How to Bates Stamp PDFs (and Avoid the Mistakes That Force a Redo)

You have a folder of finalized PDFs, a production deadline, and a request to “just Bates stamp it.” Applying the numbers takes minutes in most PDF tools. Doing it so the set never needs to be redone takes a little preparation and a disciplined check afterward, and that is what this guide walks through.

The steps below work in Adobe Acrobat Pro and in most other PDF editors and litigation-support platforms, because the settings are the same everywhere: prefix, width, start number, placement, output. If you are setting the numbering conventions for a matter for the first time, read the complete guide to Bates numbering first, then come back here for the mechanics.

What should you do before you Bates stamp anything?

Finalize the set and fix the file order before you open the Bates tool. Nearly every redo traces back to something that changed after stamping: a late privilege call, a missed redaction, or files processed in the wrong sequence.

• Copy, don’t move. Put the unstamped originals in a read-only folder and work only from copies.
• Finish review. Privilege calls, confidentiality designations and responsiveness decisions are final.
• Apply true redactions first. Use a real redaction function that removes the underlying text, not a black rectangle drawn on top. Remove hidden information and metadata where the tool offers it. See the guide to redacting personal identifiers in exhibits.
• Run OCR on scans. Make image-only pages searchable before stamping so the text layer is in place for review and search.
• Rename files to sort correctly. Prefix file names with zero-padded sequence numbers (001, 002 … 010) so the tool processes them in the intended order.
• Check page sizes and rotation. Landscape spreadsheets and oversized scans are where stamps land on the wrong edge or over content.
• Remove security restrictions properly. Password-protected or edit-restricted PDFs may refuse the stamp. Document how restrictions were lifted, and do not alter content.
• Get the starting number. Confirm the next available number for this prefix from the production log.

How do you Bates stamp a PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro?

In Acrobat Pro, open the Bates Numbering feature, add your files, define the number format, choose placement, and save to a new folder. Menu locations have moved between Acrobat versions, so if you cannot find it, search the tools for “Bates Numbering.” Bates numbering is not available in the free Reader.

1. Open Bates Numbering and choose Add. This opens a dialog where you can add multiple files at once, including some non-PDF formats that Acrobat converts.
2. Add files and confirm the order. Use the move up and move down controls or sort by name. The order in this list is the order numbers are assigned.
3. Set output options. Choose a separate target folder and a naming rule. Never overwrite the source files.
4. Choose the placement box. In the header and footer settings, pick the footer box you want, typically lower right, and set margins so the stamp sits in white space.
5. Insert the Bates number. Set the number of digits, the start number, and the prefix (and suffix, if your scheme uses one).
6. Set appearance. Pick a plain, legible font and size in black. Use the option to shrink the document to avoid overwriting content if your pages run edge to edge.
7. Preview, then run. Check the preview on a dense page and a landscape page before committing.

Which Bates settings matter most?

The settings that cause the most rework are width, start number and placement. Get those right and the rest is cosmetic.

If a protective order requires a confidentiality legend, apply it in a different position (often lower left or bottom center) so the two never collide. Some tools let you add both in one pass; others need a second header and footer operation.

Mixed sets: PDFs, natives and slipsheets

When a volume mixes page images with native files, build the slipsheets before stamping so they take their place in the sequence. A slipsheet is a one-page PDF that stands in for the native file and receives exactly one number; the native is then renamed to match.

Once the set is stamped, rename each native to its slipsheet number (for example, ACME_0000517.xlsx) and keep a table pairing the original file name, the Bates number and the hash. That table answers most questions about natives later in the case.

How do you check a Bates-stamped set before it goes out?

Treat quality control as part of stamping, not an optional extra. A short, consistent check catches nearly every common error.

1. Reconcile numbers to pages. Last number minus first number plus one should equal the total page count, including slipsheets.
2. Spot-check the edges. Open the first and last page of every file, every landscape page, and every page with content near the bottom margin.
3. Confirm the sequence. The first number of each file should follow the last number of the previous file with no gap or overlap.
4. Check redactions survived. Search the stamped set for a few redacted terms to confirm they are truly gone.
5. Hash and log. Compute a hash of each production file and record the range, page count, date and recipient. The guide to hash values in litigation explains the commands.

What are the most common Bates stamping mistakes, and how do you fix them?

Most mistakes are fixable before production and painful after it. Here is what to look for and the standard fix for each.

The stamp covers text

Dense forms, bank statements and screenshots often run to the bottom edge. Re-run from the unstamped copies with the shrink option or a larger margin. Do not stamp over the problem page a second time.

Files were numbered out of order

Usually caused by unpadded file names (10 sorts before 2). If the set has not been produced, delete the output, rename the source copies with padded sequence numbers, and re-run. If it has been produced, leave the numbers alone and explain any ordering issue in a cover letter.

A document was added or removed after stamping

Before production, re-stamp the whole volume from the same starting number. After production, never renumber; give additions the next available numbers and handle withdrawals with a slipsheet or a clawback letter as the protective order provides.

The tool refuses to stamp a file

Edit restrictions, digital signatures, fillable forms and PDF portfolios are the usual causes. Saving a signed PDF as a new file may invalidate or strip the signature, so keep the signed original and note the conversion in the log. Flattening forms preserves their visible appearance; check the output against the original.

Stamped screenshots are unreadable

Phone screenshots are tall and narrow, so placed one per page they often shrink to small text, and a long thread becomes hundreds of pages to stamp and cite. For text-message evidence, a paginated log is usually easier to read and cite than a stack of stamped images.

Is there a faster way to Bates stamp message evidence?

For text messages and chat exports, the slow path is screenshotting, converting each image to a PDF page, ordering by hand, and then stamping. The faster path is to start from the phone or app export and generate a chronological log that is paginated and numbered in one step.

A tool like Message Extractor takes common exports (iMazing CSV or Excel files, SMS Backup & Restore XML from Android, WhatsApp chat exports, Facebook and Instagram data downloads) and produces a chronological, paginated PDF log with Bates-style numbering, an automated index and a SHA-256 digest. You can review what the message log includes before deciding whether it fits a given matter.

Whichever route you take, confirm the numbering, placement and legend requirements in any ESI protocol or protective order before the first production, and have the responsible attorney (licensed where the matter is pending) sign off on the conventions so every later volume follows the same rules.