30 Top Tips for Working With Acrobat 9

Med Art has found the BEST TIPS for ACROBAT ...so here they are, share them with only your closest friends!

Don't Short-Change Yourself at Trial

Have everything you think you need for trial DIGITIZED and in your trial software. If a document pertains to your case, have it scanned and accessible from your presentation database. If a video clip might be admissible, have it digitized and accessible. A small investment in document imaging or video prep will often times save countless headaches and rush expenses at trial time.

This is not the time to be penny wise and pound foolish.

For sound advice on trial presentation needs your first step is to call Med Art & Legal Graphics.  Trial is too important to leave to the last minute or to people who aren't qualified. In most cases you have sent years developing a case that you don't want compromised because your message was damaged by a faulty and confusing delivery. 

Don't Overextend and Become Underexposed

Don’t overextend your software: Programs such as Microsoft PowerPoint and Corel Presentations are great for linear presentations such as opening/closing arguments or mediation/arbitration arguments. However, for complex litigation and witness examination – the ability to display documents quickly and in any order illustrates to the jury that you are making an effort to be organized and efficient with their time. Courtroom specific annotation tools such as TrialDirector, TrialPro, Sanction and others offer simple document annotation tools, video manipulation, and nonlinear exhibit access in one streamlined package.

Don’t overextend yourself: If your trial involves hundreds of documents and graphic exhibits, or countless hours of video clips; trust the database and clip preparation to a qualified courtroom technology consultant so that you can remain focused on your case without distraction.
...originally posted by Alex Rosen


For sound advice on trial presentation needs your first step is to call Med Art & Legal Graphics.  Trial is too important to leave to the last minute or to people who aren't qualified. In most cases you have sent years developing a case that you don't want compromised because your message was damaged by a faulty and confusing delivery. 

Maximize the Impact of Trial Exhibits

Med Art & Legal Graphics Co. can help you put together powerful trial presentations and highly persuasive exhibits. However, no matter how compelling your exhibits are, they’re worthless if the jurors can’t hear the audio clearly, can’t see the video or are unable to read your exhibit.

Med Art goes to court with you to present exhibits for maximum effectiveness while you focus on presenting your case. This is especially important if the case is exhibit-intensive.

When you’re on your own, however, fear not: Here are some tips provided by Trial Theater to maximize the impact of your exhibits:

1. How to guarantee that the jury hears every word of your recorded statement. As you start playing the audio recording, cup your hand over your ear and make eye contact with each and every juror. Non-verbally, you’re asking them if they can hear the statement. If they can hear it, they’ll nod their heads in agreement or give you a “thumbs-up” sign. If they can’t hear, they’ll give you a non-verbal clue to raise the volume (or maybe even tell you, “Turn it up, I can’t hear!”)

Here’s an added benefit: Making eye contact with each juror forces you to “check in” with them, so you can evaluate how things are going.

2. How to guarantee that the jury sees your video. Get to the courtroom early and set up your video display. Turn on your video, then climb into the jury box. Sit in every seat in the jury box so you can see what your jurors will see. Do you need to crane your neck to see the video? When you move to the end of each row, does it become difficult to see the video screen? Is the screen too close? Too far? Make any adjustments now, before the jury gets here, so you can be assured that they’ll see your evidence.

Once you start playing the video for the jury, you’ll want to repeat the step outlined above to ensure that they can hear the recording. While you’re making eye contact with each juror, track their sightline. Can they actually see the video? Are they actually looking at it? If not, make any necessary adjustments so they can view your evidence.

3. How to guarantee that the jury reads your exhibit. If you’re presenting written exhibits to the jury (such as posters of the jury instructions or blow-ups of contract highlights) you want to make sure the jury actually reads your exhibit. To make sure they have enough time to read it, quietly read through the entire exhibit to yourself twice. You’re already familiar with the exhibit, so you’re going to read through it faster than your jurors will. After your second read-through, take a moment to make eye contact with every juror. Look at their eye movement. If they’re looking at you, they’re ready for you to proceed. But if you see they’re still reading, don’t say anything yet. Wait until everyone has finished reading before you or your witness say anything about the exhibit.

