Disable copy but allow printing

[rémid8453187]

Hi,

I want to protect some pdf files with a password to diable text copy but menawhile, I still want the pdfs to be printable.

My problem : if copy and print are protected by a password, it's ok, a password is asked for these two actions.

But if I allow printing option only, even if copy is disable, my document is no longer protected by a password and copying text is possible.

Do you know what I can do to prevent texts to be copied but with printing enable ?

Thanks a lot 😉

[Bernd Alheit]

How does you protect the document?

[rémid8453187]

Hi,

Thank you for your quick answer.

I'm using Acrobat Pro. 

I open pdf properties > Security > Protect with a password

In the settings, I don't check the box "Activate text copy" (or something like that because my settings are in french).

I "Print" is set to "none", my pdf is protected from text copy. But if I enable low or high resoultion printing, even if the box "Activate text copy" in unchecked, my saved pdf is copy enabled, even if properties shows the contrary.

[Bernd Alheit]

What version of Adobe Acrobat does you use?

[rémid8453187]

Hi, 

I’m on Acrobat Pro DC - Version 2021.011.20039

[Bernd Alheit]

Open the attached document in Adobe Acrobat. Can you copy the text?

[rémid8453187]

In Acrobat I cannot copy it, but in Apercu (mac) I can.

On my file, when copy is forbidden and printing too, even in Apercu a password is asked when I want to copy text.

This is only when printing is enabled that copy is possible.

[Bernd Alheit]

When you protect the document in Adobe Acrobat you will get following message:

[rémid8453187]

Yes you're right, I've also read it and it's a shame.

Text copy protection works well but noone can tell why adding printing ability add a conflict with copy protection.

[Bernd Alheit]

When you allow printing it is possible to create a unprotected copy of the file.

[rémid8453187]

Yes and it's unfortunately a problem for me 😉

[rémid8453187]

Hi,

I hoe you're doing good.

Do you know a way to convert a classical pdf into an "image pdf". By this, I mean converting each page into jpeg images to make text copy impossible (my copyright text on backgroung will prevent from OCR).

Technically I'm able to export all pages in jpeg files but I'm wondering if a quicker solution exist.
As I have many pdf to convert, it would be time saving rather that merging all jpegs into band new pdfs.

Thanks a lot for your help 😉

[JR Boulay]

You cannot prevent text copy since a document is displayed on screen or printed.

On screen, just take a screenshot and run the OCR.

For a printed document, just take a picture and run the OCR.

[rémid8453187]

My goal is to prevent text from being copied/pasted.

I've inserted copyright text in grey on background so that the OCR take this repeted text into account, which make the copy of the document really difficult.

My pdf are training courses that can be printed by trainers but they should not be able to export the texts are resale it 😉

What I want to achieve is to be asked for a password when you want to copy text, but with the ability to print the pages.

Thanks a lot.

Rémi

[JR Boulay]

"Do you know a way to convert a classical pdf into an "image pdf""

Export all pages as JPG using Acrobat Pro.

Merge all JPGs in a PDF using Acrobat Pro.

[rémid8453187]

Thank you for your help.

Yes this is the solution I was thinking about but I was wondering if a quicker solution exists, such as "export as image pdf".

If not I'll do by these two steps 😉