Copy-protected photo presentation?

[DeclineD]

I've been looking for simple ways to make a presentation of a (big) series of pictures BUT in a way that they can't just be taken to some editing software to be printed.

Photoshop's PDF automation seemed really nice but the pictures can be easily printed in Acrobat Reader.

Does anyone know about a simple technique or tool to create a presentation or some other way to show a series of photographs to clients without the ability for them to print?

OR is it possible to "print-protect" a PDF?

Thanks in advance!!

[lostinbeta]

This isn't possible for anything. For as long as there is the Print Screen key and screen capture programs, there is no way to protect it.

[slinkyart]

Like lostinbeta said...with Photoshop...to do a screen capture...all you have to do is hit Alt+Print Screen and you can capture the image. The best thing to do is slap a copyright symbol on there so people see that...they may be able to get it off...but you'll have the originals to prove it ;)

[DDD]

Only thing you can do is give them low res if you are scared of re-use or watermark. Long as programs like Snag-It are around you arent safe....You can try flash paper as well, but they can still do a screen grab

[mlk]

if it's offline a lot of people can't take screenshots from dvds unless they rip them and reencode them (otherwise dvds would be too easily ripped), so I'd place them on a DVD.

[bwh2]

yeah, but then there are also programs like intervideo's winDVD that are extraordinarily popular and have a specific screen capture button.

the only idea i have is with flash. i'm not sure it would work, but it might. anyway, the idea is to make the image _visible=false when the mouse isn't over it. when the mouse is over it, the image _visible=true. the only thing that makes me think this might work is that print screen doesn't grab the mouse, so maybe it doesn't grab effects changed by mouse overs. i'm sure LIB or scotty would know more about that.

[simplistik]

You can print protect a PDF, if by that you mean pressing CMD+P/CTRL+P to do so. Goto File>Doc Properties... Security tab. Select the Password option. Now you can set the Permissions so they can't print, copy text... and by default you can't just press Print Screen and capture it either.

If your worried about authenticity too, you can do two poor mans copyright techniques. 1. Put it in an envelope and mail it to yourself and NEVER open it. Since US mail is a government sactioned date, you're good on that. 2. The other way is to email it to yourself. Not as good as the 1st however it still stand as a good way of proof.

[cholin]

The password idea would be best, but im sure that by focussing another window you can still press PRINT SCREEN and paste it into PS or something for cropping. Answer is, it's impossible. Even 10 year olds can print screens now with their little online games.

[bwh2]

The other way is to email it to yourself. Not as good as the 1st however it still stand as a good way of proof.
if you just want proof of creation and modification dates, as long as you don't 1) wipe your hard drive or 2) delete the file and then overwrite those bytes or 3) physically destroy your hard drive, the files can be recovered and the creation and modification dates can be proven. well, that's not entirely true because even after (1) you can still recover files... well, not you, but the gov't in criminal investigations. but that's sort of off topic.