Creating Court Bundles with Adobe Acrobat Pro - What Our Testing Uncovered

Navigating the intricacies of court bundle creation shouldn’t be a headache. When comparing Adobe Acrobat Pro with Zylpha Bundling, it's essential to understand the practical distinctions between the two software solutions and the impact they have on the document bundling process.

Adobe Acrobat Pro offers versatile PDF manipulation tools, that means that it is great at being able to edit PDF documents on the go. However Zylpha Bundling provides tools and features specifically designed to aid the creation of court bundles. Let's delve into the nuances of each platform to uncover how they streamline the bundle-building process.

Key areas:

• Preparing documents
• Bookmarks and page numbers
• The bundle index
• OCR (Optical Character Recognition)
• Duplex printing

Preparing Documents

Preparing the documents is a crucial first step in creating a court bundle; it involves gathering all necessary files and documents and verifying their accuracy and completeness, laying the foundation for a successful presentation.

General guidance:  

1. eBundles must be in PDF format.
2. Any page that has been created in landscape orientation should appear in that orientation so that it can be read from left to right.

Using Adobe Acrobat Pro:

Adobe Acrobat Pro cannot bundle files unless they are in PDF format, so you’ll need to ensure each document is already a PDF before you begin to create the bundle. Although Adobe does offer a tool for converting files into PDFs, in our testing we’ve found that this is resource intensive and requires a high power computer for large files. We’ve also found inconsistencies when converting files such as Powerpoint presentations and Excel Spreadsheets.  ‍

Potential pitfalls: Not all file formats may convert seamlessly, leading to formatting issues or missing information. Additionally, creating copies of files and ensuring they are all properly named and organised can be time-consuming and prone to errors.

Benefits of Zylpha Bundling:

• Automatic file conversion: The FREE online version of Zylpha Bundling converts Word files to PDF automatically. Additional file types can be converted to PDF when using Zylpha’s Solo (subscription) Plan, or Zylpha's Team (subscription) Plan, both of which users of Zylpha’s free version can easily upgrade to.
• Efficiency & accuracy: Zylpha's automated approach saves time and significantly reduces the chance of errors occurring.
• System integrations: Zylpha Bundling seamlessly integrates with LEAP and iManage for swift and efficient document management during the bundling process. There’s no need to copy and collate files and documents in another location before you begin to build the bundle.

Bookmarks and Page Numbers

Bookmarks and page numbers are essential for navigating through an electronic bundle efficiently, and the guidelines are clear as to how they should be managed. Bookmarks provide a structured outline of the bundle's contents, while page numbers facilitate quick reference and cross-referencing during court proceedings. By meticulously incorporating bookmarks and page numbers, legal professionals enhance the accessibility and usability of their bundles.

General guidance:  

1. All pages in an eBundle must use computer-generated numbering.
2. The numbering should start at page 1 for the first page of the bundle and must follow sequentially to the last page of the bundle so that the pagination matches the pdf numbering.
3. If a hard copy of the bundle is produced, the pagination must match the eBundle.
4. All significant documents and all sections in bundles must be bookmarked for ease of navigation. The bookmark should contain the page number of the document.
5. If a bundle is to be added to after it has been transmitted to the judge, then new pages should be added at the end of the bundle (and paginated accordingly).

Family court bundles:

1. The documents in the bundle shall be arranged in chronological order from the front of the bundle, paginated individually and consecutively (starting with page 1 and using Arabic numbering throughout), indexed, and divided into separate sections (each section being separately paginated).

Using Adobe Acrobat Pro:

Adobe Acrobat Pro enables users to add bookmarks and page numbers to the PDF document; however, manually creating them can be time-consuming and error-prone, particularly when dealing with large or complex bundles.

Potential pitfalls: When moving or adding more files to a bundle, Adobe Acrobat Pro will place any new automatically created bookmarks at the bottom of the bookmarks list, regardless of the file’s location within the bundle. Manual adjustment is therefore necessary to put the bookmarks in their correct position. However, manual manipulation can lead to mistakes, which in turn would not only cause confusion for both legal professionals and the court but could also lead to delays and frustration during proceedings.

Additionally, if a user wishes to start the pagination of the bundle from a page other than the first page (typically cover page and/or index), then the PDF page numbers will need to be manipulated to reflect the change, adding another task to the bundling process that could otherwise be avoided. Also, if more pages are either added or removed from the bundle, Adobe Acrobat Pro does not automatically update the page numbers of the bundle. The user will have to instruct the software to update the pagination to reflect the changes.

Benefits of Zylpha Bundling:

• Automated bookmarking: Zylpha automatically generates bookmarks that reflect the position of documents within the bundle, saving time and ensuring accuracy.
• Automated pagination: Zylpha automatically paginates the bundle (even if they are repositioned, or new files are added) with a selection of pagination styles for the user to choose from (including none). Users can therefore produce accurate and court-compliant bundles with ease and confidence.  

The Bundle Index

The bundle index serves as a roadmap for navigating through the court bundle, providing a comprehensive overview of its contents, and facilitating quick access to specific documents or sections. The index plays a pivotal role in ensuring that all relevant materials can be referenced easily during court proceedings.

General guidance:  

1. Each entry in the index must be hyperlinked to the indexed document.
2. If a bundle is to be added to after it has been transmitted to the judge, then new pages should be added at the end of the bundle (and paginated accordingly).

