Many building departments that accept electronic plan review require a PDF bookmark for every sheet, showing the sheet number and sheet title, all at the same level with nothing nested, and they expect resubmittals to be bookmarked the same way. SheetStamp builds those bookmarks on Windows: you draw one box around the title block, it reads the sheet number and title from every page, including scanned pages, flags anything it is unsure of, and writes a new PDF with one bookmark per page, such as A-101 - FIRST FLOOR PLAN, plus page labels. Your original file is never changed.
Bookmarking a 60-sheet set by hand takes an hour and invites typos. A missing or wrong bookmark can delay the start of review.
Bookmark every sheet of a permit set by number and title, read from the title blocks.
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What do permit offices require for bookmarks?
Requirements vary by jurisdiction, so always read yours. Two published examples:
| Requirement | Napa County, California | City of Longview, Texas |
|---|---|---|
| Bookmark per sheet | Each sheet bookmarked by sheet number and sheet title | A bookmark for each sheet with the sheet reference number and optionally a sheet title, such as A1.0 LOWER FLOOR |
| Structure | All bookmarks at the same level as the topmost; no indenting or nesting | Not specified beyond one per sheet |
| Resubmittals | Bookmarked exactly the same as the original | Same sheet reference numbers on every resubmittal |
| Sheet numbers | Not specified | Unique within a submission; discipline prefixes such as A, C, E, M, P and S |
| File | One PDF, 250 MB maximum, no passwords, no layers or comments | 250 MB maximum, no portfolios |
| Pages | Uniform orientation, no sheets over 36 by 48 in | Correctly oriented, typically landscape |
Sources: Napa County, Electronic Submittal Standards, and City of Longview, Digital Plan Submission Standards, checked on 17 October 2026.
Napa County’s page also warns that failure to bookmark by sheet number and title will delay processing, and that its troubleshooting notes were written for Adobe Acrobat Pro while other PDF tools may offer similar solutions.
Why do reviewers care so much about bookmarks?
A reviewer jumps between sheets constantly: from a plan to a detail, from architectural to structural. Bookmarks named by sheet number make that one click. Flat, consistent bookmarks also let review software map comments to sheets, and keep a resubmittal lined up with the original. See construction drawing sheet numbers explained for how the numbers are built.
How do I bookmark a permit set with SheetStamp?
SheetStamp reads the title block on each page and writes the bookmarks itself.
- Combine the set first if it arrived as several files, using your PDF tool, so you have the single PDF many jurisdictions ask for.
- Open the PDF. Choose Open PDF and pick the set. A PDF that needs a password to open is refused, which is also what most permit offices require.
- Draw the zone. Drag a rectangle around the title block on page 1, or choose Bottom-right block or Right-edge strip. The zone is applied to every page.
- Read all pages. SheetStamp reads each page with the Windows OCR engine and fills a table of sheet number, title and revision.
- Review flagged rows. Rows under Needs review come first, with the title block crop and the text read from it. Type any fixes; every cell can be edited.
- Save bookmarked copy. The new PDF has one bookmark per page, such as A-101 - FIRST FLOOR PLAN, and page labels so viewers that support them show A-101 instead of a page number.
- Check it in your PDF reader against the permit office’s list before upload.
SheetStamp reads formats such as A-101, A101, A1.01, S2.01, M-1A, FP-101 and A-401B, and recognizes common English and French title block labels such as SHEET NUMBER and SHEET TITLE.
Bookmark your next permit set with SheetStamp during the 15-day free trial and check it against your jurisdiction’s list.
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What about resubmittals?
Resubmittal rules usually ask for the same sheet numbers and the same bookmarks as the original. Because SheetStamp reads the bookmarks from the title blocks, a resubmittal with the same title blocks produces the same bookmarks. Two things to check:
- Revisions. SheetStamp shows the revision for checking but does not write it into the bookmark, so a bookmark stays A-101 - FIRST FLOOR PLAN across revisions, which keeps resubmittals consistent.
- Titles that changed. If a sheet title changed between submittals, the bookmark changes too. Decide with the reviewer whether that is acceptable, and edit the cell if you need the original title.
What will SheetStamp not do for a permit submittal?
Be clear about what is outside its job:
- It does not merge files into a single PDF. Use your PDF tool first.
- It does not flatten layers or comments, reduce file size, or remove passwords. Napa County, for example, requires no layers or comments; handle that in your PDF tool.
- It replaces existing bookmarks and page labels in the copy, and links and layer settings are not carried over.
- It does not check the drawings, stamp space, scale bar or fonts.
- One title block zone per set. A sheet whose title block sits elsewhere, such as a cover sheet, is flagged for you to type.
When is another tool the better pick?
If you already use a full PDF editor with batch bookmark tools and your sets come from CAD with sheet data embedded, its own bookmark features may be enough. Many CAD publishing workflows can also write bookmarks at export. SheetStamp suits sets that arrive without them, scanned sets, and offices that bookmark sets from many sources. Compare approaches in PDF bookmarks from sheet names.
Frequently asked questions
Does SheetStamp make nested bookmarks?
It writes one bookmark per page, in page order, with no grouping by discipline. That suits rules like Napa County’s that forbid nesting; open the copy’s bookmark panel and confirm before upload.
Can it read scanned plan sets?
Yes. It reads the title block zone on every page, including scanned pages, rotated pages and pages exported from drawing software. Windows needs an OCR language installed.
Will it change my original PDF?
No. The original is opened read-only and every export is a new file. Saving onto the original is refused.
Can I get a sheet index as a spreadsheet?
No. SheetStamp has no CSV or spreadsheet export of the sheet list.
Does it upload my plans?
No. Text recognition runs on your PC, and the app makes no network connections.
Try SheetStamp
SheetStamp is a one-time purchase in the Microsoft Store, with a 15-day free trial. Open a set you are about to submit, read the title blocks, and save a bookmarked copy. For more, see how to bookmark a construction drawing set PDF, plan set PDF page labels, or the SheetStamp product page.
Submit a plan set the reviewer can navigate on the first click.
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Microsoft and Windows are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. Adobe and Acrobat are trademarks of Adobe. Other names are trademarks of their owners. SheetStamp is not affiliated with or endorsed by any jurisdiction or company named here.
Last updated 17 October 2026. Published by Automata Labs, a software company in Canada.