You want the recipient to read the document but not save, edit, print or copy from it. PDF permissions get you part of the way. Hosted viewers get you further. Both have honest limits.
PDF permissions: the soft option
Set an owner password in Flint's password tool and restrict printing, copying and editing. Compliant viewers respect these flags; the recipient sees a normal PDF with print and copy options disabled.
This stops casual extraction. It doesn't stop screenshots, retyping or strip-restriction tools. As a polite signal it works; as enforcement it doesn't.
Hosted viewers: the harder option
Platforms like DocSend, PaperCall, Adobe Sign view-mode, or your enterprise data-room serve the PDF through a controlled web viewer. The file never lives on the recipient's machine; they can only view through the platform.
Download, save and right-click are disabled in the viewer. Screenshots usually still work. The platform can revoke access at any time. Audit log records every view.
For commercially sensitive material (M&A diligence rooms, board distribution, investor decks pre-launch), hosted viewers are standard.
What no viewer can stop
Screenshots, photos with another device, and retyping. Any document a human can read can be exfiltrated by patient typing or a phone camera.
For truly irreversible material, distribution control beats access control — only show the document to people you trust, only in settings you control. Technical view-only is for raising the cost of casual extraction.
FAQ
Does Flint host a view-only viewer?
Flint focuses on the file itself. For hosted view-only delivery, pair Flint with a data-room or sharing platform.
Can I disable save in a normal PDF reader?
PDF permissions can flag 'no copy' which most readers honour. Save-as is harder to block once the file is on the recipient's machine.
Do hosted viewers stop screenshots?
Some try (overlay watermarks, screen capture detection on managed devices). On personal devices and phones, screenshots usually succeed.
Is view-only enforceable in court?
Not directly. View-only restrictions are evidence of intent — useful in any dispute about authorised use, but not a magic shield.
View-only is a continuum, not a button. Set PDF permissions in Flint and use a hosted viewer for harder cases.