Haw. Civil JEFS Guidance: JEFS Working with PDFs

JEFS Efiling

Working with PDF Files

JEFS Efiling accepts Portable Document Format (PDF) documents up to 10 megabyes (MB). A PDF which

exceeds this limit can be split into smaller files for submission. The information below is meant to be an

introduction to the topic of working with PDFs. JEFS users are encouraged to consult the user manual

for their computer equipment, such as scanners, or the manufacturer's helpdesk for assistance in using

equipment and document preparation software.

1. How do I create a PDF?

a. Converting to PDF

i. Word processing applications such as Word and WordPerfect, as well as

spreadsheet applications such as Excel, can “print” to PDF when you select Adobe

PDF as your “Printer.” Some versions of these programs also have built-in “convert

to PDF” or “save as PDF” functions.

b. Scanning to PDF

i. Only documents that exist as paper-only must be scanned to create a PDF. All other

documents can, and should, be electronically converted from the original electronic

file to PDF. If your document exists anywhere electronically (Word, WordPerfect,

Excel, website, digital photo, etc.), better results are likely by converting your

document to a PDF rather than printing the document and scanning it.

2. How many pages is 10 MB?

a. For PDFs created through scanning, it depends on your scanner and the resolution at which

you scan your documents. Please consult your scanner’s documentation or manufacturer’s

website or helpdesk for assistance in using your scanner.

b. For PDFs created through conversion, a double-spaced page with 2,000 characters on it will

take up 2 kilobytes. That means it will take about 500 pages of text to equal 1 MB. A single-spaced page with 4,000 characters on it will take about 250 pages of text to equal 1 MB.

3. Is PDF/a format required?

a. PDF/a is a specific PDF format used for archiving. It is not required at this time.

4. How can I tell how big my PDF file is?

a. In your File Manager, right click on the PDF file and select Properties to view file size. Or,

open your file in Adobe Acrobat Reader. Look at the document summary to view the file

size. Type CTRL-d or click File > Document Properties > Summary to open the Summary

dialog box.

5. What if my file is too big?

a. Verify that you have not scanned your documents in “high resolution” or “photo quality.”

Many scanners come from the factory set at the highest quality mode, but this creates very

large file sizes in relation to the number of pages.

b. Separate your files to keep the size down. The court allows you to efile your documents in

sections as long as each file is under 10 MB. We suggest you divide documents in logical

places such as between chapters or sections, if possible. If you need to split the PDF

because it is over 10 MB, you may choose to label the parts as in this example:

i. Exhibit A, Part 1 of 3

ii. Exhibit A, Part 2 of 3

iii. Exhibit A, Part 3 of 3

6. How do I split my file using Adobe Acrobat Pro?

a. Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro. Select Tools and expand the Pages panel by clicking

the down arrow.

b. Select Split Document from the available options.

c. Select the File size radio button and enter 10 MB in the Max MB field.

d. Select the Output Options button.

i. Note: If you wish to split more than one PDF at a time, select Apply to Multiple.

You will select all of the documents you wish to split and then be prompted to

proceed through the following steps.

e. In the Target Folder section, choose where to save the newly split documents on your

computer:

i. The Same Folder Selected at Start – To save the files in the same location as the

original document

ii. A Folder on My Computer – To specify a different location

f. In the File Labeling section, select how to name your new files:

i. Add label and number before original name – To add a prefix before the original file

name.

ii. Add label and number after original name – To add a suffix after the original file

name.

g. In the File Labeling section:

i. Select Use label check box and enter the label you wish to add as a prefix or suffix to

the new file names (e.g., Part)

ii. Select Use separator between original name and label checkbox and enter the

separator you wish to use to combine the new label and original file name (e.g.,

select _ to display file name as Summons and Complaint_Part 1.pdf).

iii. Select Do not overwrite existing files checkbox to keep a copy of the original.

iv. Select OK.

7. Optimizing a PDF

a. To optimize a PDF means to shrink the size of the file.

b. Audit the space usage of a PDF (Acrobat Pro) to get the total number of bytes used for your

specific document elements, including fonts, images, bookmarks, forms, named destinations

and comments, as well as the total file size.

i. Choose File > Save As Other > Optimized PDF. The PDF Optimizer dialog box opens.

ii. Click the Audit Space Usage button at the top right of the dialog box.

c. Open the PDF Optimizer dialog box (File > Save As Other > Optimized PDF).

d. To use the default settings, choose Standard from the Settings menu, then click OK. If you

change any settings, the Settings menu automatically switches to Custom.

e. From Make Compatible With menu, chose Retain Existing to keep the current PDF version,

or choose an Acrobat version.

f. Select the check box in the left column to display panel details (e.g., Images) and then select

options in that panel. To prevent all of the options in the panel from executing during

optimization, deselect the check box for that panel.

i. For more information on panels, see Optimizing PDFs:

https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/using/optimizing-pdfs-acrobat-pro.html

g. Optional: Click Save to save your customized settings and name the settings.

h. Click OK when you are finished.

i. In the Save Optimized As dialog box, click Save to overwrite the original PDF with the

optimized PDF, or select a new name or location.

8. How do I remove security on a PDF which is password protected?

a. Password protected PDFs cannot be uploaded in JEFS. To remove the password protection:

i. If you have Adobe Acrobat Pro:

1. Open the document using the password.

2. Click View, Tools and Protection.

3. Click on Remove Security

4. Save the document.

ii. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Pro:

1. Use Chrome and enter the password to open your secured PDF.

2. Print the PDF to Adobe PDF from Chrome to remove the password.

3. Upload the PDF document that was created via Chrome.

9. Where can I go for more information?

a. Please consult your scanner's manual or the manufacturer's website or helpdesk for

assistance in using your scanner. The JIMS team cannot provide technical assistance with

computer equipment, such as scanners, or document preparation software.

b. There are many resources available online with instructions on how to create a PDF, convert

an electronic document to PDF, split a PDF into small parts, etc. JEFS users can reference

these resouces for more detailed instructions, such as:

i. How to Convert MS Word to PDF:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzmjkLOYtDE

ii. How to Convert Excel to PDF: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrrKSmSJsg4

iii. How to Split a PDF: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzak16XRuAY

iv. Optimizing PDFs: https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/using/optimizing-pdfs-acrobat-pro.html