Add a Bates numbering header or footer



Bates numbering is a method of indexing legal documents for easy identification and retrieval. Each page of each document is assigned a unique Bates number that also indicates its relationship to other Bates-numbered documents. Bates numbers appear as headers or footers on the pages of each PDF in the batch.

The Bates identifier is referred to as a number, but it can include an alphanumeric prefix and suffix. The prefix and suffix can make it easier to recognize the central subject matter of the files.

Note: Bates numbering is unavailable for protected or encrypted files and some forms.

For a video on using Bates numbering in a PDF Portfolio, see http://blogs.adobe.com/acrolaw/.

Add Bates numbering

When designating documents for Bates numbering, you can add PDFs, PDF Portfolios, and any non-PDF files that can be converted to PDF. The process converts non-PDF file types to PDF, and then adds Bates numbers to the resulting PDF. If you add Bates numbering to a PDF Portfolio, any non-PDF files in the PDF Portfolio are replaced with the converted and numbered PDFs.

  1. Choose Advanced > Document Processing > Bates Numbering > Add.
  2. In the Bates Numbering dialog box, click Add Files, and choose Add Files, Add Folders, or Add Open Files. Then select the files or folder.
    Note: If you select a folder containing files that Acrobat does not support for PDF conversion, those files are not added.

    If any files are password-protected, one or more messages appear, in which you must enter the correct password.

  3. As needed, do any of the following in the list of files:

    • To change the order in which Bates numbers are assigned, select a file, then drag it or click Move Up or Move Down.

    • To sort the list, click a column name. Click again to sort in reverse order.

  4. To specify a target folder for output files and filename preferences, click Output Options. Specify the options as needed, and then click OK.
  5. Once you have added and arranged the files as needed, click OK. Then, in the Add Header And Footer dialog box, click to place the insertion point in the appropriate box.
  6. Click Insert Bates Number. Then enter the following:

    • In Number Of Digits, specify how many digits make up the Bates number, entering any number from 6 through 15. The default number is 6, which produces Bates numbers such as 000001, 000002, and so on.

    • In Start Number, enter the number to assign to the first PDF on the list. The default is 1.

    • In Prefix, type any text to appear before the Bates number.

    • In Suffix, type any text to appear after the Bates number.

      Note: For court cases involving large numbers of pages, enter a higher value in Number Of Digits. Do not use the # character in the Prefix or Suffix text.
  7. Click OK and then make any other changes to the settings, as you would for any other header and footer.

Add more documents to a Bates numbering series

Before you begin, be sure that you know the last applied Bates number in the series.

  1. Follow the procedure described in the previous topic to start the Bates numbering process, selecting the files to add to the series.
  2. After you click Insert Bates Number, enter the next number in the series in Start Number. Enter the Suffix and Prefix text that matches the rest of the series.
  3. Finish changing the settings, and then click OK.

Search for Bates-numbered PDFs

  1. Choose Edit > Search.
  2. As the search word or phrase, enter all or part of the Bates number.

    For example, to find a specific document when you know its Bates number, type in the complete number as the search text. To find any documents in a Bates number series, type in a distinctive portion of the Bates series, such as the prefix or suffix.

  3. Under Where Would You Like To Search, select All PDF Documents In.
  4. Click Browse For Location and specify the location.
  5. Click Search.
Note: To search for Bates-numbered PDFs in a PDF Portfolio, open the PDF Portfolio and enter all or part of the Bates number in the Search box on the PDF Portfolio toolbar.

Remove Bates numbering

  1. In Acrobat, choose Advanced > Document Processing > Bates Numbering > Remove.
  2. In the dialog box, click Add Files, and choose Add Files or Add Open Files. Then select the files.
  3. Click OK.