Timestamp each version that leaves your practice: the concept report sent to a client, the design statement lodged with a submission, and the pack taken to a panel interview. TimeBinder® makes a fingerprint in your browser and the files stay on your device. The certificate shows that this exact version existed no later than a recorded time. It does not show who wrote the narrative or that the idea is original. Free to start. For the project-wide view, see timestamping for designers and architects.
Table of Contents
Why these documents matter
Drawings get attention. The narrative often decides the outcome: the concept report that explains the idea, the design statement that justifies the scheme, the presentation boards that tell the story. They change quickly, get reused in later bids, and are shared with people outside your control. When someone says “our concept was already in that report” or “your statement did not include that”, a dated record of each version is useful.
Which versions to freeze
| Document | Freeze and timestamp when | Keep with it |
|---|---|---|
| Concept report or concept board pack | Before it goes to a client, a partner or a competition jury | The brief and the cover email |
| Design statement (for competitions, tenders or planning) | Before the final lodged version, and again if you resubmit | The portal receipt and any request for further information |
| Interview or presentation pack | Before a panel interview or pitch | Your running order and the invitation |
| Visualisations and renders | Before they are shared outside the practice | The scene or model version used to produce them |
Planning submissions often include a design statement. See planning or DA submission drawings for how that fits with drawings, and design competition entries for anonymous packs.
A version log that makes the certificates useful
Keep a one-page log next to the files:
| Version | Date issued | Recipient | File name | Certificate saved |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| v01 concept report | (date) | Client | project_concept_v01.pdf | yes |
| v02 after client comments | (date) | Client | project_concept_v02.pdf | yes |
| v03 design statement for lodgement | (date) | Authority | project_design_statement_v03.pdf | yes |
The certificate matches a file by fingerprint, and the log tells you which file belongs to which round. See what to timestamp at each client revision round.
Source files versus the issued PDF
Timestamp the PDF (or other file) that you send, because that is what the other party holds. If you also share the source (InDesign, Word, Rhino or a model), timestamp that too. Keep both together in the archive. A fingerprint changes if even one character in the file changes, so make a final export and leave it alone.
What it does and does not help with
It helps you show which version of a document existed by a certain date. It does not show that the ideas were yours first, or that another practice copied them. Questions about authorship and ownership turn on contracts and law. For ownership of drawings, see who owns architectural drawings. To keep your own background material separate from client work, see how to record your background IP before a client contract.
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, originality, or any court outcome. This is general information, not legal advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Should I timestamp every draft of a design statement?
No. Timestamp the versions that go to someone else, such as a client, a panel or an authority.
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Can a concept report and its images go in one TimeBind?
Yes. Up to 10 files per TimeBind, or one zip. Keep that exact zip.
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What if the competition requires anonymity?
Your browser makes the fingerprint and the file stays on your device. The certificate does list each file’s name, size and last-modified date, plus any Reference or Details text you add, so use neutral file names if the brief requires anonymity. Follow the brief on what you submit, and keep the certificate in your archive.
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Does timestamping a concept show it was my idea?
No. It shows that the exact file existed by a date, not who created 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; ASAP is US$15. See plans and pricing
Timestamp your next report 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
Last fact-checked: 10 November 2026.