Read more: http://www.trialtheater.com/wordpress/category/courtroom-presentation-skills/#ixzz0S9Cqn5K3

Tips from the Courthouse: Don't Try Be Disney!

Trial Presentation is intended to keep attorneys organized and efficient, while allowing the judge and jury to easily follow your facts and opinion. Some attorneys will attempt to bring “smoke & mirrors” to WOW the audience in the attempts to hold their attention and sway their minds.  Use the technology to give you quick access to evidence and clearly highlight your key points.  Don’t use technology to try and overwhelm the jury with fancy animation and colorful illustration. If it doesn't bring content and clarity to to story Forget It.  Juries see through this tactic and you may lose their trust. They do respect getting to information quickly and clearly, because ultimately their main objective is get the info, decide on the case and GO HOME!


For more Trial Tips from Med Art please feel free to subscribe to Trial Presentation Blog or go to Med Art & Legal Graphics web site to see more demonstrative evidence examples.

Litigation Presentation & Exhibit Myths Debunked

Debunking the Myths of Litigation Exhibits & Presentations

I recently attended a legal conference in sunny Arizona where I discussed the services of our company – Med Art & Legal Graphics – with attorneys from across the country. It was good to see many old friends who have used our demonstrative evidence exhibits & trial presentations with much success. Still, I ran into a few who told me, “I don’t use that kind of stuff.”

Granted, not all cases require exhibits. However, I feel I should address some…um…myths (for lack of a better term) I have heard from attorneys regarding the use of “that kind of stuff.”

Below, I debunk the 5 most common myths. I will also provide hints to help you to clarify the facts & fortify your case through the use of demonstrative exhibits and litigation presentation tools…for all budgets.

MYTH 1: We don’t go to trial, so we don’t need big, splashy graphics.

Splashy graphics? Probably not. However, you still need to present your case in a concise & compelling manner. Fumbling around with boxes of documents and MRI films in a manila folder is a red flag to opposing counsel: You might as well go to Kinkos & buy a banner saying “I am sooo not ready to go to trial!”

We offer many options that communicate the facts of the case in mediation/settlement while sending the clear message, “We’re ready, bring it on!” Briefly, in order of expense…

o Illustration (or “board”): We can take stock art and make minimal modifications, or enhance xrays/MRI films, to present a clear picture of the injury(s) in your case at a very modest price.

o Interactive PDF Presentation: These incorporate all case facts – depo clips, accident scene photos, before/after pix, photos, enhanced films, EFM strips, comprehensive depiction of injuries – in easy-to-use file that you can email, burn to disc or simply pull up with no special software. The PDFs are so easyto work with, they make TrialDirector look like quantum physics! And they’re surprisingly affordable.

o Day-In-the-Life/Wrongful Death Video: We take photos, video footage, family interviews, depo clips, medical records and all other relevant information… and put it together into a well-scripted, compelling presentation for display via video screen or laptop. And the price would surprise you: The benefits far outweigh the cost.

Many other options exist that fall in between these there basic levels of communication in terms of simplicity and cost. Med Art & Legal Graphics provides free, no-obligation quotes to determine the appropriate medium given your case facts and budget.

MYTH 2: My case doesn’t warrant the expense.

Winning is the object, right? But if the jury (or settlement panel) can’t visualize the damages, why bother?

A picture’s worth a thousand words. The complexities of human anatomy escape most people – jurors & judges alike – unless they have a visual aid to guide them. A medically accurate drawing created by a Certified Medical Illustrator(CMI) and placed within the jury’s view throughout trial will have a dramatic impact… and generally for less than $1,000.

To see examples of exhibits depicting all types on anatomy, visit the “Gallery” section of our website – www.med-art.com.

