1. From the global bar in the upper left, select Edit. Under ADD CONTENT, select More > Bates numbering > Add.
Add headers, footers, and Bates numbering to PDFs Part 2
Add a Bates numbering header or footer (Acrobat Pro)
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.
Add Bates numbering
When designating documents for Bates numbering, you can add PDFs, 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.
2. In the Bates Numbering dialog box, select Add files, and choose Add Files, Add Folders, or Add Open Files. Then, select the files or folder and select Open.
3. Once you have added and arranged the files as needed, select OK. Then, in the Add Header And Footer dialog box, select to place the insertion point in the appropriate box.
4. Select Insert Bates Number. Then enter the following:
- In Number Of Digits, specify how many digits make up the Bates number, entering any number from 3 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.
NoteFor 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.
5. Select OK.
Bates numbering settings
Add Files: You can add files, folders, or open Files. If you add a folder that contains files other than PDFs, the non-PDF files are not added. If any files are password-protected, one or more messages appear in which you must enter the correct password.
Move Up or Move Down: To change the order in which Bates numbers are assigned, select a file, then drag it or select Move Up or Move Down.
To sort the list, select a column name. Select again to sort in reverse order.
Output Options: To specify a target folder for output files and filename preferences, select Output Options. Specify the options as needed, and then select OK.
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 select 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 select OK.
Search for Bates-numbered PDFs
1. Select the hamburger menu
> File > Advanced Search (Windows), or File > Advanced Search (macOS).2. In the search word or phrase text field, 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. In the drop-down list, select Browse for Location and specify the location.
5. Select 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.
Add Bates number to existing file names
You can prefix or suffix a filename with the Bates number. To add the Bates number to a filename, do the following:
1. Open a PDF in Acrobat, select the Edit mega verb from the global bar, and select More > Bates numbering > Add.
2. In the Bates Numbering dialog box, select Output Options.
3. Choose Add To Original File Names, and enter %BATES_NUMBER_KEY% in the Insert Before or Insert After fields as desired.
4. Select OK.
Remove Bates numbering
1. Open a PDF in Acrobat.
2. Select Edit.
3. From the left pane, select More > Bates numbering > Remove.
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