BASALT · JOURNAL
Bates numbering in Acrobat and elsewhere
Acrobat has Bates numbering and it works. It applies prefixes, suffixes and sequential numbering across a set of documents, which covers the core requirement.
The differences worth discussing are in the bookkeeping around the stamping rather than in the stamping itself.
The registry problem
A production is often numbered across several sessions. The second session must continue from the last number the first one issued, and that number has to come from somewhere.
Without a registry, it comes from a human remembering or from a note in a file somewhere. That works until it does not, and the failure is a duplicate number in a production.
A registry that records issued ranges makes continuation automatic and makes collisions detectable before stamping rather than after.
Why duplicates matter
Bates numbers are how documents are cited afterwards. A duplicate means two different pages answer to the same identifier, which is a problem in correspondence, in deposition, and in any filing that refers to the number.
Detecting a collision before applying it costs nothing. Discovering one after a production has gone out is expensive.
The manifest
A CSV listing each file, its page count and the range assigned to it is what makes a numbered production usable. Without it, locating the document that contains a given number means opening files until you find it.
Placement and redaction
A stamp inside an area that was redacted looks wrong and invites questions about the order of operations. Numbering should be applied after redaction, and stamps should be nudged clear of redacted regions rather than placed blindly at a fixed offset.
This is a small detail that shows up immediately on real productions and rarely in feature lists.
Being fair to Acrobat
For a single session numbering a single set, Acrobat's implementation is entirely adequate and the extra machinery described here is unnecessary. The differences appear on repeated productions across time, which is a smaller subset of users than the feature comparison suggests.
Judge by whether you number sets repeatedly, or once.
Frequently asked questions
Does Acrobat do Bates numbering?
Yes, including prefixes, suffixes and sequential numbering across a document set, which covers the core requirement. The differences with other tools are in the bookkeeping around repeated productions rather than in the stamping itself.
What is a Bates registry?
A record of which number ranges have already been issued. It allows a later session to continue automatically from the correct number and allows collisions to be detected before stamping rather than discovered after a production has been served.
Why do duplicate Bates numbers matter?
Because the numbers are how documents are cited. Two pages sharing an identifier creates ambiguity in correspondence, depositions and filings, and correcting it after a production has gone out is expensive.
Should Bates stamps be applied before or after redaction?
After, with stamps positioned clear of redacted areas. A number sitting inside a blacked out region looks wrong and raises unnecessary questions about the order in which the work was performed.
Doing it in Basalt
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Redaction that proves itself
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