MYTH 3: Graphic exhibits won’t be admissible.

When exhibits are prepared by Certified Medical Illustrators, then reviewed and approved by the treating physician or other expert to be true, fair and accurate, they are always accepted into evidence.

A skilled attorney will have her/his exhibits prepared by a professional – like Med Art & Legal Graphics -- who works with experts to get the necessary approval every step of the way. This applies equally to crime scene exhibits, accident orientation depictions and all other illustrative mediums.

For those of you DIY folks, take note of what Ed Josiah of GREYHAWK North America has to say in his treatise, “Demonstrative Evidence Evidentiary Issues & Laying a Proper Foundation:”

“When casually measured and hastily prepared diagrams are used to pinpoint specific placement of crucial evidence, or to verify eyewitness visibility, they step over the boundary of their original intent and may create a false picture of the evidence.”

Don’t risk exhibit inadmissibility: Contact the professionals at Med Art & Legal Graphics Company – 888-715-0784. Or, visit our website at www.med-art.com.

MYTH 4: People are tired of PowerPoint presentations (or… computer-generated exhibits are too slick for my audience).

No trial or settlement presentation should look too slick… or like a yellow-letters-on-blue-background cliché.

A good trial presentation incorporates exhibits and other case elements to reinforce key facts. Here's a few things an effective presentation might include: Before/after photos of the victim; crime/accident scene photos or schematic diagram; deposition clips; audio clips of 911 call; medical illustration or enhanced xray/MRI; 2D or 3D model to depict a single injury or an interactive 3D model to illustrate multiple injuries; and more.

If your presentation is merely a series of text slides with a clipart image or two thrown in, leave your laptop at home!

Professionals with more than 20 years of courtroom experience nationwide (like Med Art & Legal Graphics) KNOW what works. We know how to communicate key case facts clearly & concisely, without pyrotechnics or other distracting gizmometry…or the blandness of a high school English lecture. We create our exhibits and presentations for one reason: To make a complex issue clear to your audience.

MYTH 5: “I can do it myself.”

Armed with the latest litigation software, attorneys with complex cases might be tempted to go it alone…to disastrous effect. When opposing counsel throws you a curve ball, you need to be framing your next argument…not searching the database for the document you need to refute your opponent’s assertion.

o Dedicated Trial Consultants. Med Art & Legal Graphics has dedicated trial consultants who go to court with you. They know your case and are poised to pull up the necessary documents as scripted or on the fly. They take the guesswork out of complex litigation situations and allow you to do what you do best – present a winning case.

o Litigation Software Training. Our years of experience and understanding of litigation software packages – including TrialDirector, Sanction and others – enable us to provide attorneys, paralegals and assistants with the necessary training to effectively use these programs for trial prep and presentation.

o Presentation Preparation for Trial or Mediation. We create presentations to meet the specific needs of your case – whether for trial, mediation or settlement. Our new interactive PDF presentations are a great tool for combining a variety of exhibits & case elements into one easy-to-use file. To request an example, call us at 888-963-3278.

o Exhibits Creation. We provide all types of exhibits, from basic stock illustrations to complex 3D models. Worried abt cost? We provide consultation and no-obligation quotes free of charge.

Contact Med Art & Legal Graphics at 888-963-3278 for all your litigation presentation needs!

Myths of Litigation Exhibits & Presentations

MYTH 5: “I can do it myself.”

