This article describes recommended best practices for configuring and managing production workflows in Reveal. Following these guidelines helps ensure consistent results, reduces rework, and supports efficient troubleshooting in downstream production and export activities.
Work Folder Organization
Proper work folder organization is critical for reliable production sourcing and long-term traceability. While multiple folders can be selected, it is best practice to keep all producible documents within a single, clearly structured folder, such as a primary “PRODUCTIONS” folder with subfolders organized by producing party and production volume.
Producing as Native with Slipsheet
Using File Type selection alone to identify native documents is not recommended. File Type selection pulls from the Extension field. If this field is not populated and should be slipsheeted, it will not be selected due to missing this value. Additionally, if a document has an incorrect extension—due to improper field mapping or an altered file name extension—it may be excluded or selected inaccurately. Alternatively, use one of the following options
Saved Searches – Create a saved search that identifies all documents to be slip-sheeted and produced as native. Common fields to filter by include Application Name, Extension, and Exported File Extension (which reflects the extension pulled from processing based on document properties)
Tags – Apply a tag to all documents that should be produced as Natives
Work Folders – Run a search and add documents that should be produced as native files to a dedicated work folder
Note
If you use different “Produce as Native” folders for each production, this folder may need to be updated for each production job.
The methods above may return documents beyond the current production scope. Reveal will only identify and slip-sheet documents that are included in the selected production source.
Field Profiles
Create a Production Field Profile with fields that will either be stamped on a document, sorting, part of the load file, or part of Production quality control process. This profile should include:
Ensure prior to creating a Production Job the field profile and fields are visible in your Grid.
Production Export field selection for the load file is referenced based on field profiles.
Ensure the appropriate Teams have access to the profile. If the profile is not visible to a user, they must be added to a Team with access.
Database Updates
Image Sets
Create one Image Set per party production, not per production job. When creating a reproduction from a subset of produced documents, Reveal uses the Image Set for previous numbering.
Only one Image Set can be selected during reproduction. If the subset includes documents coming from different production jobs, Reveal will only recognize the previous numbers for documents with images in the selected Image Set. All other documents will be assigned generic numbers.
Reveal supports multiple Image Sets, but best practice is to create a unique Image Set per party, named using the production prefix or party name.
Bates Fields
Reveal provides Bates fields; however, if a document is produced more than once with different bates numbers, the Bates field will be overwritten with the last update. It will not append additional bates numbers to the fields. To preserve multiple Bates values, create custom number fields to update with secondary bates number.
Naming Convention
Use consistent naming conventions across work folders, production jobs, exports, and database updates to maintain clarity and assist with tracking and associating for future purposes.
Preprocessing vs. Full Processing
Preprocessing
Preprocessing allows users to remediate issues before finalizing the production, add additional documents if needed, change production settings, and remediate issues.
Preprocessing can be run for new documents, documents with errors, or both. A successful preprocessing run is indicated by a green checkmark.
Full Processing
Full Processing finalizes the production imaging, stamping, and slipsheets. Once full processing is complete, production settings can no longer be modified.
If documents encounter imaging errors during full processing and no remediation is performed, they are slipsheeting with the exception slipsheet (typically the last slipsheet condition and Reveal’s system slipsheet condition). Although a completed production job can technically be restarted, best practice is to delete the job to avoid any issues and create a new one.
Note
Users can open the previous production job and select Save as New to retain existing settings.
Production Imaging Order
Reveal processes documents in the following order:
Privileged - for slipsheets (ensure this is always the first slipsheet condition, if applicable)
Redacted documents
All other user-defined slipsheet conditions
Remaining documents for Imaging (not part of slipsheet condition)
Documents that error during imaging and receive a Failed to Generate slipsheet
Production Export
Production export behavior depends on selected output options and document conditions.
OCR
Privileged and redacted documents are re-OCRed to be included in the production export when:
Text output is selected, or
Searchable PDFs are generated
Privileged and Redacted items in Load file metadata
If certain fields require redacted and/or privileged information fully removed, Reveal provides an option to remove selected field values. This removes the need for manual post-production work.
Append value to file Bates name
Reveal supports appending field values to Bates filenames for:
Native files
Text files
Image files
Note
This applies to fields only, not tags. If a tag value must be appended, populate a custom updateable field using a bulk update workflow prior to export.
For example, if you need to append the value “Confidential”, you must use a custom field rather than a tag. Create an updateable custom field and add it to your field profile. Then, run a search for documents with the Confidential tag and bulk update the value to the updateable custom field.
Templates
Templates are available for Slipsheet and Imaging settings. Templates are not available for production jobs or production exports.
To reuse production settings, open a previous Production job or Production export, make desired updates, and select Save as New.
PDF Viewer and Spreadsheet View
Viewer selection is critical for consistent redaction behavior. Redactions applied in one viewer do not carry over to other viewers.
Production Job – Imaging: Existing vs. PDF
The Existing imaging option uses the legacy Image Viewer, while the PDF imaging option uses the Native View (PDF) Viewer.Production Job – PDF + Spreadsheets
This option supports redactions applied in both viewers:Native View (PDF) redactions for document images
Spreadsheet View redactions for native spreadsheet files (Blackout)
Users should apply a workflow to only use one of the viewers for redactions, preferably the Native View (PDF) viewer and Spreadsheet View (if applicable).
Image View redactions will be migrated when Reveal fully moves to PDF Viewer.
It is highly recommended to use the PDF View for new projects. The legacy Image View will be removed (date TBD), and the Native View (PDF) viewer is the recommended viewer.
Spreadsheet Redactions (Blackout) for Production is only supported in combination with the Native View (PDF), not the Image View.