Using Adobe Acrobat Pro:

Users of Adobe Acrobat Pro tend to upload the bundle index as a separately prepared document in Word, using Adobe Acrobat Pro’s linking tool to manually create hyperlinks to pages within the bundle.

Potential Pitfalls: Creating a hyperlinked index manually for an electronic bundle can be a time-consuming task, particularly when dealing with large bundles. It’s a process that is prone to errors and inconsistencies. Also, if more pages are either added or removed from the bundle at a later stage, the index will need to be manually adjusted to reflect the changes, adding an unnecessary level of complexity.

Benefits of Zylpha Bundling:

• Automated indexing: Zylpha Bundling automatically generates an index based on the documents included in the bundle, saving time, and ensuring accuracy.
• Dynamic updates: Zylpha's index updates dynamically as new documents are either added or removed from the bundle, without the need for manual intervention.

OCR (Optical Character Recognition)

Optical Character Recognition (OCR) is indispensable in court bundles due to its ability to convert scanned documents or images containing text into searchable and editable text. This transformation not only enables legal professionals to swiftly locate specific information within a bundle but also ensures accessibility for individuals with visual impairments or disabilities.

OCR is also vital during the process of searching for and redacting sensitive information from a bundle. Furthermore, OCR enhances indexing and navigation within bundles, allowing for efficient cross-referencing and streamlined access to pertinent information during court proceedings.

Overall, OCR plays a pivotal role in enhancing the usability, accessibility, and accuracy of court bundles, supporting legal professionals in effectively preparing and presenting cases in court.

General guidance:  

1. All pages in an eBundle that contain typed text must be subject to OCR if they have not been created directly as electronic text documents.

Using Adobe Acrobat Pro:

Adobe Acrobat Pro provides an Optical Character Recognition (OCR) tool that will convert scanned documents into searchable and editable text, which will enable the use of the redaction tool.

Potential pitfalls: As Adobe Acrobat Pro is predominantly a desktop product, if you have lots of files, or large documents that need to be OCR’d then this can take a while, or cause your computer to be unstable (and potentially crash). In addition we found that the best way to do OCR in Adobe Acrobat Pro, is before you build the bundle, which means that if there are any last minute changes, it can be very easy to miss one or two documents from the OCR process as there is no clear indication to work out which documents have been OCR’d (and which ones haven’t).

Benefits of Using Zylpha Bundling:

Zylpha also provide OCR within their platform, however this is done within the cloud platform, which means that there is no degradation in service, and it doesn’t affect the speed of your computer. We’ve also made it really easy to work out which files have been OCR’d by providing a handy icon. Meaning that you don’t keep on OCR’ing the same files.

With Zylpha it doesn’t matter when you OCR the source files as it’s just the tick of a box, and it doesn’t matter if you do this with last minute additions to the bundle either.

Duplex Printing

Duplex printing, or double-sided printing, is essential for optimising the use of paper and creating compact, environmentally friendly court bundles. By printing documents on both sides of the page, legal professionals can reduce paper waste and minimise the bulkiness of the bundle, making it more portable and easier to manage during court proceedings. Additionally, duplex printing helps maintain the professional appearance of bundles while maximising efficiency and cost-effectiveness. By embracing duplex printing, legal professionals demonstrate their commitment to sustainability and responsible resource management while enhancing the practicality and accessibility of their court bundles.

General guidance:

1. If a hard copy of the bundle is produced, the pagination must match the eBundle.

Family court bundles:

1. The documents in the bundle shall be arranged in chronological order from the front of the bundle, paginated individually and consecutively (starting with page 1 and using Arabic numbering throughout), indexed, and divided into separate sections (each section being separately paginated).

Using Adobe Acrobat Pro:

Adobe Acrobat Pro offers features for configuring double-sided printing, but there are pitfalls when it comes to updating the files within the bundle, which may increase the page count of individual sections, which can in turn be a problem, particularly when printing hard copies of the bundle.‍

Potential pitfalls: Improper alignment of pages during double-sided printing can result in the start of files beginning on the back of another document or section. To avoid this, users of Adobe Acrobat Pro would need to insert blank separator sheets between sections containing uneven numbers, but that is time-consuming and would have to be manually adjusted each time the bundle is amended. We tested Duplex Printing within Adobe Acrobat Pro, and we found that we had to insert blank pages at the end of documents to prevent the next document starting on the back. This would be unacceptable in a Court bundle, it’s a big no no!

Benefits of Using Zylpha Bundling:

• Print optimisation: Zylpha Bundling optimises the printing process, ensuring that double-sided printing settings are applied consistently across the bundle for a professional and efficient presentation.
• Efficient organisation & division: With the ability to add sections (acting as dividers) to a bundle, users can confidently build bundles as any files will be separated appropriately.
• Quality assurance: Zylpha's preview feature allows users to review the print layout before printing, helping to identify and correct any issues such as misalignment or formatting errors.

In conclusion

While Adobe Acrobat Pro can be used to create electronic bundles, manual manipulation can be time-consuming and error-prone. Additionally, there is a cost associated with using Adobe Acrobat Pro, whereas Zylpha Bundling is available for FREE online, with an upgrade option for those who wish to work on multiple bundles simultaneously or create large bundles using a variety of file types.

Zylpha Bundling offers automated features that enhance efficiency and accuracy, while seamlessly integrating with case management systems, making it the preferred choice for legal professionals.