Received a Load File Production? How Law Firms Can Review TIFFs, Natives, and DAT Files

05 November 2026 by Uday eDiscovery load-file-productions document-review

Takeaway: A load file production can’t be properly reviewed in a PDF reader. To review TIFFs, natives, and DAT files together, check the production against your ESI protocol, validate the load file for errors, then upload it to eDiscovery software that links every image, native file, and metadata field back to the right document.

You have just received a document production from opposing counsel. Instead of the usual PDFs, there is a ZIP folder containing TIFF images, native files, a DAT file, and perhaps an OPT file.

If your firm normally reviews discovery documents using a PDF reader, where do you begin?

First, validate the load file production, check it against the agreed ESI protocol, and import it into eDiscovery software that can link the documents, metadata, and associated files for review.

You do not need to be an eDiscovery specialist to get started. But treating a load file production like a collection of PDFs can cause you to overlook information that matters to your case.

What is included in a typical eDiscovery load file production?

A load file production typically contains the following: document images, native files, extracted text, and .dat or .csv files with document metadata, plus the load files that tell review software how they fit together. Unlike a production with only PDFs, these components are designed to work together in an eDiscovery review platform.

A typical production might contain folders labeled IMAGES, NATIVES, TEXT, and DATA.

Component	What does it contain?	Can a PDF reader handle it?
TIFF images (.tif)	Rendered pages of emails, contracts, and other documents, often with Bates numbers	Generally not directly. Some PDF applications can convert TIFFs into PDFs, but they do not automatically reconstruct the production
Native files (.xlsx, .docx, .msg, etc.)	Documents in their original application formats	Generally no. They require compatible applications or an eDiscovery viewer
DAT files (.dat)	Document-level metadata such as Bates numbers, custodians, dates, and file paths	No. A PDF reader cannot interpret DAT records or connect them to documents
OPT/LFP files (.opt/.lfp)	Information connecting individual image pages to documents	No. These require a compatible load file viewer or eDiscovery platform
Extracted text (.txt)	Searchable text associated with documents, including OCR text	No structured integration. A PDF reader cannot automatically associate separate text files with their corresponding images

For example, an email may appear as several TIFF pages, while the DAT file contains its sender, recipients, sent date, and attachment relationships.

Opening the images individually might show you what the email says. But it will not necessarily show you who received it, when it was sent, or which attachment belongs to it.

For more background on these formats, see our essential guide to load files in eDiscovery.

Can you review a load file production using a PDF reader?

You can review individual documents after converting supported files to PDF, but a PDF reader cannot properly interpret an entire load file production.

That distinction matters when you are working on an active case.

Suppose you are reviewing a construction dispute involving emails, contracts, and spreadsheets. You find a TIFF image of an email discussing a revised project budget.

You may be able to read the email after converting the image to PDF. But the associated spreadsheet might be stored separately in the NATIVES folder, with its relationship to the email recorded in the load file.

Without that connection, you could miss important context.

PDF readers are useful for reading, annotating and sharing individual documents. However, they are not designed to reconstruct document families, map load file metadata, or organize a production for structured review.

This becomes especially challenging with larger productions. Our article on why single-PDF eDiscovery productions create review problems explores related issues with PDF-based review.

How should law firms review a load file production?

Start by confirming the production meets the agreed specifications, validating the files, then importing it into eDiscovery software. Once imported, you can search, organize, and tag documents without manually reconstructing the production.

1. Check the production against the ESI protocol

Before reviewing any documents, compare the production with the ESI protocol or production specifications agreed upon in the matter. If no form was agreed, Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 34(b)(2)(E)(ii), added in the December 1, 2006 ESI amendments, still requires a form that is “reasonably usable” (LII, Rule 34).

An ESI protocol sets out how parties should exchange electronically stored information.

Check whether the production includes:

The required file formats, including TIFF images and specified native files
The agreed metadata fields, such as custodian, document dates and Bates numbers
Searchable text or OCR where required
Complete document families and attachments
The correct Bates numbering and production ranges

For example, if the ESI protocol requires Excel spreadsheets to be produced natively, receiving only TIFF images of those spreadsheets may warrant clarification.

