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R
rémid8453187
Participating Frequently
January 31, 2022
Question

Disable copy but allow printing

  • January 31, 2022
  • 3 replies
  • 2709 views

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 😉

 

This topic has been closed for replies.

3 replies

JR Boulay
JR Boulay
Adobe Expert
February 7, 2022

"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.

Acrobate du PDF, InDesigner et Photoshopographe
R
rémid8453187Author
Participating Frequently
February 7, 2022

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 😉

JR Boulay
JR Boulay
Adobe Expert
February 1, 2022

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.

Acrobate du PDF, InDesigner et Photoshopographe
R
rémid8453187Author
Participating Frequently
February 1, 2022

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

    Bernd Alheit
    Bernd Alheit
    Adobe Expert
    January 31, 2022

    How does you protect the document?

    R
    rémid8453187Author
    Participating Frequently
    February 1, 2022

    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
    Bernd Alheit
    Adobe Expert
    February 2, 2022

    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.


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