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UC Berkeley School of Law Library UC Berkeley School of Law Library BerkeleyLaw Library

Student Journals: Article File Preparation

File Preparation

Each article must be submitted to the printer (or uploaded to your online journal's repository page) as individual pdf files.

Once you have finished editing and applying the formatting macro to your Word documents, you are ready to create the pdf files.

PDFs must be created on the PC platform only and preferably from your journal office computer, which has all of the necessary fonts and settings. You may request access to log in to your office computer remotely by sending an email with your name, journal, and Calnet ID to Maro Vidal-Manou.

Download and review the instructions below for creating your pdfs.

Final Review of your Files

Please take the time to review the pdfs your articles thoroughly before you submit them.  Though you may be in a rush to get the issue to press, making corrections to the files during the contract proof stage not only lengthens the production time (as each time corrections are submitted, a new round of proofs is generated), but they also become very costly. 

 It is highly recommended that you print the PDFs and review the content carefully and thoroughly to identify and correct any editorial errors before submission.    Remember:  you can (and should) email our printer rep Mary Carlson with any questions you might have BEFORE you submit files.


A printed copy will reflect formatting problems:

  • pdf files with reduced sized pages and comments appearing along the right side of each page
  • pdf files that were made of the raw Word document instead of the macroed file

 Some common errors to look out for when reviewing your files include:

  •  “© Regents of the University of California” has been properly cited.   Or, if the author retains copyright, indicate so in a dagger footnote on the first page of the article.
  • Running heads are accurate and consistent throughout the article and the issue.
  • Volume and issue numbers and dates are accurate and consistent on the journal cover, spine, table of contents, masthead, and offprint covers.
  • Article titles and author names are accurate and consistent on the journal cover, table of contents, masthead, articles, and offprint covers.
  • The issue’s starting page number is correct (for those journals publishing more than one issue per volume).
  • Articles begin on odd numbered pages (on the right handed page).