How to create a pdf file that can only be opened by adobe reader using TCPdf and PHP

Question

I'm creating a pdf file using PHP/TCPdf, and want the file can only viewed by Adobe Reader.

I want to show the same or some else message:

To view the full contents of this document, you need a later version of the PDF viewer. You can upgrade to the latest version of Adobe Reader from www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

For further support, go to www.adobe.com/support/products/acrreader.html

Like these one http://www.kuleuven.be/lucas/Docs/Vacatures/2014_107_ADOCARE.pdf

Can I do that with TCPdf or JavaScript embeddedin PDF?

Thanks.

Answer 1

The most common reason for requiring Adobe Acrobat/Reader is the Acrobat JavaScript capability. In this case, Best Practice is to set up the document that it displays the version for a dumb PDF viewer, stating that a smarter viewer is necessary. Then you have a document-level script which deactivates that indication and initializes the document to work with a smarter PDF viewer.

In other words, the approach is assuming that the PDF viewer is dumb, and provide the means for a smart PDF viewer to unlock the advanced features.

For other reasons requiring Acrobat/Reader, such as proper display of overprinting and transparency, it might be necessary to embed the actual document in a wrapper PDF, and have the wrapper export it only when the conditions are fulfilled.