Timestamp the exact set you issue at the end of each revision round, not every working file. TimeBinder® makes a fingerprint of each file in your browser. The files stay on your device. You get a checkable Proof of Time Certificate showing that this exact set existed no later than a recorded time. It does not show who drew it, who owns it, or what the client agreed. Free to start. For the whole-project view, see timestamping for designers and architects.
Table of Contents
Why revision rounds are where disputes start
Most arguments about drawings are not about the final set. They are about the middle: “that option was in the Round 2 pack”, “we never saw that revision”, “you changed the layout after we approved it”. Each round produces a new version, a new set of comments and, often, a new fee conversation. A dated fingerprint of each issued set gives you a clean, checkable record of what left your office in each round.
What to timestamp at each stage
| Stage | What to freeze and timestamp | Keep alongside |
|---|---|---|
| Concept | Concept PDF or board pack, key sketches or massing model exports, the design statement as sent | Client brief, the email that carried the pack |
| Design development | Issued plans, sections, elevations, material schedule, the model export you shared | Client mark-ups, meeting notes, change requests |
| Tender or submission | The full tender pack (drawings, specification, schedules) as one zip, or up to 10 key files | Portal receipt, addenda, tender and bid timestamping |
| Construction issue | Each “for construction” set and every later revision | Transmittal, revision schedule, RFIs |
Use the same rule at every stage: freeze, name by revision, timestamp, then send.
The five-step revision-round routine
- Freeze the set. Export the PDFs, DWGs or IFC you are about to send. Do not edit those copies after this point.
- Name it by revision. Use the revision code your project already uses (many teams follow ISO 19650-style naming). The name makes the certificate easy to match to the right round.
- Timestamp the set. Up to 10 files per TimeBind, or one zip. Your first Pooled TimeBind is free, with no credit card required.
- Save the certificate in the same folder as that issue.
- Send it. Record the transmittal or email in your log. The next round starts from a new revision.
For Revit and IFC specifics, see timestamp Revit or BIM versions before you issue them. For DWG sets, see prove an AutoCAD DWG existed before a date.
What not to timestamp
Do not timestamp every autosave or every working model. That makes noise, not evidence. Timestamp the versions that leave your hands: issued to a client, consultant, builder, panel or authority. Those are the versions people argue about.
What the client’s comments add
A TimeBind records your side of the exchange: the file and the time. It does not record who asked for what. Keep the client’s mark-ups, emails and approvals as separate records, and keep the contract. If a round is skipped or a client says “we approved the earlier layout”, the dated certificate for each issued set plus their written instructions tell a much clearer story. See also how to protect your design before sending it to a client and what to keep if a client used your design without paying.
What a TimeBind shows, and what it doesn’t
A TimeBind shows that this exact file existed no later than the recorded time and still matches its fingerprint. It does not show authorship, ownership or copyright, whether a client approved a design, or any court outcome. For the ownership question, read who owns architectural drawings. This is general information, not legal advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Do I need a TimeBind for every minor revision?
No. Timestamp the sets that are issued outside your practice. Minor internal iterations do not need one.
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Should I timestamp the PDF or the source model?
Timestamp what you send, normally the PDF set, plus the exported model or IFC if you share it. Keep the source model in your project archive.
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Can several rounds go in one TimeBind?
You can, but separate TimeBinds per round give you a separate dated certificate for each. That is the useful part when someone disputes which round included which change.
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What if the client sends comments on a PDF I already timestamped?
Their marked-up PDF is a different file. Keep it with the round it belongs to, and timestamp your next issued revision before you send it.
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What does it cost?
Your first Pooled TimeBind is free, with no credit card required. After that, from US$5 per Pooled TimeBind. An ASAP TimeBind is US$15 when the issue date must be recorded straight away. See plans and pricing
Timestamp your next issued set free
Show that this exact file existed no later than a recorded time. Files stay on your device. Get a checkable Proof of Time Certificate. Free to start. Open TimeBinder
