Output PDF Export Style

PDF Export Style

PDF is the final delivery format for the vast majority of legal documents — client advice letters, executed contracts, court filings, regulatory submissions, and internal policies. A poorly rendered PDF is professionally damaging: missing fonts, split clauses, invisible signatures, and failed court-filing validations are all real risks. This skill governs how Claude directs the PDF generation pipeline and what quality checks must pass before a PDF is treated as final.

When to use this

Activate whenever:

• A document generated by Claude must be exported as a PDF deliverable
• A user uploads or references a PDF and asks about rendering or re-generation
• A court filing, regulatory submission, or signed-contract PDF is being prepared
• Security controls (watermarking, passwords, copy restrictions) are requested

Generation path

The recommended conversion pipeline depends on available tools:

Critical: Always test-render before treating the PDF as final. Auto-formatting issues — clauses split across pages, signature blocks detached from their lead-in text, missing fonts — are common and require manual adjustment.

Style requirements

Typography

• Embed all fonts in the PDF. Do not rely on system fonts being present on the reader's device.
• Standard legal fonts: Times New Roman 12pt (body), Arial 11pt (body), Calibri 11pt (body). All are safe for PDF embedding.
• Line spacing: 1.5 for most legal documents; double-spaced for US court submissions unless the court specifies otherwise.
• Margins: 2.5 cm (1 inch) on all sides as a minimum for court documents; adjust for letterhead templates.

Pagination

• Page numbers: bottom centre or bottom right, format Page X of Y.
• Keep headers/footers consistent: document title or matter reference on the header; page number on the footer.
• Control page breaks: prevent clauses from splitting mid-sentence; keep signature blocks on the same page as their lead-in.
• For multi-part documents with schedules, consider continuous page numbering or reset per schedule depending on firm convention.

Metadata

Embed the following PDF metadata (visible in File > Properties):

• Title: the document title
• Author: the firm or in-house legal team name (not the AI tool)
• Subject: matter reference or subject line
• Keywords: practice area, jurisdiction, document type

Hyperlinks

Preserve internal and external hyperlinks:

• Cross-references within the document (e.g., "as set forth in Section 4.2") should hyperlink to the target section
• Statute references may hyperlink to the official legislative database (UAE MoJ, Najiz, etc.)
• Note: some courts strip or reject hyperlinked PDFs — disable hyperlinks for court filings if the court's rules so require.

Security options

Apply based on the document's sensitivity level:

Note: PDF password protection is not a substitute for proper document management and access controls. It adds friction, not genuine security.

Digital signatures

For documents requiring valid electronic signatures:

• Use PDF signature fields compliant with the applicable e-signature law (UAE Federal Law on Electronic Transactions and Trust Services; KSA Electronic Transactions Law; EU eIDAS Regulation for EU-governed contracts).
• A qualified electronic signature (QES) under eIDAS provides the highest legal weight for EU and UK documents.
• For notarised MENA documents: some jurisdictions (e.g., UAE Tawtheeq, KSA Tawthiq) require in-person notarisation or certified electronic notarisation — a digitally signed PDF alone may not suffice.

Accessibility

Legal AI outputs may be reviewed on assistive technology. Minimum standards:

• Tag headings (H1, H2, H3) in the PDF tag tree for screen-reader navigation
• Provide alt text for any diagrams, charts, or images embedded in the document
• Ensure reading order in the tag tree matches the visual reading order
• Do not use scanned-image PDFs for searchable content — OCR or generate from source

Confidentiality watermark

For drafts and non-final documents:

• Apply a diagonal, semi-transparent watermark: DRAFT — CONFIDENTIAL — NOT FOR CIRCULATION
• Remove the watermark before sending a final executed version
• For privileged documents: PRIVILEGED & CONFIDENTIAL — ATTORNEY-CLIENT COMMUNICATION
• Position: diagonal, centre of page, ~30% opacity, grey or light-red

Bates numbering

For litigation document production:

• Apply sequential Bates numbers: [PartyPrefix]-[7-digit sequential number] e.g., ACME-0000001
• Position: bottom right corner
• Apply consistently across all documents in a production set
• Maintain a Bates log correlating numbers to original document references

Court-filing-grade PDF (PDF/A)

When filing with a court or regulatory authority that requires archival format:

• Format: PDF/A-1b or PDF/A-2b (ISO 19005) — embeds all fonts, prohibits external content references, ensures long-term readability
• No encryption: PDF/A prohibits password protection
• No hyperlinks to external URLs: strip external hyperlinks
• No audio/video embedded content
• Specific court rules: courts in DIFC, ADGM, and various UAE mainland courts have specific filing requirements (page size, font, margin, line spacing) — always verify the court's Practice Direction before filing
• Validation: validate the PDF/A compliance with a tool such as Adobe Acrobat preflight or VeraPDF before filing
• Checklist before filing:
  • PDF/A compliance validated
  • All fonts embedded
  • No external hyperlinks
  • Page numbering correct
  • Signature pages complete
  • File size within court's limit (if any)
  • File named per court's naming convention

Common rendering failures

Related skills

• [[output-markdown-legal-doc]]
• [[output-partner-memo-style]]
• [[output-source-attribution-block]]
• [[output-inline-citations-with-pinpoints]]