Unlike the page-image format, which does not necessarily follow a certain set of standards, Amicus (another ASCII file format) follows a certain set of rules. 

For example, in Amicus, each page starts with its page number, then the lines of testimony follow the page number.  Each line of testimony is preceded by its line number (the same line number that appears on the transcript). 

There are certain products that require an ASCII file in Amicus format; it is therefore imperative to be clear as to whether or not you will be importing your ASCII file into a product that accepts only the Amicus format.