S.C. E-Filing Attorney Guide: ARG-03-Preparing Your Document for E-Filing

ARG-03: Preparing Your Document for E-Filing

Attorney Reference Guide

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Reference Guide Contents:

❖ Searchable PDF Documents................................ ................................ ........................... 1

❖ Converting Documents to PDF................................ ................................ ........................ 2

❖ Search a Text-Based PDF................................ ................................ ............................... 7

Searchable PDF Documents

All pleadings or other documents bearing the signature of the filer should be submitted in searchable

PDF format. It is important to know that not all PDFs are searchable.

➢ Searchable PDF documents have been converted in a word processing program to a PDF

format. These are called text-based PDFs.

➢ Non-searchable PDF documents are documents that have been scanned. These are called

image-based PDFs.

Note

The size of an image-based PDF is much larger than a text-based PDF. Text-based PDFs use less storage space and load much faster than image-based

PDFs. In E-Filing, each submitted document cannot be larger than 8 megabytes.

The entire submission cannot be larger than 40 megabytes. See the Attorney

Reference Guide entitled Large Documents and Additional Parts for more

information.

The court recognizes that imaging may be necessary. Documents such as contracts, exhibits, maps, or

plats that are not available in electronic format may be scanned as image-based PDFs.

When it is necessary to scan to PDF, the court recommends scanning documents in black and white

with a resolution of 300 dots per inch. Avoid scanning in color or grey scale unless color is required to

maintain the integrity of the document or the evidence.

ARG-03: Preparing Your Document for E-Filing

Attorney Reference Guide

Converting Documents to PDF

Converting your documents to a PDF format depends on the word processing program, such as Word

or WordPerfect. The following steps explain how to convert a Microsoft® Word file to an Adobe® PDF.

1. With the document open, click the File tab.

2. The Menu window opens. Click Save As.

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ARG-03: Preparing Your Document for E-Filing

Attorney Reference Guide

The Save As window opens. If the default is set to the location where you want to save your

document, continue with steps 3 through 5.

If the default location is not set to where you want to save your document, proceed to step 6.

3. Click the dropdown arrow to open a list of options.

4. Select PDF (*.pdf) from the dropdown list of file types.

5. Click Save.

6. Click Browse to select the Save location for your document.

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ARG-03: Preparing Your Document for E-Filing

Attorney Reference Guide

7. Verify the File name and change if necessary.

8. Click the dropdown arrow to display the list of file types.

9. Select PDF from the dropdown list.

10. Click Save.

The document will open in a PDF reader, such as Adobe Reader.

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ARG-03: Preparing Your Document for E-Filing

Attorney Reference Guide

Example of a PDF File

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ARG-03: Preparing Your Document for E-Filing

Attorney Reference Guide

Search a Text-Based PDF

1. With the PDF file open in a PDF reader, click the Search icon or use the keyboard shortcut

CTRL-F.

2. The Search field will open. Enter the Search word or phrase you want to find in the document.

If there is text in your document that matches your search, the match(es) will be highlighted in

the document. The number of matches will be displayed beside the Search field with arrows

that will allow you to navigate to Next and Previous matches.

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