Armed with the latest litigation software, attorneys with complex cases might be tempted to go it alone…to disastrous effect. When opposing counsel throws you a curve ball, you need to be framing your next argument…not searching the database for the document you need to refute your opponent’s assertion.

o Dedicated Trial Consultants. Med Art & Legal Graphics has dedicated trial consultants who go to court with you. They know your case and are poised to pull up the necessary documents as scripted or on the fly. They take the guesswork out of complex litigation situations and allow you to do what you do best – present a winning case.

o Litigation Software Training. Our years of experience and understanding of litigation software packages – including TrialDirector, Sanction and others – enable us to provide attorneys, paralegals and assistants with the necessary training to effectively use these programs for trial prep and presentation.

o Presentation Preparation for Trial or Mediation. We create presentations to meet the specific needs of your case – whether for trial, mediation or settlement. Our new interactive PDF presentations are a great tool for combining a variety of exhibits & case elements into one easy-to-use file. To request an example, call us at 888-963-3278.

o Exhibits Creation. We provide all types of exhibits, from basic stock illustrations to complex 3D models. Worried abt cost? We provide consultation and no-obligation quotes free of charge.

Contact Med Art & Legal Graphics at 888-963-3278 for all your litigation presentation needs!

MYTH 4: People are tired of PowerPoint presentations (or… computer-generated exhibits are too slick for my audience).

No trial or settlement presentation should look too slick… or like a yellow-letters-on-blue-background cliché.

A good trial presentation incorporates exhibits and other case elements to reinforce key facts. Here's a few things an effective presentation might include: Before/after photos of the victim; crime/accident scene photos or schematic diagram; deposition clips; audio clips of 911 call; medical illustration or enhanced xray/MRI; 2D or 3D model to depict a single injury or an interactive 3D model to illustrate multiple injuries; and more.

If your presentation is merely a series of text slides with a clipart image or two thrown in, leave your laptop at home!

Professionals with more than 20 years of courtroom experience nationwide (like Med Art & Legal Graphics) KNOW what works. We know how to communicate key case facts clearly & concisely, without pyrotechnics or other distracting gizmometry…or the blandness of a high school English lecture. We create our exhibits and presentations for one reason: To make a complex issue clear to your audience.

Med Art & Legal Graphics professionals will review your case and recommend the best way of presenting the facts... free of charge! To learn more, contact us at 888-963-3278.

Don't Leave It to Chance: Hire a Pro for Exhibits

Debunking the Myths of Litigation Exhibits & Presentations

I recently attended a legal conference where I discussed the services of our company – Med Art & Legal Graphics – with attorneys from across the country. It was good to see many old friends who have used our demonstrative evidence exhibits & trial presentations with much success. Still, I ran into a fair number who said, “I don’t use that kind of stuff.”

Granted, not all cases require exhibits. However, I feel I should address some…um…myths (for lack of a better term) I have heard from attorneys regarding the use of “that kind of stuff.”

This is the third in a 5-part series of the most common myths regarding the use of demonstrative exhibits and litigation presentation tools.

MYTH 3: Graphic exhibits won’t be admissible.

When exhibits are prepared by Certified Medical Illustrators, then reviewed and approved by the treating physician or other expert to be true, fair and accurate, they are always accepted into evidence.

A skilled attorney will have her/his exhibits prepared by a professional – like Med Art & Legal Graphics -- who works with experts to get the necessary approval every step of the way. This applies equally to crime scene exhibits, accident orientation depictions and all other illustrative mediums.

For those of you DIY folks, take note of what Ed Josiah of GREYHAWK North America has to say in his treatise, “Demonstrative Evidence Evidentiary Issues & Laying a Proper Foundation:”

“When casually measured and hastily prepared diagrams are used to pinpoint specific placement of crucial evidence, or to verify eyewitness visibility, they step over the boundary of their original intent and may create a false picture of the evidence.”

Don’t risk exhibit inadmissibility: Contact the professionals at Med Art & Legal Graphics Company – 888-715-0784. Or, visit our website at www.med-art.com.

Note: For statutory guidelines, see Federal Rules of Evidence 901, 902, and 1001-1004.evidence.

Day 2: Trial Exhibits Don't Have to Cost an Arm & a Leg

Day 2: Exhibits That Don't Cost an Arm & a Leg

Debunking the Myths of Litigation Exhibits & Presentations

I recently attended a legal conference in sunny Arizona where I discussed the services of our company – Med Art & Legal Graphics – with attorneys from across the country. It was good to see many old friends who have used our demonstrative evidence exhibits & trial presentations with much success. Still, I ran into a few who told me, “I don’t use that kind of stuff.”

