WEBDOXXPRINT
Webdoxx viewers are set to not permit printing of the displayed content as their default setup. However, sometimes it is important for publishers to permit printing and for end users it is often desirable to be able to print some content. There are several approaches to resolving the requirement to print, depending on the specific publication. A summary of options is provided below:
- Printing not permitted - this is the default for Webdoxx viewers (PDF, PPT and EPUB)
- Text selection and copying can be enabled (it is disabled by default) in which case selected text can be paste-d into a local application (e.g. a Notes or Word Processing application) and printed from there
- Printing of single pages can be enabled for selected statically converted files - where a PDF is statically converted to HTML5 printing of single pages is possible, although such printing cannot prevent output to a non-physical format (e.g. to an image or PDF version of the viewed page)
- Printing of any number of pages can be enabled, most effectively from dynamically converted files (i.e. the source file, e.g. a PDF, is effectively the document from which the print process is carried out). As with single pages, this is not secure but will be acceptable for some files and situations
- Printing in a secure manner can be enabled using a downloaded secure version of the source file (typically a PDF in DRM-protected format) coupled with an offline application that permits secure printing (i.e. printing only to physical devices). The Drumlin DRM and Javelin PDF readers for Windows and Mac support this form of secure printing. The file to be printed can be made available via a toolbar link on the Webdoxx viewed document
- Printed versions of files can be provided "in-network" and delivered as printed files to the target user, either via an in-network print service or as a request to the publisher for a printed copy
Printed documents can always be photocopied and/or scanned, so issuing physical books or training materials is as susceptible to copyright abuse as electronic distribution - indeed, in many cases it is far more susceptible as modern multi-function printers and associated software (e.g. Adobe Acrobat) make the whole process simple, fast and effective. DRM protected electronic materials, and static and dynamic watermarking are the most effective means of controlling the likelihood of document copying and onward distribution. Traceability of operations by activity tracking adds to this security.