Free tool
Fingerprint swatch See a file’s SHA-256 fingerprint as a colour pattern, and compare two files at a glance.
File A
File B (optional, to compare)
Colour key: each of the 16 characters a fingerprint can use (0 to 9, a to f) has its own colour.
Runs in your browser. Files aren’t uploaded and nothing is stored. Works with files up to 2 GB.
Choose a file and your browser works out its SHA-256 fingerprint and draws it as an 8 by 8 swatch. Add a second file, or paste a fingerprint you were given, to compare: the same file always gives the same swatch, and changing even one byte gives a different one.
Worth knowing: a swatch shows whether a file still matches its fingerprint. On its own it says nothing about when the file was made or who made it.
What is a file fingerprint?
Short answer: a file’s SHA-256 fingerprint (also called a hash) is a 64-character code worked out from every byte of the file. The same file always gives the same fingerprint, and any change, even one character in a document or one pixel in an image, gives a completely different one. That makes it a quick way to check whether two copies are identical, or whether a file still matches a fingerprint shared earlier.
The swatch draws those 64 characters as coloured cells, so you can see at a glance whether two fingerprints match. You can share the swatch image with a release, and anyone holding the file can check it here. Delivering several files to a client? The Handover Receipt lists each one with its SHA-256 fingerprint.
What is TimeBinder®? TimeBinder is a blockchain timestamping service. It shows that a digital file existed no later than a specific time, and that it still matches its fingerprint, by anchoring the file’s SHA-256 fingerprint to the Bitcoin blockchain. Files are hashed in your browser and never uploaded, and each TimeBind comes with a Proof of Time Certificate that can be checked later. It does not prove who created a file or that its contents are true.
How to read a swatch
Every part of the swatch comes straight from the fingerprint. Nothing is random.
| Part | What it means |
|---|---|
| Cells | 64 cells, one for each character of the fingerprint, read left to right and top to bottom |
| Colours | 16 fixed colours, one for each character from 0 to 9 and a to f, shown in the colour key |
| Characters | Tick “Show characters” to print each character in its cell, so you don’t have to rely on colour |
| Same file | Always gives the same fingerprint, so the same swatch, on any device |
| Any change | Gives a different fingerprint, and a swatch that looks quite different |
What a swatch shows, and what it doesn’t
What it shows
- Whether two files are identical, byte for byte
- Whether a file still matches its fingerprint, for example one posted with a release
- The full SHA-256 fingerprint, ready to copy
What it doesn’t show
- When the file was made, or when it was first shared
- Who created the file
- Whether the contents are original, or whether AI was used
- What changed, if two files differ
To add a date, TimeBind the file: a TimeBind records that the file existed no later than the recorded time. Checking a TimeBind is always free.
File size and speed
The swatch works with files up to 2 GB. Files up to 256 MB are read in one go and hashed with your browser’s built-in Web Crypto. Larger files are read in 1 MB pieces and hashed by the page itself, which is slower but keeps the page responsive, with a progress bar as it goes. Nothing leaves your device either way.
Fingerprint swatch: FAQ
Is my file uploaded?
No. Your browser reads the file and works out its SHA-256 fingerprint on your own device. The file, its name and its fingerprint aren’t uploaded, sent to TimeBinder or stored, and the page keeps working offline once it has loaded. The site’s analytics count page visits and when the tool is used, with no file details.
Is a swatch the same as the fingerprint?
It’s the same fingerprint drawn another way. Each of the 64 characters gets its own cell, read left to right and top to bottom, and each character always has the same colour, so two files have the same swatch only when they have the same fingerprint. Some colours are hard to tell apart, so to be sure, compare the fingerprint text. The tool does this for you when you add a second file.
Does a matching swatch show when my file was made, or who made it?
No. A match shows that a file still matches its fingerprint, which means it is identical to the file the fingerprint came from. It says nothing about when the file was made or who made it. A TimeBind adds a date: it records that a file existed no later than the recorded time.
What is the largest file I can use?
Up to 2 GB. Files up to 256 MB are read in one go and hashed with your browser’s built-in Web Crypto, which is quick. Larger files are read in 1 MB pieces and hashed by the page itself, which is slower; a progress bar shows how far it has got. Very large files may be slow on older phones.
Is the swatch free?
Yes, with no sign-up. TimeBinding files is separate: the Free plan is $0 and includes 1 Token a month. Paid plans start at $20 a month for 5 Tokens and replace the Free plan’s Token. See pricing.
Add a date to your fingerprint
A swatch tells you a file still matches its fingerprint. A TimeBind also records that the file existed no later than the recorded time.
Start free →The Free plan is $0 and includes 1 Token every month. See pricing