Granted, not all cases require exhibits. However, I feel I should address these misconceptions I have heard from attorneys regarding the use of “that kind of stuff.”

This week, I will debunk the 5 most common myths. I will also provide hints to help you to clarify the facts & fortify your case through the use of demonstrative exhibits and litigation presentation tools…for all budgets.

MYTH 2: My case doesn’t warrant the expense.

Winning is the object, right? But if the jury (or settlement panel) can’t visualize the damages, why bother?

A picture’s worth a thousand words. The complexities of human anatomy escape most people – jurors & judges alike – unless they have a visual aid to guide them. A medically accurate drawing created by a Certified Medical Illustrator (CMI) and placed within the jury’s view throughout trial will have a dramatic impact… and generally for less than $1,000.

To see examples of exhibits depicting all types on anatomy, visit the “Gallery” section of our website – www.med-art.com.

Litigation Myths Debunked

Debunking the Myths of Litigation Exhibits & Presentations

I recently attended a legal conference in sunny Arizona where I discussed the services of our company – Med Art & Legal Graphics – with attorneys from across the country. It was good to see many old friends who have used our demonstrative evidence exhibits & trial presentations with much success. Still, I ran into a few who told me, “I don’t use that kind of stuff.”

Granted, not all cases require exhibits. However, I feel I should address some…um…myths (for lack of a better term) I have heard from attorneys regarding the use of “that kind of stuff.”

Over the next 5 days, I will debunk the 5 most common myths. I will also provide hints to help you to clarify the facts & fortify your case through the use of demonstrative exhibits and litigation presentation tools…for all budgets.

MYTH 1: We don’t go to trial, so we don’t need big, splashy graphics.

Splashy graphics? Probably not. However, you still need to present your case in a concise & compelling manner. Fumbling around with boxes of documents and MRI films in a manila folder is a red flag to opposing counsel: You might as well go to Kinkos & buy a banner saying “I am sooo not ready to go to trial!”

We offer many options that communicate the facts of the case in mediation/settlement while sending the clear message, “We’re ready, bring it on!” Briefly, in order of expense…

o Illustration (or “board”): We can take stock art and make minimal modifications, or enhance xrays/MRI films, to present a clear picture of the injury(s) in your case at a very modest price.

o Interactive PDF Presentation: These incorporate all case facts – depo clips, accident scene photos, before/after pix, photos, enhanced films, EFM strips, comprehensive depiction of injuries – in easy-to-use file that you can email, burn to disc or simply pull up with no special software. The PDFs are so easy to work with, they make TrialDirector look like quantum physics! And they’re surprisingly affordable.

o Day-In-the-Life/Wrongful Death Video: We take photos, video footage, family interviews, depo clips, medical records and all other relevant information… and put it together into a well-scripted, compelling presentation for display via video screen or laptop. And the price would surprise you: The benefits far outweigh the cost.

Many other options exist that fall in between these there basic levels of communication in terms of simplicity and cost. Med Art & Legal Graphics provides free, no-obligation quotes to determine the appropriate medium given your case facts and budget.

To see an example of an Interactive PDF Presentation, email me at lauraquine@med-art.com.

Save BOLD Fonts for Words That Need to POP!

Do Not Use BOLD fonts for all of your text. Keep the bold font for one or two word/phrases. That way they will stick out (which is the point of the BOLD font).

What to do as a presentation designer? Design your slide without bold fonts initially, and only add bold as a last resort. Your first tool of emphasis should be to increase the size of the font/

• To highlight a single word, rather than inflating a whole sentence
• To give more contrast to text written over an image as a background
• To highlight a label in 10pt font or smaller in a complex diagram such as an IT system architecture

Remember ALL is NOTHING. For more tips on how to create award winning presentations please feel free to contact Med Art & Legal Graphics or give me a call at 888-963-3278.

