A legal production set has to be organized, traceable, and clean of privileged material before it leaves your hands. That means the exhibits need a fixed order, every page needs a unique identifier so it can be cited precisely, protected content must be genuinely removed rather than hidden, and the delivery itself has to be controlled. Doing this by hand across a folder of loose files invites mistakes, and a mistake in a production set is expensive. This workflow uses four browser-based tools to build the packet step by step, entirely on your own machine with no upload and no account, so sensitive material never leaves your control while you work.

Assemble the exhibits with Merge

Start in Merge and add each exhibit file in the exact sequence you want it produced. Drag the documents into order so the cover materials come first and supporting exhibits follow in a logical arrangement. Merging into a single continuous PDF now gives you one set to number, stamp, and review, rather than a folder of loose files that can be reordered or lost. Take a moment to confirm every intended exhibit is present before you combine them.

Confirm the page order before numbering

Scroll the merged file from beginning to end and verify the sequence is correct. It is far easier to reorder pages now than after every one of them carries a sequential identifier that others will rely on. Check that no exhibit is duplicated, that nothing is upside down, and that page breaks fall where you expect between documents. This review is the last cheap chance to fix the structure.

Apply sequential ids with Bates Numbering

Open Bates Numbering and set a prefix along with a starting number and zero padding, for example a matter code followed by a six-digit count. The tool stamps a unique, sequential identifier on every page across the whole packet, so no two pages share an id. This gives opposing counsel and the court a precise way to cite any single page, and it gives you a stable reference for your own records. Decide on the numbering format before you start so it matches any earlier productions in the same matter.

Remove privileged material and PII with Redact

Go through the stamped set in Redact and cover anything privileged or personally identifying, such as social security numbers, medical details, financial account numbers, or attorney work product. Redact flattens those pages to images so the underlying text is destroyed, not simply masked. Keep the Bates numbers visible while you work so you can log exactly which numbered pages were redacted. Move methodically, because a single missed passage can waive a privilege you meant to protect.

Lock the file with Protect

Run the finished packet through Protect and set a password before you produce it. Deliver that password separately from the file itself, so access stays with the intended recipient rather than anyone who happens to receive the email. This adds a layer of control over a set that may still contain sensitive, even if redacted, material. It is a simple step that signals you treated the production with care.

Keep a clean production log

Save the final protected PDF and record its full Bates range in your production log, noting which numbers correspond to redacted pages and the basis for each redaction. Store your pre-redaction original in a separate, secure location in case you need to demonstrate what was withheld. A careful log lets you answer questions about the set months later without reconstructing your work from memory.

Verify the packet before you send

Do one final pass on the protected file: confirm the Bates numbers run unbroken, that every redaction held, and that the password opens the document as expected. Open it in a plain PDF viewer to see it the way the recipient will. Catching a gap now is far better than issuing a correction after the set is in someone else's hands.

By merging first, then numbering, then redacting, and finally protecting, you build a packet where every page is traceable, nothing privileged survives, and delivery is controlled. Each step depends on the one before it, which is why the order matters. Run the same routine for each production and your sets stay consistent, defensible, and easy to reference from one matter to the next.