Tuesday Printing Tip for Legal Professionals – Turning Court Rules into Print Instructions (BCCA Appeal Books)

The Court of Appeal for BC tells you exactly how your paper appeal book must look under Civil Rule 26 – but those details often never make it into the print order.

Using the “Paper Filing Completion Instructions: Appeal Book – Civil Rule 26” as an example, here’s how to translate the rule into clear, practical directions for your printer.

1. Page numbering and table of contents

The court expects:

• Pages numbered sequentially at the top centre

• A table of contents that matches that numbering exactly

Instruction to your printer might look like:“Please print from this PDF exactly as numbered. Page numbers are top-centre; the TOC must match these numbers.”

2. Covers, colour, and binding

The instructions specify:

• Blue cover and back page (no clear plastic cover)

• Double-sided printing

• Cerlox plastic comb binding

Your print note could say:“Blue front and back covers as per BCCA instructions, double-sided, Cerlox bound.”

3. Volumes and page limits

For longer appeal books, the court wants:

• Maximum 500 pages per volume (250 sheets)

• Full table of contents in each volume

• Sequential page numbering across all volumes

In the order, you might say:“If over 500 pages, split into volumes (max 500 pages each), keep page numbering continuous, and include the full TOC in every volume.”

4. Reproduction quality and photographs

The instructions make clear:

• Only include documents that can be legibly reproduced

• Photographs must be reproduced in original colour

What you tell your printer:“Flag any pages that are too faint or too small to read; photos should print in full colour.”

5. Copies for filing and service

The completion instructions set out minimum copy counts (for the court, justices, other parties, and your file). Build that into your request so you’re not short at the registry.

Example:“Please produce the required total copies to meet BCCA filing and service requirements (court, justices, other parties, and our office file).”

If you simply attach the relevant completion instructions and add a short note like:“This appeal book is for the BC Court of Appeal under Civil Rule 26 – please follow these completion instructions,”

you give your printer everything they need to help you stay compliant and avoid last-minute reprints.

At CETTEC Printing, we’re happy to work directly from court-issued completion instructions and flag any issues before you file.