Tips For Creating a Good PowerPoint Slide

Powerpoint gives us infinite ways to be creative and infinite ways to create ineffective presentations ... if we are not careful. Here at Med Art & Legal Graphics we have been creating Clean, Concise and Effective presentations for over 20 years. Here are a few tips to keep in mind: 

• Don’t copy & paste slides from different sources. 
• Keep the design very basic and simple. It shall not distract. 
• Pick an easy to read font face. 
• Carefully select font sizes for headers and text. 
• Leave room for highlights, such as images or take home messages. 
• Decorate scarcely but well. 
• Restrict the room your design takes up and don’t ever let the design restrict your message. 

For more examples of effective Powerpoint presentations and many other types of visual communications please feel free to go to Med Art's webpage. www.med-art.com

Buying a Projector ...Where do I START!!

OK ...you got your PowerPoint presentation fine-tuned and ready for court, but how are the jurors going to see it? You're going to need a LCD Projector. Here are a few tips to make the process easier to deal with.

Projectors come in all sizes and shapes. Suitable projectors range from $500 to $5,000 and beyond. Beware, at the lower end of the price scale image quality generally suffers. If purchasing here are some factors to consider.

• Weight
  Consider a lighter model if you have to carry it to court often. If you have cooperative staff this may not be a worry. What you often gain in portability you may lose in brightness.
  
• Brightness
  Units of brightness are measured in ANSI (American National Standard Institute) lumens. Generally, projectors run between 500 and 2000 lumens. The more lumens the brighter your presentation will be. Above 2000 lumens is considered high-performance and can get you into expensive territory. Don’t go below 1000 lumens
  
• Contrast
  The higher the contrast ratio, the greater the projector's ability to show subtle colour detail and operate in a well lit courtroom. This may become important when showing photographs. Look for contrast ratios over 500:1. A ratio over 1200:1 is considered high contrast giving you crisp, vibrant colours.
  
• Resolution
  This refers to the clarity of the picture produced by your projector and is usually quoted using two numbers, i.e. 800 x 600, where the first number is the number of pixels from side to side across the screen, and the second the number of pixels from top to bottom.
  
  A pixel (a distorted shortening of picture element) is the most basic unit of an image – the dot. The more pixels the better – the more pixels the higher the price.
  
  Resolution is also quoted in letters i.e. SVGA – Super Video Graphics Array or XGA – eXtended Graphic Array.
  
  The resolution of your projector will be no better than your computer’s resolution. Therefore it’s best if the projector resolution matches your laptop screen resolution, which for newer models is XGA or 1024 x 768 and up. Unless you have an old laptop consider a projector with XGA resolution, which will give you clearer images, especially for small photographic details.
  
• Fan Noise
  Older and less expensive projectors have fans that make a lot of noise which can interfere with the court recording system and worse: the tier of fact’s hearing. Get a projector that’s quiet – this may be more costly but worth it. It’ll avoid the court recorder having to tell you to move the projector to the far and inconvenient side of the court room.

taken from:

Best of ABA TECHSHOW®: The Trial Tech Toolkit

By Tim Piganelli and Nils Jensen

Converting Color PDF to Greyscale PDF (An Update)

Why would you want to convert Color PDF to a Black and White PDF? Well, let's say you have a 6 inch stack of records you need to send to the expert TODAY!! Your default is color on the scanner .... so, the file is unnecessarily huge. Med Art & Legal Graphics will help you make that file considerably smaller making it easier to email to your expert ...saving the day.

Converting Color PDFs to Grayscale or Black and White in Acrobat 9

It's rare to find color printers or copiers widely deployed in law firms. When color documents appear in discovery, firms don't always know what to do with them. Examples include PPT files, images scanned in full color, etc.