A good starting point is GoldFynch’s eDiscovery production checklist, which covers common production requirements.

2. Validate the DAT file and check for errors

Before importing a production, verify that its load file is readable and that the referenced documents are present.

You do not need specialized software just to take an initial look at the metadata.

GoldFynch offers a free online Load File Viewer, Converter & Editor that can help you inspect DAT and other supported load files.

Use it to examine the field names, document identifiers, and metadata entries.

Look for potential problems such as:

Missing or inconsistent Bates identifiers
Unexpected blank metadata fields
Incorrectly separated or misaligned columns
File paths pointing to missing documents
Inconsistent document-family references

A readable DAT file does not necessarily mean the entire production is valid. Check its entries against the accompanying folders and files as well.

If something looks wrong, document the issue before attempting a correction. Some problems may require a replacement or clarification from the producing party.

For a closer look at why these problems occur, see our guide to eDiscovery load file errors.

3. Import the load file production into eDiscovery software

Importing the complete production into an eDiscovery platform allows the documents, metadata, images and extracted text to be connected for review.

With GoldFynch, the process begins by keeping the production’s original folder structure intact.

The general workflow is:

Create or open a case in GoldFynch.
Upload the complete production as a ZIP file, including the load files and associated folders.
Navigate to the Production Imports view and select +New Import.
Select the uploaded production and choose the appropriate document reconstruction options.
Submit the import request for processing and metadata mapping.

GoldFynch’s import workflow includes checks and staff verification to help ensure that production data is interpreted correctly. Once the import is completed, the documents become available for review.

For detailed instructions, see Importing a Load File Production into GoldFynch.

If you are working with exports from another review system, our guide to preparing Concordance and Relativity exports provides additional guidance.

4. Search, review, and tag the documents

Once the production is imported, you can review documents using their content and metadata rather than opening individual files one at a time.

For example, in an employment dispute, you might search for emails mentioning “performance review” within a particular date range.

You can then narrow the results using available metadata, examine relevant attachments, and tag documents according to the issues in your case.

With GoldFynch, legal teams can:

Search across document content and metadata
Review emails alongside their attachments
Tag documents by issue, relevance, or privilege
Add review notes and collaborate with other case users
Save searches to revisit important document groups

Instead of maintaining separate PDF folders and spreadsheets to track your findings, the review work stays associated with the documents in the case.

Frequently asked questions about reviewing load files

Can I open a DAT file in Excel?

Yes, some DAT files can be opened or imported into Excel as delimited text. However, Excel may not interpret specialized delimiters correctly, and it does not automatically connect metadata records to the corresponding documents. A dedicated load file viewer is better suited to inspecting these files.

Why did opposing counsel send me thousands of TIFF files?

TIFF productions usually contain one image per page, so a 500-document production can easily run to several thousand files. The .opt file tells review software which pages make up each document.

Can I just convert all the TIFFs to PDF and review those?

You can, but you’ll lose the metadata, document boundaries, and email families stored in the load files. That makes privilege review and date-based searches much harder.

What is the difference between a DAT file and an OPT file?

A DAT file typically contains document-level metadata, while an OPT file maps image pages to their corresponding documents. Both may be supplied as part of the same eDiscovery production.

What should I do if the load file is missing or contains errors?

First, identify which information or files are missing and check the agreed production specifications. If the issue affects access to documents or required metadata, ask the producing party for clarification or a corrected production rather than silently changing the original data.

Review the production, not just the PDFs

Receiving a load-file production doesn’t mean your firm needs to change how it handles litigation completely. But it may be time to move beyond reviewing every document individually in a PDF reader.

With the right tools, you can preserve the connections between documents, search the information that matters, and keep your review work organized as the case progresses.

GoldFynch makes it easier for law firms to move from receiving a load file production to reviewing the documents within it, without requiring a complicated eDiscovery setup.

Received a load file production today? Review it in GoldFynch

GoldFynch is a cloud-based eDiscovery service that runs in your browser and can easily import and process load file production. Schedule a demo to see how GoldFynch can help with your current production, or get started with a free case to explore the platform.

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