PieceStamp

A very messy and crude Applescript utility using some python (and obsoleted ObjC CG methods) and ImageMagick, to generate watermarks on documents for legal case:

What it does

This script will ingest:

• a PDF holding ALL the documents as one file
• a text file listing all elements included in PDF (with a given agreed readable format)
• a PNG file holding a seal / stamp -like file (transparent background) with enough blank space in the middle to print the numbering

It will then proceed to:

• use the text file to identify the different documents
• split the PDF in its individual parts
• apply the watermark (adding numbering of each attachment in the watermark for each pages)
• merge back the pdf as one final file
• remove the temp files
• show you the final file as a new file.

You may then copy that file back to the case folder.

How to use

Pre-requisites

ImageMagick must be installed. If missing the script will alert you and stop. You may nstall it by opening the terminal and using Homebrew with $> brew install imagemagick

You may want to create your stamp file using the Illustrator templates in /resources/. But you need Illustrator. Otherwise, you can use Inkscape but you have to redo the curved texts.

Elements

You need to have a folder holding:

• your documents merged as one single PDF file (called Pièces.pdf)
• a text file listing the various documents (see /Dossier TEST/Bordereau.txt for an exemple), which may also include informations about the case. Each attachment is listed as one line as: Pièce NUMBERINGOFELEMENT : TITLE OF THE ATTACHEMENT [NUMBEROFPAGES]
• a stamp PNG (tampon.png) (this should be copied from where you hold it). It may be 500x500, the script will resize it and pivot it a bit sideways.

Beware : The total number of pages for all listed documents as summed inside bordereau.txt must be consistent with the number of pages of the PDF file.

Run it

You will then just run the AppleScript PiecesTracker.scpt(could be saved as a standalone app too), point it to the folder holding your documents, and it will do its magic.

ToDo

• Verify max size of the page to avoid watermark printing outside page itself! (A4 works but on some machines it gets printed too far outside the page. Some issues with the retina display? No clue)
• Insert ToC into the PDF as well to allow for compliance with current expectations

Optimisation

• use another PDF lib (ObjC CG is expected to be obsoleted)
• allow png to be added once only inside the pdf
• generate numbering manually

Credits

Python code is lifted from old implementation of Mac OS X Automator "Watermark PDF Documents", which used a snippet of python. Example of that code can be retrieved here https://github.com/tlk/macosx-automator-watermark-pdf. (current Mac OS Mojave implementation has been turned into an executable, code is now unavailable)