Acrobat files can contain color and non-color elements:

• RGB: Red, Green, Blue color
• CMYK: Cyan, Yellow, Magenta and Black
• Greyscale: Shades of gray ranging from 0 (white) to to 256 (black) in value
• Monochrome: Black and White

RGB or CMYK image-only PDFs, in particular, can be quite large. Converting these PDFs to grayscale or black can reduce the size of the file and speed printing.

Other times, litigation support departments will have to satisfy the odd attorney who prefers to read grayscale documents.

Whatever the reason, it is fairly easy to convert RGB or CMYK PDFs to Greyscale. It's a bit more difficult to convert to monochrome, but I've included a workaround for that, too.

You'll need Acrobat Pro to make this work for you . . .

Converting PDFs from Color to Grayscale

To convert an RGB PDF to Grayscale

1. Open a color PDF.
2. Choose Advanced—> Preflight
3. Twirl open the PDF Fixups area
   
   
4. In the Preflight window
   A) Choose the Convert to grayscale fixup
   B) Click the Analyze and Fix button
   
   
5. Acrobat will ask you to name the file and allow you to choose a location to save it.
   
   

Converting many Color PDFs to Grayscale using a Preflight Droplet

A preflight droplet is an intelligent icon you can drag and drop files to for conversion.

Follow these steps to create a Preflight droplet:

1. Choose Advanced—> Preflight
2. Twirl open the PDF Fixups area and select Convert to Grayscale
3. Locate the Options button:
   
   
4. Click on the Options button and choose Create New Preflight Droplet
   
   
5. The Droplet Setup window appears. You can adjust many options:
   
   
   A) Choose a folder where you wish to place converted PDFs
   B) Choose a folder for any PDFs which do not convert
   
   
   
   
   

   Note: There are many other options here for reporting.

   
   
   
   
6. Click the Save . . . button and save the droplet file to your desktop. It looks like this:
   
    
   
   

Using the Convert to Grayscale Preflight Droplet

To use the droplet, you need to drag and drop files onto it.

Select the files you wish to convert and drag them on top of the preflight droplet:

Note: Preflight droplets cannot process folders. You can use Batch Processing to convert entire folders (and subfolders) to grayscale. Choose Advanced—> Document Processing—> Batch Processing . . . One of the Batch commands available is Preflight.

Converting to Monochrome

Unfortunately, Acrobat cannot convert documents to monochrome directly. The workaround is to convert to monochrome TIFF and then re-convert to Acrobat.

This process works well for image-only color PDFs. PDF Normal documents— containing vector fonts and text— will no longer be searchable unless OCR is performed after conversion.

To convert a PDF to Monochrome TIFF

1. Choose File—> Export—> Image —> TIFF
2. Click the Settings button
3. Set as below:
   
   

Acrobat will convert each page to an individual TIFF file numbered sequentially:

To recombine the files:

1. Click the Combine button in the Acrobat toolbar and chooseMerge Files into a single PDF . . .
   
   
2. The Combine Files window opens. Click the Add Files . . .button at the top of the window.
   
   
3. Locate the file or folder of files you wish to combine.
4. Click the Combine files button.

Originally posted by Rick Borstein on Acrobat for Legal Professionals. http://blogs.adobe.com/acrolaw/2009/10/converting_color_pdf_to_greyscal.html

If You Want Someone To Read It ...Give Visual Incentives!

Long gone is the day of boring black and white text booklets of endless facts. If you really want someone to read what you have so patiently prepared, give them something that will visually stimulate them ...draw them into your information. At Med Art & Legal Graphics this is our specialty, we will take your information and make it clear, concise, and visually interesting. 

Be as visual as possible.
written by: Joe Kashi  (attorney and litigator)

Don’t be sparing in your use of digital photography and video clips within pleadings, particularly summary judgment motions. We are now definitely living in a highly visual age. Grey text and long-winded testimony isn’t as effective as a few striking photos or drop-dead deposition video clips.

