Privacy

What happens to your files

Last updated 22 October 2026.

Sheaf is run by Jadthena Limited (company no. 16232930, registered office 62 Border Brook Lane, Worsley, Manchester, M28 1XJ), registered with the Information Commissioner's Office as ZC251636. We are the data controller for the little personal data Sheaf handles (your IP address in our server logs).

Scan and Sign: nothing is uploaded

When you scan pages or sign a PDF, all the work happens in your web browser on your own device. Your photos, your PDF and your signature are not sent to us. When you save, your browser tells our server only that a scan or a signing happened and how many pages it had, so we can count how much Sheaf is used. It does not send the file, its name or anything in it.

If you tick "Remember my signature on this device", your signature image is stored in your browser's local storage on that device so you don't have to draw it again. We never receive it. Untick the box and save a signature again to remove it, or clear this site's data in your browser.

Shrink: sent, shrunk, sent back

To shrink a PDF, your browser sends the file over an encrypted (HTTPS) connection to our server, which is hosted by Hetzner Online in Germany (inside the EU, which the UK recognises as giving adequate data protection). The server shrinks it and sends the smaller copy straight back. Your file is held only while it is being shrunk (a large upload may sit in a temporary file for those few seconds) and is deleted as soon as the request ends; we never keep a copy. In our usage count we record only the time, the file size before and after, and the level you chose.

Server logs

Like most websites, our web server keeps a standard access log of each request: your IP address, the page or tool address, the time and your browser type. It never contains your files or what's in them. We use it to keep the service secure and working, and it is deleted automatically within 15 days. To stop one person sending too many files, the server also counts shrink requests per IP address for up to an hour, in memory only.

Analytics

We use our own copy of Umami, a privacy-focused analytics tool, to count visits and which tool was used. It doesn't use cookies and doesn't identify you.

Your rights

Because we don't keep your files or an account for you, there is usually nothing about you for us to give you or delete. If you have a question or want to make a request under UK data protection law, email andy@olijammedia.co.uk. You can also complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk.