Printing PDFs for use with PACG


Pathfinder Adventure Card Game General Discussion

Grand Lodge

I know for almost all downloads here on the Paizo site, the download engine will "watermark" the PDF with our email address and date. I understand that for the book PDFs etc.

But when I go to print character sheets for this game, I'm not so willing to include my email address to possible strangers. So I've been taking the character sheet PDFs and splitting them up and then editing the pages to remove that from the PDF then saving them out. Sometimes recombining them in a fashion better suited for printing out quantities. I've taught a few groups the game with RotR set and passed out a lot of character sheets.

And now with S&S set and Class Decks and Organized Play, I'm going to be making more sheets available to people. I can't rely on them having sheets initially. Just doesn't happen 90% of the time. So I just spent an hour doing the same with the S&S characters, class decks, etc. (Just realized I forgot the fleet list!)

In any case, while I know it is the norm to watermark all downloads, is it possible to not have it do it for the three Character Sheet downloads? I know you don't watermark the Card Templates. I'd prefer not to have to keep editing the files to remove my email.

Thanks!

And while I'm asking ... any way of possibly getting Form Fillable versions? :-)


A few interim work-around solutions:

One (low tech) option would be to get a straight-line paper cutter and trim off the watermark after you print them. The down side is that it gives you a slightly smaller page, but it works.

Another would be to try printing at a slightly higher zoom (if your printer supports it) so that the watermark (and your email) gets cut off by the printer margins.

Alternately, check out Foxit PDF Reader (free); there is a "Typewriter" option that lets you mark up PDFs without form elements and a "Highlight" feature that lets you highlight any text (including the watermark) with solid black to cover it up before printing. It then lets you save the PDF with those changes when you're done. (I'm not sure if Adobe's AR has a similar feature or not because I quit using it long ago.)

Grand Lodge

All good work arounds but the problem really isn't that I can't do it but that as an organizer, it might be easier if I didn't have to. Already printing up copies of S&S sheets now to play later. I have PDF splitter that removes the copy protection and Adobe Acrobat to remove my watermark.

Just asking Vic if those items could not be watermarked like the normal Paizo PDFs.


Right, and I agree with the request as well; it would be nice to have them unmarked. They are released under the CUP, so there's no real need that I can see to watermark them.

I'm just offering other options for the time being, or just in case.

Grand Lodge

Well, I just wanted to bring it up because it is under community use.

And your suggestions are good ones.

Plus some people might not realize they were handing out their email.


I was going to post a similar thing. I'm happy to print these for use in OP. Not so happy about sharing my email. I hate having to essentially hack my pdf to make this work. :/

Dark Archive

You could always create a paizo account with a throw-away e-mail address.

Sovereign Court

spinningdice wrote:
You could always create a paizo account with a throw-away e-mail address.

Yes, but that shouldn't be needed just to give out OP documents without our personal info.


Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

An easy solution would be to just assign each subscriber a semi-random number that Paizo knows, and use that for the watermark. Then, they can look up who printed out anything, while you keep your email address safe.


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Pathfinder Accessories, Rulebook Subscriber; Pathfinder Battles Case Subscriber
Melemkor wrote:
An easy solution would be to just assign each subscriber a semi-random number that Paizo knows, and use that for the watermark. Then, they can look up who printed out anything, while you keep your email address safe.

That doesnt work for PFS, you need your name and email address on your print out to prove you own the books to whoever is running the game. could just be your name i guess but then the DM would need to know you are who you claim you are.


Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

I'm not familiar with how PFS works, unfortunately - how does having an email address validate that you own some set of books?


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Pathfinder Accessories, Rulebook Subscriber; Pathfinder Battles Case Subscriber

validate is relative, but you need to have them identifiable to you. so even if you took the email off, you would still need a full name.

as for a random number assigned? you could use the pirated ones and claim they were yours if they only used random numbers.

best solution for this is to provide sheets that are generic with no identifiers for sheets that don't need them. like chronicle or character sheets.

you manually put your character number on those to keep track, no need for email or even real names to be on them.

just like they did with the adventure card game blank cards.


Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

In the end, an email is just as piratable as a random number, short of the DM going and specifically emailing each person and having them respond with a "liveliness" message (which I'm assuming isn't actually done...).

Are photo IDs checked when people show up for PFS? If so, I guess that would justify having full names on the sheets.

Edit: Ah, rereading, I think we're saying basically the same things.


Point this out to Paizo...they'll read this thread soon enough I'm sure. There used to be this issue with chronicles for some of the scenarios or the character sheet in the guide to org play. Once pointed out the need, the fixed the base document and process

Grand Lodge

(Yeah, that's the point of this thread is for Paizo to see and remove the watermarking. :-) )

And for PFS, you (the "GM") hand out temporary numbers for people to sign up with because when reporting the results, you need that number to give credit to characters. (Otherwise people use their current PFS number.)

Grand Lodge

spinningdice wrote:
You could always create a paizo account with a throw-away e-mail address.

However, that is against the Community Guidelines.

EDIT: assuming it is not your only account.


I, too, would like the watermark removed for free PDFs like the PACG character sheets. I trimmed each sheet by hand (no scissors, it was at a con), but that's a pain to do.

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

3 people marked this as a favorite.

There's no need for these to be watermarked; I'll have that removed. (Probably won't happen today.)

Grand Lodge

Thank you!

All three character sheet downloads?

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

Yes.

Grand Lodge

Thanks Vic or Chris!

Community / Forums / Pathfinder / Pathfinder Adventure Card Game / General Discussion / Printing PDFs for use with PACG All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.
Recent threads in General Discussion