At this point, if a deposition is worth taking, it is worth taking as a videotaped deposition. The cost differential isn’t that high and a videotaped deposition, once it is digitized and the transcript text synchronized, is far more useful in pleadings and in court. If you need telling deposition testimony to make a point in a pleading, in opening or closing, in cross-examination or to present as direct testimony, it is far more powerful and far more useful as a video clip than as dry text. Over the past five or six years, I have almost always rued taking a text-only deposition - almost inevitably, something was said that would have been much more useful as video.

As a secondary aspect, consider altering your deposition style so that you will have more short “sound bites” that might make useful video clips at trial. I prefer short video clips on the order of 30 seconds to not more than two minutes.

Combine all related pleadings into a single sequential file. For example, if you are dealing with a summary judgment motion, then rather than storing all of the documents separately, which become more time-consuming and harder to finder, make a single summary judgment file, starting with the Motion, then appending the memo, affidavits, exhibits, and other supporting documents. When any opposition, Rule 56f motion, reply, orders, etc are filed, then append these documents as well, in consecutive order. At the conclusion, you will have a complete history of the entire motion in one file and in consecutive order.

The original copy of certain types of documents, particularly photographic and video files, should be stored unaltered and in their original format both for later ease of use in case you need to print clean copies without photographic compression distortions and also in case you need to authenticate the photographs. It’s handy to embed working copies of these sorts of files into Acrobat documents but you must save the originals in their original format as well. I didn’t do so in one case and that omission caused me a lot of grief.

For more on Adobe's Typewriter Tool, view Adobe Tips.

Scan in discovery that the other side sends to you and then use Acrobat 7's typewriter tool to fill in the responses directly into the blanks under each discovery item. When I first showed this feature to my secretary, she found this feature to be a real time saver.

For heaven’s sake, remember that your electronic files are now your entire office.

Do a complete backup every night and take it off premises.

About the Author

Joe Kashi is an attorney and litigator living in Soldotna, Alaska, who is active in the Law Practice Management Section and a technology editor for Law Practice Today. He has written regularly on legal technology for the Law Practice Management Section, Law Office Computing magazine and other publications since 1990. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from MIT in 1973 and his J.D. from Georgetown University in 1976, and is admitted to practice in Alaska, Pennsylvania, the Ninth Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Create a new Document which Summarizes Redactions (in Acrobat 9.0)

If you were headed to meeting with the other side, and you expected some challenges to your privileged and redacted documents, you might want to create a summarized version of your redacted documents to take with you.

This process creates a new, consolidated PDF. Redaction annotations are displayed as call-outs on the document:

To create a summarized document:

1. Open the document containing your redaction marks.
   (You need to run this step before you apply redactions.)
2. Choose Comments—> Summarize Comments
3. The Summarize Options window will appear. I suggest choosing the second option:
   
   
4. Click the Create PDF Comment Summary button.

Setting a Preference to automatically copy selected text into the Redaction Comment

One of the best aspects of how redaction works in Acrobat is that each redaction mark is a standard Acrobat comment. When you double-click on a redaction mark, a sticky note will pop into which you can add your own text:

In the sticky note you might add some information about why you are redacting the information, or even include the text that is to be redacted. Later, when the other side disputes privilege, you can refer to these notes.

Sometimes, it is simply helpful to copy the text you are going to redact into the note itself. That way, you'll know what you redacted when you summarize the document (the last tip!).

Here's how:

1. Choose Edit—> Preferences (Windows) or Acrobat—> Preferences (Mac)
2. Select the Commenting category from the list on the left:
   
   
3. Enable the check box labeled "Copy Selected Text into Highlight, Crossout, and Underline comment pop-ups
4. Click OK

When you select text using the Mark for Redaction tool, the text will automatically be copied into the sticky note:


taken from:
http://blogs.adobe.com/acrolaw/2009/07/redaction_tips_and_techniques_fo.html