What a condensed transcript is, and what happens to it
A condensed transcript prints several pages of the full-size transcript on each sheet of the PDF, often four, in small type, so that a long deposition fits on a few sheets. The page and line numbers of the original pages are kept in the print. The result of this conversion is one transcript page at a time, each running from line 1 to the last line, in the order of the original page numbers.
The condensed sample in the workbench is two sheets with four small pages each. Page 63 is missing a line and page 64 is printed twice. Both faults were put there on purpose to show what the checks do.
How it works
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Convert the condensed PDF
The workbench above opens on the condensed sample so you can see the result first. Press Choose transcript PDF to use your own file.
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Read the layout line in Checks
Checks says how many transcript pages were found and how many PDF pages they came from. If that does not match the file you uploaded, stop and look at the PDF before going further.
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Look at every flagged page
A short page, a repeated page and a page number that had to be inferred are each marked in the page view and listed in Checks. In small type these are the pages most worth reading against the PDF.
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Cite from the original numbering
Every line carries the page and line of the original transcript, not the sheet it was printed on. Click two line numbers or type a range in the Cite tab.
What it flags, on the sample
The layout line from the Checks tab:
Layout looks condensed: 5 transcript pages on 2 PDF pages.
The two items it asked a person to review:
- Page 64 appears 2 times with identical text. The extra copy was dropped.
- Page 63 has 24 of 25 lines (line 17 not extracted).
Page 63 as written, with line 17 held by its placeholder:
63:15 carriers and the paperwork had to be
63:16 tracked down.
63:17 [line not extracted]
63:18 you get to a stopping point.The page headings of the result. Page 64 appears once, because the identical second copy was dropped:
## Page 61
## Page 62
## Page 63
## Page 64
## Page 65Why small type needs care
The numbering checks look for gaps and repeats. They are good at that and cannot do more. A word, a date, a dollar figure or a name misread in small type will not break the page and line sequence, so nothing is flagged.
If you will quote a number, a date or a name from a condensed transcript, read that line in the PDF. If you can get the full-size PDF from the reporter, convert that one instead and use the condensed copy for browsing.
Compared with the other routes
| Aspect | Copy from the PDF by hand | Generic PDF-to-text | DepoScript |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading order | You find page 63 among the four on the sheet and read across by eye. | Text from the pages on a sheet can come out interleaved, or in the order the PDF draws it. | Split into pages where the line numbers restart at 1, then ordered by the page number printed on each small page. |
| Page numbers | Read off each small page. | Often lost or left in the text. | Read from each small page. A number that is missing is worked out from its neighbours and marked as inferred. |
| A line that is missing | Easy to overlook at this size. | Not noticed. | Held as [line not extracted] so later lines keep their numbers, and the page is flagged as short. |
| A page that appears twice | You would have to notice it. | Both copies are in the text. | An identical copy is dropped. A copy that differs is kept and marked as copy 2. |
| The cite | Worked out from the small page and typed. | None. | Built from the original page and line, for example Dep. 63:14–64:2. |
What it does not do
Before you rely on it
A condensed PDF is the hardest case for reading text. Treat the output as a working copy, and read any page that matters against the PDF. Clean checks mean the numbering is consistent. They do not mean every word matches.
DepoScript does not review a transcript for privilege or confidentiality, does not check it against a protective order, and gives no legal advice. The privacy policy says what happens to a file here.
Questions
What is a condensed transcript?
A PDF in which several pages of the full-size transcript, often four, are printed on each sheet in small type. The page and line numbers of the original pages are printed with them. Some reporters send one alongside the full-size version.
Does it work for layouts other than four to a sheet?
The pages are separated by where the line numbers restart, so the layout is read from the numbering and not assumed to be four. It has been tried here on a four-up sample. If your layout is different, read the layout line in Checks and look closely at the first few pages against the PDF.
Why does Checks say a page is missing a line?
The page ran from line 1 to line 25 in the PDF, but the converted text for one numbered line was empty or missing. The line is kept as [line not extracted] so the rest of the page stays on its own numbers. Open the PDF at that page and read the line.
What does copy 2 on a page mean?
The same page number appeared twice. If the two copies were identical, the second was dropped and Checks says so. If they differed, both are kept in the page view, the second is marked copy 2, and the Markdown keeps both so that you can decide which one is right.
Are the original page breaks kept?
Yes. Each transcript page has its own heading and its own line numbers, so a cite points to the page of the transcript and not to the sheet it was printed on.
Is the text less reliable than from a full-size PDF?
Small type is where a misread character is likeliest, and a condensed sheet packs many pages together. The checks catch gaps and repeats in the numbering. They cannot catch a number, date or name that was misread. Check those against the PDF whenever they matter.
Can I cite a condensed transcript in a filing?
The cite builder gives you the page and line of the original numbering. Whether a filing may rely on a condensed copy, or must cite the certified full-size transcript, is a question for the rules and orders that govern that filing.
How many pages can I convert?
Free: 1 file per day, up to 10 pages, no account. Pro and Firm take files up to 150 pages. The limits are counted on the pages of the file you upload, and the status line reports both the PDF pages and the transcript pages that were found. A 300-page transcript is over the current 150-page file limit. Split the PDF into parts of 150 pages or fewer and convert each part. Page numbers are read from the printed pages, so cites keep the transcript's own numbering; if a part prints no page numbers, set the first page number under Options.
Can I turn the result back into full-size pages?
The Markdown has one section for each transcript page, each running from line 1 to the last line. That is the content of the full-size page. It is not a typeset page, and it is not the certified transcript.