[WEB4LIB] Re: Can printing from a website be limited?

[Thomas Dowling]

> Greg can correct me if I'm wrong but I think his question is from the
> end-user viewpoint:
>
> "Why is this page not printing and is the site that it is coming from
> somehow able to restrict the ability to print the page?"
>
> I've occasionally run into this situation myself and it most often
happens
> with pages created on the fly using CGI or a related method.
Apparently,
> this prevents the browser from capturing the page for printing.

More specifically, it prevents some particular browser from printing; it
will not reliably do so for any other browser.

> ...Also, a
> "page" in a java application often can not be printed.  If you have
screen
> capture software, you can probably capture the image of the page
although
> this is impractical for anything other than occasional use.
>
> Netscape versions 3 and 4 can be configured to force black text in
> printing.  Go to File -- Page Setup -- select Black Text.
>

Sadly, Netscape 4.5 seems unable to extend this setting to colors and
backgrounds set with CSS.


The question of controlling users' printing is very similar to the
question of hiding source code, which comes up repeatedly in web
newsgroups.  The overarching answer is that once you send a file, the
amount of control you have over its use is exactly none.  There may or may
not be hacks you can throw out in an attempt to exploit a particular
browser's bugs but you cannot thwart someone who is moderately
knowledgeable and moderately motivated.


Thomas Dowling
OhioLINK - Ohio Library and Information Network
tdowling at ohiolink.edu