Prohibiting printing of Word documents etc.

[steve.genge]

Is it possible to protect documents (word files, PDFs etc) when sending them as email attachments so that the recipient can read them but cannot print them. I'd like to do this to encourage people to keep electronic copies of files rather than filling up filing cabinets with paper unnecessarily.

[commoner]

...I really can't say if that can be done or not but there is always a way round these things.....for example, if the email is open for reading, then simply pressing PrintScreen will put a copy onto the clipboard which can then be pasted into PhotoShop or your favourite imaging software and simply adjusted to A4 if neccessary and printed from there.....so nothing to stop them doing what they want with your emails I'm afraid..........commoner. :-(

[rojash]

Not only can it not be done, but it seems to me a bit dictatorial to enforce your own personal preferences on recipients of your e-mails. If it was possible, and someone started sending me attachments like that, I'd pretty soon add them to my spam filter.

[qapmoc]

Adobe acrobat writer and JAWS pdf creator have the facility to make PDF files read only and cannot be printed, but as commoner pointed out someone just has to do a print screen and they can get a copy to the clipboard. it might not be a good copy and some of the page will be missing but it can be done with time.

[wideboy]

Why not just ask them nicely in the email to NOT print the document. Remind them about saving trees, the world, the universe, the Cosmos .........