The Freelance Designer’s Challenge
If you work as a freelance designer, you know the risk: shares work before payment, clients ghost or steal designs. When it comes to collaboration evidence, the stakes are real - without independent evidence, disputes become your word against theirs.
Your Workflow with TimeProof
Timestamp each contribution before it disappears into a shared workspace, merged draft, or combined deliverable. Best used before collaborative review, merge, or pooled delivery. Common files in this workflow include contribution drafts, review exports, and shared working files. Typical reviewers or counterparties include collaborators, project leads, and editors.
1. Create design.
2. Export final.
3. Timestamp before delivery.
4. Share with client.
The timestamp step fits into that workflow without changing the tools you already use.
The timestamping step itself takes under 10 seconds. No blockchain expertise required.
Why Collaboration Evidence Matters
Document contributions in collaborative projects to prevent credit disputes. A blockchain timestamp timestamps their contributions to collaborative work, creating evidence that is:
- Independent — stored on the public Polygon blockchain, not controlled by TimeProof or any party
- Permanent — cannot be altered, deleted, or disputed after recording
- Verifiable — anyone can check the timestamp on Polygonscan without an account
- Cryptographic — the SHA-256 hash changes if even one byte of the file changes
How Timestamping Works
When a freelance designer timestamps a file for collaboration evidence, TimeProof uses client-side file hashing (SHA-256). That 64-character value is the unique fingerprint for the exact version you selected, and if even one byte changes, the hash changes too. That fingerprint proves the exact version you created before it is shared or disputed. Your file never leaves your device.
TimeProof proves file existence by anchoring file hashes to the Polygon blockchain. The blockchain records the hash, timestamp, and transaction ID permanently, so anyone can verify the record independently on Polygonscan without relying on screenshots, local metadata, or someone else’s database.
For freelance graphic designers and illustrators, that means document contributions in collaborative projects to prevent credit disputes without relying on editable logs or file-system dates.
What You Receive
Every TimeProof timestamp for collaboration evidence includes:
- PDF certificate - a readable proof document you can keep with the project file, send to a client, or hand to counsel if the timeline is later challenged.
- Polygonscan link - direct public verification so a reviewer can confirm the blockchain record independently.
Verified instant timestamps also include: 3. Verified identity badge - the certificate shows the timestamp was created by a verified account, which is useful when timing and submitter identity both matter to the dispute or review.
With the Legal-Grade upgrade, you also receive the core evidence-package components documented by TimeProof: PDF, JSON, JWS identity attestation, and a ZIP bundle.
- Courtroom-Ready PDF - a presentation-ready evidence certificate when collaboration evidence needs more than a standard project record.
- JSON Metadata - machine-readable timestamp data for technical teams, audit trails, or structured evidence review.
- Identity Attestation (JWS) - a signed proof that ties the timestamp to a verified identity and can be verified through /.well-known/jwks.json.
- Complete Evidence ZIP - one bundle containing the Courtroom-Ready PDF, JSON Metadata, Identity Attestation (JWS), and supporting proof materials such as the Merkle proof, verification guide, and checksums, so the record is ready for formal review.
Real Scenario
Imagine you are a freelance designer. A contributor shares material into a joint project, then later needs evidence that their specific file or draft entered the work before attribution, compensation, or credit changed. The files at issue are often contribution drafts, markup files, and handoff exports. Typical counterparties include collaborators, editors, and producers.
A collaborator minimizes the contribution, a lead questions who supplied the usable version, or a later publication blurs whose work entered the project first. The timestamp ties the exact contribution file to a public date before later merges, edits, or credit negotiations obscure the record.
With TimeProof, the dispute is resolved by independent proof instead of by screenshots, local metadata, or conflicting memories.
Related Comparisons
These comparisons help you evaluate adjacent proof methods before you settle on the workflow for this use case.
- TimeProof vs Email Proof: Compare email-centric paper trails with file-specific timing proof when contribution history is disputed.
- TimeProof vs DocuSign: Compare signature workflows with independent proof of which collaborative file existed at each milestone.
- TimeProof vs Registered Mail: See why mailing or courier records do not replace proof tied to the exact digital work product.
Related Guides
Use these supporting pages to tighten the legal, technical, or pricing context around this workflow.
- Prove Delivery for Contracts & Agreements: Use artifact-level handoff proof when collaborator disputes turn on what was actually shared and when.
- Build Evidence for Contracts & Agreements: Extend contribution proof into a fuller chronology when the shared record grows over multiple milestones.
- Document Version History for Contracts & Agreements: Build milestone evidence for revised agreements, drafts, and approved deliverables inside the collaboration record.
Cost for Freelance Designer
TimeProof uses one unified credit balance, so freelance graphic designers and illustrators can create routine proof early and only step up to verified features when the situation calls for it.
- Scheduled timestamps: 1 credit per file - available to everyone, with proof available within 6 hours.
- Instant timestamps: 2 credits per file - available to verified subscribers, anchored in about 2 seconds.
- Legal-Grade: Starter and Pro: 50 credits up to 25 files, then +2/file. Business: 25 credits up to 25 files, then +1/file. Enterprise: included.
One-time packs start at $15 for 100 credits. Verified monthly plans start at $19/month and include identity verification for instant timestamps and Legal-Grade.
That lets you use scheduled timestamps for everyday collaboration evidence records and reserve verified instant or Legal-Grade proof for the files most likely to be challenged.
Most freelance graphic designers and illustrators need routine, repeatable protection rather than an enterprise rollout. TimeProof is priced for routine use through packs and verified monthly plans, so you can build evidence as you work instead of only after a dispute starts.
Privacy
Your files related to this workflow never leaves your computer. TimeProof uses client-side file hashing (SHA-256). Only the 64-character hash string is sent for anchoring. Because SHA-256 is one-way, it is not possible to reconstruct the original file from the hash. That lets freelance graphic designers and illustrators protect work related to collaboration evidence without exposing the original file, unpublished draft, or client material.