Exporting PDFs

CrownSync Playbooks generates signed, read-only PDF documents that serve as official records of your incident response procedures. Every PDF export includes security features designed to verify authenticity, prevent tampering, and demonstrate provenance to auditors and regulators.

What Is Included in a PDF Export

Each exported PDF contains the following sections in order:

1. Title page— The playbook name, your organisation's name and logo (if uploaded), the export date, the classification marking, and the unique verification ID.
2. Licence and usage notice— Terms governing the use and distribution of the document, including intellectual property notices.
3. Key contacts— A summary table of escalation contacts, regulatory bodies, and key personnel populated from your organisation profile.
4. All six phases— The complete playbook content across all phases, including only the sections that are relevant to your organisation based on its profile conditions.
5. Verification page— A final page containing the QR code, verification URL, export metadata, and a summary of the document's provenance.

QR Codes

Every exported PDF includes a QR code on both the title page and the verification page. Scanning this QR code with any smartphone camera opens the CrownSync verification page, where anyone can confirm the document's authenticity. The QR code encodes the unique verification URL for that specific export.

Watermarks

PDF exports include a diagonal watermark across each page. The default watermark displays your organisation's name and the export date. Administrators can customise the watermark text in the PDF branding settings.

Watermarks serve two purposes: they identify the document owner if printed copies are circulated, and they make it clear that the document is a controlled export rather than an unofficial copy.

Classification Markings

CrownSync supports the UK Government Security Classifications. You can apply one of the following markings to your PDF exports:

• OFFICIAL — The default classification for most business information
• OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE — For information requiring additional handling care

The classification marking appears in the header and footer of every page in the exported PDF. It is configured per organisation in the PDF branding settings and applies to all exports from that organisation.

For organisations that handle information at higher classifications, the playbook content should be managed within appropriately accredited systems rather than CrownSync Playbooks.

Generating a PDF Export

To export a single playbook as PDF:

1. Open the playbook you want to export
2. Click the Export PDF button in the playbook toolbar
3. Review the export preview, which shows exactly what will be included
4. Click Generate PDF to start the export process
5. The PDF is generated server-side, fingerprinted (SHA-256), and downloaded to your browser once complete

PDF generation typically takes 5–15 seconds depending on the playbook size. A progress indicator is shown during generation.

Batch Export

Organisation administrators can export all active playbooks in a single operation using the batch export feature. This is available from the admin dashboard and produces either:

• A single combined PDF containing all playbooks with a shared title page and table of contents
• A ZIP archive containing individual PDF files for each playbook

Batch export is particularly useful when preparing documentation packs for auditors, insurers, or board-level reviews. Each PDF in the batch retains its own unique verification ID and QR code.

Export Audit Trail

Every PDF export is logged in the audit log with the following details:

• Who generated the export
• Which playbook was exported
• The verification ID assigned to the export
• The timestamp of generation
• The IP address of the request

This ensures complete traceability for all documents that leave the platform.