In today’s digital world, sharing PDF documents as email attachments is still one of the most common ways to exchange important information. However, traditional PDF files—viewed in standard PDF readers like Adobe Acrobat or Foxit—offer little to no real protection against copying, printing, forwarding, or taking screenshots.
If your organization needs to control exactly who can view a PDF, prevent unauthorized access, and block screenshots, you need a solution that goes beyond standard encryption and password protection. This is where VeryPDF DRM Protector comes in.
Below, we answer common questions about how our DRM technology works, and how it can be integrated into a cloud-based workflow.
1. How VeryPDF DRM Protector Prevents Screenshots
One of the biggest limitations of traditional PDF security is that once a file is opened in a standard viewer, the application has no control over the user’s system. Even if the file is password-protected, the content can be captured by a simple screenshot or screen recording tool.
With VeryPDF DRM Protector, things work differently:
-
Restricted Viewing Environment – DRM-protected PDF files cannot be opened in standard PDF viewers like Adobe Reader or Foxit. Instead, they can only be viewed in:
- The VeryPDF Online PDF Reader (browser-based, secure streaming)
- The VeryPDF Offline PDF Reader (Windows, macOS, iOS, Android)
- Screenshot Protection – Our offline PDF reader actively monitors and blocks screenshot and screen recording attempts. On Windows and macOS, this includes preventing tools like Snipping Tool, Print Screen, and third-party capture software.
- Encrypted Streaming in Online Reader – When using the online reader, the PDF is never delivered as a standard file. Instead, it is streamed in an encrypted format, meaning the actual document data is never exposed in a way that can be easily saved or copied.
By controlling the environment in which the PDF is viewed, VeryPDF DRM Protector ensures that sensitive content cannot be easily captured or redistributed.
2. Implementing a Controlled PDF Sharing Workflow
Let’s say you want to allow your clients to generate PDF documents from your web application and share them with their own customers—but only under strict access controls. You might have this workflow in mind:
- Client generates a technical specification inside your application.
- Client chooses to download the document as a PDF and specifies the recipient’s email domain (e.g.,
endclient.com
). - Your system encrypts the PDF so that only users with a matching email domain can open it.
- The PDF is sent as an email attachment to the recipient.
- When the recipient opens the file in the VeryPDF Reader:
- They are prompted to enter their email address.
- If the domain matches the one specified, they receive a One-Time Password (OTP) via email.
- Upon entering the OTP, they gain access to the document.
With VeryPDF DRM Protector, this workflow is entirely possible and can be automated using our cloud-based DRM API. Once a PDF is protected, you receive a secure URL or file that you can deliver directly to the end recipient.
3. Understanding Pricing and Upload Limits
In the Starter Plan of VeryPDF DRM Protector:
- Document Upload Limit – 500 documents in total.
- “Upload” refers to the process of submitting a unique PDF file to our DRM platform to be encrypted and protected.
- Once a document is uploaded and protected, it stays available for authorized viewing until you delete it, regardless of when it was uploaded.
- If you exceed the 500-document total, you will need to upgrade to a higher-tier plan to continue uploading new documents.
This approach makes it easy to control costs while scaling protection according to your needs.
4. Why Standard PDF Security Isn’t Enough
Even if you use password protection, encryption, or watermarks in a traditional PDF, once the file is opened, the user can:
- Take screenshots
- Save an unprotected copy
- Share the password with others
With VeryPDF DRM Protector, the PDF is locked to our controlled reader environment, meaning:
- You can prevent printing, downloading, and copy-paste.
- You can limit viewing to specific email addresses or domains.
- You can set expiry dates or revoke access instantly.
- You can track document access and usage.
Conclusion
If your business needs to send PDF files as email attachments while maintaining complete control over who can view them—and ensuring they cannot be screenshotted—VeryPDF DRM Protector offers a reliable, API-enabled, and cloud-based solution.
It works seamlessly for organizations that want to integrate secure PDF generation into their existing workflow, making it possible to:
- Automate protection at the time of PDF creation.
- Restrict access by email or domain.
- Use OTP authentication for extra security.
- Prevent screenshots and unauthorized redistribution.
For more information, or to request an API demo, visit: https://drm.verypdf.com/