What is DrawingStamp Pro?
Software that automatically "balloons" technical drawings (PDF and TIFF): it detects dimensions, tolerances, GD&T symbols and surface specifications and places numbered inspection stamps directly into the document — ideal for First Article Inspection (FAI).
Which operating systems are supported?
DrawingStamp Pro is available for Windows, macOS and Linux. It requires Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit), macOS 14 (Sonoma) or newer, or a current Linux distribution such as Ubuntu 22.04, Debian 12 or Fedora 42 and newer. On Macs with Apple Silicon the app runs through Rosetta 2. Everything it needs is bundled — no separate runtime to install.
How does the detection work?
Rule-based via pattern recognition in the PDF and optionally AI-assisted. Scanned TIFF drawings are first prepared via OCR. The result is numbered stamps plus an exportable inspection plan (PDF and Excel). The optional AI runs locally by default — that calls for correspondingly capable hardware; the rule-based detection itself is fine on an ordinary office PC.
Can I use DrawingStamp Pro already?
Yes — through the beta programme. The software is in use, is developed continuously and updates itself through a built-in update function. Beta 1 is complete; you can sign up for Beta 2 here. The beta is available for Windows, macOS and Linux.
Windows shows a security warning when downloading — is that a problem?
No. Windows (SmartScreen) warns about programs from smaller vendors that do not yet have a paid code-signing certificate — regardless of whether the file is safe. To install DrawingStamp Pro, click “More info” in the warning dialog and then “Run anyway”. The downloaded file is unchanged; to be sure you can compare its SHA-256 checksum with the one published here, and the app obtains updates exclusively via digitally signed manifests.
What is an initial sample inspection report (EMPB)?
On an initial sample submission, the inspection report documents that a production part meets every requirement on the drawing — usually to VDA Volume 2 or PPAP. For that, each drawing characteristic must be uniquely numbered so nominal and measured values can be matched up. That numbering is exactly what DrawingStamp Pro does automatically. Filling in the forms themselves stays with your own inspection process or CAQ system — DrawingStamp Pro supplies the stamped drawing and the characteristic data as the basis.
Which file formats can DrawingStamp Pro open?
Vector PDFs are read directly; scanned PDFs and TIFF files without a text layer are prepared by the built-in text recognition first. DWG and DXF drawings can be imported too — they are read on opening, without a CAD program installed. Fine-tuning dimensional fidelity for the CAD import is still in progress; PDF and TIFF are the proven route.
How do I launch the app on macOS or Linux?
Both come as an archive rather than an installer — unpack it, put it where you like, done. On macOS one extra step is needed on first launch, because the app does not yet carry a paid Apple developer certificate: after unpacking, run xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine <folder> in Terminal once, then chmod +x DrawingStampPro and ./DrawingStampPro. On Linux there is no quarantine: tar -xzf, then chmod +x DrawingStampPro and launch. We are working on removing the macOS detour — get in touch with support if you get stuck.
How much does DrawingStamp Pro cost?
Licensing is per workstation; the price is available on request rather than as a guessed price tag. Beta participation is free, and a time-limited test license is available for trying it out with your own drawings. For vocational schools, technical colleges and universities the software is free of charge – PDF exports then carry a watermark, so it is meant for teaching rather than production use. Just ask briefly — you will get a concrete answer instead of a boilerplate quote.
What is support like – and what happens to my feature requests?
Your enquiry goes straight to the developer, not to a sales department. For bug reports and questions there is a support portal with ticketing – and the reply comes from the person who builds the software. Requests from daily use feed into development: what makes sense to implement is often in one of the next updates, and the built-in updater delivers it without a reinstall. What that looks like in practice is shown by the work with RED-Drawing.
Can I compare two revisions of a drawing?
Yes. Two revisions of the same drawing can be overlaid: what was removed appears in red, what was added in green. You save the result as a PDF report – useful when a customer sends a changed drawing and the title block only shows the new index. The comparison is a view only: you cannot balloon inside a comparison tab, for that you switch back to the drawing itself.