Is in possible to make text unselectable/unhighlightable in PDF viewers?

[Qelix1]

I create a PDF-form, that includes many tables (not actual table-objects, but text frames and PDF-form-textfields arranged in table patterns) and I frame them nicely with shapes. Those frames also have text frames as labels and some other labels next to the tables give a little bit context. Nothing too spectacular. Or so I thought.

My problem is, that I simply don't want all of the texts to be markable/selectable/highlightable (Btw, whats the correct term for that?) with the mouse curser in the finished PDF files, so that they don't get in the way of copy&paste-ing the content of the tables. For example, the name labels of the tables embedded into their framing aren't needed. I know, that the behaviour of how a pdf-file is worked on is heavily dependent on the pdf-viewer used, but is there a way to somehow hide the text-nature of visible texts from most viewers?

I already tried to:

• find a simple switch within the given properties of the objects to make them unselectable.
• put the texts I wish to be selectable und unselectable in different layers and looked for some option to "lock" a layer for pdf viewers.
• put another layer in between, filled it with an image frame and I made it missing an image, later filled with an image and made it 100% transparent. (I tried to create an invisible barrier this way.)
• convert a text frame into a symbol.

I'm getting the feeling, that there might simply be no way to do that. That there is no option in the pdf-file-format to do so nor any trick left.

The only thing left is to convert the texts into images/vector graphics, which I tried to avoid till the end (aside from converting texts into symbols, which seemed easily enough).

Did I overlook something?

[steven8]

I don't know if it's possible to make some text and not others be copied, but you can do it with all easy enough.  When exporting to PDF, go to the security tab and choose 'Use Encryption'.  Then deselect the settings you don't want to allow.

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[Qelix1]

I don't know if it's possible to make some text and not others be copied, but you can do it with all easy enough.  When exporting to PDF, go to the security tab and choose 'Use Encryption'.  Then deselect the settings you don't want to allow.

I feared, that would render all text unselectable or uncopyable, but curiously enough, it didn't change anything. All of the text is still selectable and can be copied. I even deleted the pdf and exported it again, instead of simply overwriting it. I even assigned an owner and user password. When opened the viewer asks for it, but even under user password-permission, no change. (I deselected "Allow Copying Text and Graphics" and later even "Allow Changing the Document", just like in your screenshot.)

Viewers used: Okular 21.04.1 and Xreader 3.2.2

[utnik]

hi qelix1

you could just convert some of your text to outlines. (right click → 'convert to' → 'outlines')

utnik

[Qelix1]

you could just convert some of your text to outlines. (right click → 'convert to' → 'outlines')

See, and that's why this question is posted in "Beginner Talk". It did it. Though it is now a vectorised graphic, increases the size of the pdf a bit (just my guess) and is rendered a bit differently than the real fonts. (You notice slight differences in the rendering, when you zoom in and out in my viewer and compare the same texts next to each other. You really wound't be able to notice otherwise.)

Thanks a bunch! I feel like an can complete my little project now (, at least until the next little problem rears its ugly head).

[utnik]

...and is rendered a bit differently than the real fonts. (You notice slight differences in the rendering, when you zoom in and out in my viewer and compare the same texts next to each other. You really wound't be able to notice otherwise.)

yes, it renders differently. and the visibility of the difference depends on the resolutiotion of the output device. with low resolution screens it may really be an issue. in print you might not notice a difference...

utnik