How to Make Nonprinting PDF Objects

Mike Rankin

Need to have something visible on screen in an interactive PDF but not printable? Here’s a quick and easy way to do it.

Select the object and convert it to a button using the Buttons and Forms panel.

Then with the button still selected, go to the PDF Options in the panel, and deselect Printable. You might have to expand the panel first by clicking the triangle next to PDF options.

When you create the interactive PDF (this trick won’t work with a print PDF), the object will be visible on screen but won’t print. Notice the print preview in the screenshot below where our long-eared friend is gone.

See also: PDF Button Tips, Tricks and Problem Solving

Tip of the hat (sorry couldn’t help myself) to Bob Levine for this cool technique, which he shared over at the InDesign User Forums.