEs, then the PEs who own consulting firms should first start with their own employees and stop picking on the folks in manufacturing. And for the record, I am a PE. I just don't buy into the NSPE/ASCE/NCEES belief that the PE license will get society to respect us.