Wen P'eng emphasized the Han calligraphic tradition, and not content with carving personal or studio names he often carved verses on to seals, thus broadening their scope. "Wang Pei-yueh points out that al though pastime seals existed before Wen P'eng's time, he invested far more in them and even acknowledged each chop as his own work by inscribing his name on the side.
文彭則以漢印為宗，更加強書法的筆意；同時不以刻姓名齋館印為滿足，經常將詩文雋語刻入印中，拓展印章的內涵」，王北岳表示，在文彭之前，雖已有閒章，但直到他才大力提倡，他又首開冶印在邊款留名之例，確認印章為「個人創作」的地位。