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jsavage77
Inspiring
September 30, 2015
Question

How to "Watermark" that is hidden but will print...

  • September 30, 2015
  • 2 replies
  • 4409 views

I need to place a small warning text on each page of indesign documents that will not display on the exported PDF when viewed on screen but will print if the PDF is printed. I'm wondering if it's possible with these requirements:

  1. Must be able to be scripted.
  2. Must be scripted within inDesign, not acrobat (will be added to an existing INDD script workflow).
  3. "Watermark" must not display on screen when viewing the exported PDF.
  4. "Watermark" must be displayed on any prints from PDF.

Anyone have any ideas? I found a few ideas for doing this manually online, but I can't seem to get any of them to work with my current version of INDD (2015). In addition I need to be able to script whatever solution is available, and I'm not as familiar with INDD scripting as I am with AI.

This topic has been closed for replies.

2 replies

Peter Kahrel
Community Expert
Peter KahrelCommunity Expert
Community Expert
October 3, 2015

Create a layer, call it 'Watermark', and place your watermark on that layer.

Create a PDF preset, call it 'Watermark', check 'Non-printing objects'.

When you export the PDF, uncheck the 'Print layer' checkbox in the 'Watermark' layer's options. Simple to script:

app.documents[0].layers.item('Watermark').printable = false;

then export the document.

When you print the document, check the 'Print layer' checkbox in the 'Watermark' layer's options, then print.

Peter

Loic.Aigon
Loic.Aigon
Legend
October 5, 2015

Hi Peter,

I think our friend wants the opposite. he wants the watermark to print but not to display on screen

Here is the issue

Loic

Peter Kahrel
Community Expert
Peter KahrelCommunity Expert
Community Expert
October 5, 2015

Ah, of course, I should have read better. Thanks, Loic.

P.

Loic.Aigon
Loic.Aigon
Legend
September 30, 2015

I think it's not possible. A watermark is intended to remain whatever you do with the file. You could imagine a specific layer within InDesign and export your PDF with layers preserved (1.6+).

So the user can hide the layer to see. But as he can hide it, your pseudo watermark won't print neither.

You could think of an attached acrobat script that would force display the watremark on print but user can disable Javascript so that's a deadend too.

Good luck and feel free to come back to us if you find something working.

Loic

J
jsavage77Author
Inspiring
October 2, 2015

For the attached script for force print the watermark, could that be attached in indesign?

Obi-wan Kenobi
Obi-wan Kenobi
Legend
October 2, 2015

Loïc is right! but Why not write a JavaScript to insert it directly in the pdf?

Here, you can add a watermark not screen visible but printable and you can add a password to your pdf to avoid modifications (delete the watermark for example).

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