According to Hsueh Ping-nan, one of seven main disciples of the "Wang School" of seal carving, the art combines the skills of calligraphy, composition and carving, requiring not only a deep familiarity with ancient forms of script but also the ability to stretch and compress characters so as to fit them, neatly and cleverly, onto the compact head of a seal stone.
關於篆刻，王壯為「王門七子」之一的篆刻家薛平南表示，篆刻是集書寫、章法、用刀多種功力於一身的藝術，藝術家不僅要對古文字非常熟練，同時要能將古文篆字加以伸縮挪讓，巧妙雅致地安排在一枚小小的印石之中。