How to prevent people from taking screenshot of PDF?
As technology continues to advance and make our lives easier, it also presents new
challenges in terms of security. One of the biggest concerns for many individuals and
organizations is the ability to prevent unauthorized access to their confidential
information. This includes the ability to prevent people from taking screenshots of
their PDF documents. While it may seem like an easy task, it is actually quite
challenging to completely prevent someone from taking a screenshot of a PDF document.
However, there are several measures that can be taken to make it more difficult for
someone to do so. In this article, we will discuss some of the most effective ways to
prevent people from taking screenshots of PDF documents.
Watermarking
One of the simplest and most effective ways to prevent unauthorized use of your PDF
document is by adding a watermark to it. A watermark is a graphical image or text that
is added to a document to identify the owner or origin of the document. When a watermark
is added to a PDF document, it becomes much more difficult for someone to use a
screenshot of the document without your permission. This is because the watermark will
be visible in any screenshot taken of the document.
Screenshot Prevention for Documents (DRM)
Digital Rights Management (DRM) is a technology that is used to control access to
digital content and prevent unauthorized use. DRM solutions can be used to control
access to your PDF document and prevent unauthorized use, including taking screenshots.
However, these solutions are often complex and can limit the accessibility of your
document. For example, DRM solutions may require that users install specific software or
plug-ins in order to view the document, which can be inconvenient and time-consuming..
An excellent solution for this purpose is our proprietary tool: HelpRange.
HelpRange is a comprehensive tool designed to facilitate document tracking and
protection. By leveraging HelpRange, you can effectively mitigate the risk of
unauthorized screenshots of your PDFs, as well as prevent photography of document
screens.
We use the term 'very difficult' because even though our method is robust, it is not
entirely foolproof. Our approach involves displaying only a portion of the document at
any given time within the internet browser (shared as links with others), thereby
thwarting users' attempts to capture screenshots of the entire document.
Moreover, you have the option to enable a feature called "Whole Screen Mask." When
activated, the screenshot mask covers the entire screen and disappears upon holding the
mouse click, revealing the document. This feature is exclusively available on desktop
devices. In the event of a detected screenshot, access to the document is revoked.
Alternatively, when the "Whole Screen Mask" feature is disabled, the screenshot mask
covers only a section of the document. However, this functionality extends to mobile
devices as well.
If you want to utilize HelpRange to prevent people from taking screenshots of your
documents, you simply need to click on the link for your uploaded PDF and enable
"Screenshot Mask". You can see how it works by watching the following video (you
can control the size of the 'visible box'):
A Few Words Of Summary
In conclusion, while it is not possible to completely prevent someone from taking a
screenshot of a PDF document, there are several measures that can be taken to make it
more difficult for someone to do so. Watermarking and DRM
solutions are some of the most effective ways to prevent unauthorized use of your PDF
document. When choosing the right security measure for your PDF document, it is
important to consider the level of security you need and the accessibility of your
document for authorized individuals.
Check out HelpRange
HelpRange is "Next-Gen Documents Protection & Analytics Platform".
HelpRange represents the cutting-edge platform for document access controls and in-depth
analytics, ensuring superior management and usage insights for your documents.