You're sharing a proposal that you don't want the recipient to print and circulate. PDF has a permissions setting for this — but how well it works depends on what the recipient's PDF reader respects.
Setting print restrictions
PDF permissions include 'Printing allowed' (yes / no / low resolution only). Set this when you add an owner password to the file. Flint's password tool exposes the permissions when you set an owner password.
With printing disabled, Acrobat and most major PDF readers grey out the print option. The recipient sees the document onscreen but can't send it to a printer through normal channels.
What this actually achieves
Compliant viewers: Acrobat, Preview, Edge, Chrome all honour the print permission. The recipient can't print using the standard print dialog.
Non-compliant viewers: many third-party PDF tools ignore owner-password restrictions. Strip-restriction tools exist and are easy to find. A determined recipient can print.
Print-to-PDF and screenshots: even compliant viewers usually allow Print-to-PDF, which creates a new PDF without restrictions. Screenshots work in any viewer.
PDF permissions are deterrents, not enforcement.
When you really need to prevent printing
DRM-protected PDF viewers (Vitrium, Locklizard, FileOpen) phone home to authorise viewing and can enforce no-print at the OS level. They require the recipient to install a specific viewer.
For most use cases, the friction isn't worth it. For genuinely high-stakes material — pre-publication earnings, board confidential — DRM may be justified. For ordinary commercial material, accept that print can be done.
FAQ
Does Flint set print restrictions?
Yes — when you add an owner password in the password tool, printing can be restricted. Recipients with compliant viewers will see print disabled.
Can the recipient remove the restriction?
With the owner password, yes. With strip-restriction tools, usually yes even without the password. PDF permissions are a polite signal, not a hard wall.
Can I block screenshots?
Not with PDF permissions. Screenshot blocking requires the OS or a DRM viewer to participate.
Is print restriction useful at all?
Yes — for honest recipients who weren't planning to print but might absent-mindedly. As enforcement against determined exfiltration, no.
PDF print restrictions are a sign on the door, not a lock. Set them in Flint and accept the limits.