WatermarkPictureStart
A snowy peak over a still lake with “© Alpine Light” set in the bottom right corner
A corner mark inside the safe area, sized as a share of the frame width.

Stamping copies of ID documents

Writing who a copy is for, why, and when across a scan of an ID before you send it — what that does, what it does not, and how to keep the details readable for the person who needs them.

Why people stamp ID copies

Copies of identity documents travel a long way: a scan for a bank’s KYC, a photo for a rental agreement, a photocopy for a SIM card or an admission form. Once sent, the copy is out of your hands. Writing on it who it was for, what for and when is a small habit that makes a copy less useful for anything else — a copy marked “Submitted to the bank for KYC only · 01-11-2026” is an awkward thing to present somewhere else.

In May 2022 UIDAI’s Bengaluru office advised against sharing Aadhaar photocopies at all and pointed people to the masked Aadhaar; two days later the advisory was withdrawn “in view of the possibility of the misinterpretation”, and holders were asked to “exercise normal prudence”. A purpose stamp is one form of that prudence. It is not a requirement, and nothing here says it is.

What the stamp should say

WhoThe organisation the copy is for: the bank, the landlord's agency, the college.
What forThe purpose in a word or two: KYC, rental agreement, admission.
WhenThe date, written dd-mm-yyyy on this site's document mode.
OnlyThe word that does the work: “for KYC only”.

The purpose preset on the document mode writes exactly that — “Submitted to {recipient} for {purpose} only · {date}” — as a light diagonal line repeated across the page, so it cannot be trimmed off the edge.

Keeping the details readable

The person receiving the copy needs to read it. A stamp that buries the name and number gets the copy rejected and teaches nothing. The document mode measures where the page is dense with text and warns when a stamp above 45 % opacity sits over it: “This stamp may make the details underneath hard to read. The recipient usually needs them.” The purpose preset starts at 24 % for that reason.

For a form that caps the upload size, set “Keep under” in the Export panel; the saved line says exactly what size, quality and width it reached, and says so if the target could not be met. A greyscale copy is smaller and reads the same. Stamping many scans at once works the same way on the batch route, with the date and purpose filled in once.

  • Stamping marks a copy; it does not redact or mask numbers. For a masked Aadhaar use UIDAI's own download.
  • A determined forger can edit an image. A purpose stamp raises the effort; it does not make misuse impossible.
  • Multi-page PDFs are not opened here. A scan saved as pictures can be stamped page by page, or as a folder.
  • The scan never leaves your device: it is read, stamped and saved in this tab.
Is a purpose stamp required, or legally binding?

Neither, as far as this site claims. It is a common prudence practice: a copy that says “Submitted to the bank for KYC only” with a date is harder to pass off for a different purpose later. It does not make misuse impossible and it is not a legal instrument.

Does the stamp hide my Aadhaar or PAN number?

No, and it should not try. A copy you submit has to be readable — the recipient needs the details. Stamping marks the copy; it does not mask anything. For a masked Aadhaar, use UIDAI's own masked download, which shows only the last four digits of the number.

What did UIDAI actually say about photocopies?

On 27 May 2022 UIDAI's Bengaluru office advised people not to share Aadhaar photocopies and to use a masked Aadhaar instead. On 29 May 2022 the advisory was withdrawn because of the possibility of misinterpretation, and holders were advised to exercise normal prudence when sharing their Aadhaar number.

Will the stamp make the copy rejected?

A light diagonal line of text at 20–30 % opacity, which is what the purpose preset uses, leaves the details readable, and the document mode warns if a heavier stamp covers dense text. Whether a particular office accepts a stamped copy is that office's rule.

Back to the tool

Marks are applied here. No picture is sent anywhere.