Supported File Types

Files whose pages can be stamped

• PDF (.pdf): the document’s pages are stamped.
• Images (.jpg, .jpeg, .png, .gif, .webp, .bmp, .tif, .tiff): images are converted to PDF pages for stamping. Check the converted pages before continuing.
• Message exports (.rsmf): an RSMF chat or text-message export opens a message intake panel; each conversation you choose becomes a dated, searchable transcript PDF. See Preparing text-message exhibits.

Files that create a placeholder page

Word (.docx), Excel (.xlsx), PowerPoint (.pptx), and supported audio and video files create a labeled cover page. Their actual contents are not converted or included as stamped pages.

To stamp an Office document’s contents:

1. Open it in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or another application that reads it.
2. Export or save it as a PDF.
3. Open the PDF and check every page, especially spreadsheet print areas and page breaks.
4. Add that PDF to ExhibitPrep. If you already added a placeholder, use Replace beside that document; in compact lists, open Actions first.

Keep the original Office, image, audio, or video files separately. A saved ExhibitPrep project preserves the PDFs used for stamping, which may be converted pages or placeholders.

Review source-document findings

After adding PDFs, open any findings under Check your source documents. Originals are unchanged. The page numbers refer to source pages, before a contents page or other exhibits are added.

Can't be exported as uploaded. Some PDFs cannot be stamped and exported as they are: a PDF with files attached inside it, a digital signature or a signature field (even an empty one), built-in scripts or actions, a dynamic (XFA) form, a PDF portfolio, or embedded media. ExhibitPrep names the document and the reason once it has checked the file, marks its row, and the export button says so until you Replace or Remove it. Printing the PDF to a new PDF (Microsoft Print to PDF on Windows, or Save as PDF in the print dialog on a Mac) usually removes these; the new copy loses bookmarks and links and may lose searchable text, and it is checked again when you add it. Save any attachment you need from your PDF reader's Attachments panel and add it as its own exhibit. For a signed PDF, keep the signed original and decide whether an unsigned copy is acceptable for the filing. Flatten PDFs does not clear any of these.

The items below do not stop an export; they are worth a look.

• Form fields: complete the form and check the values in the prepared PDF. Flatten PDFs fixes form fields into page content; it is not redaction or an editing lock.
• Comments or annotations: review the listed pages and decide which marks belong in the exhibit. Check their appearance in the finished copy.
• Attached files are referenced: the PDF refers to attached files whose contents are not inside it. Add any referenced document you need as its own exhibit.
• Pages without a readable text layer: these may be scans, images or blank pages. If search is required, run OCR in another PDF tool, check it for errors, and replace the source in ExhibitPrep. Stamping does not perform OCR.
• Unusual page sizes or orientations: inspect stamp placement on the listed pages at actual size.

Text checks sample up to the first 40 pages per PDF. Check the rest in your PDF reader. If a check cannot finish, follow the message’s manual-review steps. A clear result does not validate redactions, authenticity or court compliance. Browser checks run locally; incomplete checks do not mean the document is safe to file.

Size limits

The stamping workspace allows up to 50 MB per source file, 100 MB for the set, 100 documents, and 500 pages. A device can run out of memory before these limits. See large-file help if processing stops or the set is too large.

Images from 20 to 50 megapixels are reduced to 20 megapixels before placement. Images larger than 50 megapixels must be resized first. Multi-page TIFFs may contain up to 100 pages, subject to the other limits.

If a file will not open

1. Read the message beside the affected file. Successfully added documents can remain in your set while you fix that file.
2. Open the original in its usual application to confirm it is readable. Export a fresh PDF if needed; changing the filename extension does not convert a file.
3. For HEIC/HEIF, AVIF, SVG, or camera RAW images, export to JPEG, PNG, or PDF before adding them. These formats are not accepted directly.
4. If a PDF needs an opening password, enter it when prompted. For further help, see protected PDFs.

After adding or replacing a file, check its page count and preview. Make sure actual content appears where you expect it, rather than only a placeholder. Keep the workspace open if a problem remains, and use the issue-report option below without attaching confidential documents.