Allow Printing only, no saving or manipulating page??

[ztraffic]

I've searched these forums for my answer and have had no luck.

I'm creating a website which will require the user to print out a page as the product. I don't want them to be able to manipulate the page before printing (change text).

Is there a way to only allow printing and not saving or coping code and changing it to print later? I've looked into using PDF, but not sure if is possible to secure it.

I think I'm going to create these specific pages using Adobe Acrobat but I'm not set on it if there is something better.

I'm sure any solution can be hacked, so I'm only worried about the common user, say 90% of users.

Thanks for any help.

-ztraffic-

[Khalid Ali]

Originally posted by ztraffic

.......using Adobe Acrobat but I'm not set on it if there is something better.
-ztraffic-

I don't think there is,once you have a page opened in the browser using HTML its open source,hence almost impossible to hide it,You will have to resort to choices like *.pdf files or any other external plugin for any other file format.

[ztraffic]

That's what I thought. Anyone know about securing .pdf??

[Aronya1]

Securing how? I could be wrong, but I think if you have the full application, you can edit .pdf files at will. If you have only the reader (that's your 90%), you can't edit anything.

[ztraffic]

My ultament goal is to have the user view and print a page (html, pdf, java, what ever will work???).
On this page will be an expiration date which I do not want changed. There might be a price as well which can not be changed. Is this at all possible? Or, if not, which is the best way to do this to prevent most common users from changing?
Thanks

[AdamBrill]

What is this for? Why do you need to assure that the user cannot change anything? They could always get something that would look just like it with other text, you know... If nothing else, they could make their own page that looks just like yours and enter their values, but what would be the point of someone doing that?

[ztraffic]

OK, why hide it. It's a coupon they will be printing.

I know there will be people out there with the desire and skills to take what ever solution I use and screw with it. But which solution is the hardest to mess with? I say the easiest is HTML. They can view and copy the code, paste it into their editor and change the text they want. No big deal. Although I've heard there are ways of protecting HTML code from being viewed.

PDF, so far is my best solution. At least they will need Adobe Acrobat or some other program for changing text with-in a pdf docuement.

I've though of hiding the expiration date and using some sort of script to place it on the printed docuemnt upon printing...but not sure about that on either.

Any advice or points in a certain direction to explore would be helpful.
Thanks,
ztraffic

[AdamBrill]

Ok, first of all, it is impossible to hide your HTML source, so you are right, that isn't the best way...

I would suggest that you either use PDF(like you were thinking) or just make an image that looks like the coupon should. If it were me, I would use the image, since that would probably be the hardest to modify(even though it wouldn't be that hard). No matter what you do, there is still going to be a way to get around it, but either a PDF or an image would be your best bet.

[ztraffic]

At least I feel better going forward. I will see about taking my art, us illustrator and making the page jpg.

[AdamBrill]

Ok, I've got one more thing to add. ;) You should make a list somewhere of all of the accepted coupons. That way if someone changes it, you will know and can tell them that their coupon isn't valid...