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Revamped Special Formats for Improved Securities | Tips and Tricks

In summary, HO has changed the securities of the Host and Guest Special formats, making it impossible to take a picture in Acrobat and copy a section of the special to paste into another document. Some suggest sending the flyer from customer connections as a solution, but it is still protected. Others propose converting it to a different format, but there are concerns about copyright infringement. It is unclear why PC has suddenly implemented these changes and some consultants are finding it difficult to create flyers without the use of others' documents.
cookingwithlove
Gold Member
885
HO changed the securities of the Host and Guest Special formats. I used to be able to take a picture in Acobat and copy a section of the special then paste it into another document. We can no longer do this in Acrobat. Anybody have a way around it? I ususally paste the whole special in a word document that I email to my hosts in their first email.
 
Send yourself the flier from customer connections. Perhaps that would work.
 
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  • #3
Nope still protected. I need a way to convert it to a different format.
 
I can unsecure it and post...but not sure if there would be an issue with me doing this (as far as HO is concerned).
Anyone have any opinions on me doing this?


I agree - it has made it a pain for me to create my flyers.
 
I thought it was just my computer being funny.
:mad:
Guess not.... Grr... Maybe if enough of us 'question' it??!!... Just a thought....
 
MHouting said:
I thought it was just my computer being funny.
:mad:
Guess not.... Grr... Maybe if enough of us 'question' it??!!... Just a thought....

As frustrating as it is, it is their prerogative to do so. The images are copyrighted, so they can do what they want with them.

Why not download a flyer from one of the monthly flyers that the gals on here already make (including KAM), and instead of them unlocking/posting them again, just download her documents, and snag the images from that?
 
esavvymom said:
As frustrating as it is, it is their prerogative to do so. The images are copyrighted, so they can do what they want with them.

Why not download a flyer from one of the monthly flyers that the gals on here already make (including KAM), and instead of them unlocking/posting them again, just download her documents, and snag the images from that?

I think some of the flyers I posted last month are secured also. I started playing around with the security so that I could see what I could do about un-doing what HO did. And in the course of unsecuring/securing and playing with it, some of my final versions are secured. But I have stopped trying to determine what HO did and my flyers are all unsecured now. I think I only did a few that way without realizing it.

I am wondering why they would all of a sudden secure them. Are they upset that some us create flyers from their pdfs?
 
kam said:
I think some of the flyers I posted last month are secured also. I started playing around with the security so that I could see what I could do about un-doing what HO did. And in the course of unsecuring/securing and playing with it, some of my final versions are secured. But I have stopped trying to determine what HO did and my flyers are all unsecured now. I think I only did a few that way without realizing it.

I am wondering why they would all of a sudden secure them. Are they upset that some us create flyers from their pdfs?

I only suggested "borrowing" from your flyers, so you weren't double-doing the work. You already get pinged enough each month. ;)

But I'm glad I'm not the only one who does things like that! I "digitally signed" something in Adobe one time, and now I can't do it again! It keeps asking me for a password, but I never was prompted or asked to set one up the FIRST time I did this. Now I can't use that feature again. :grumpy:

Who knows why PC is doing it. I've stopped trying to figure out the tech folks who run the websites or the flyer type info. They sometimes baffle me. :D I don't see why it would hurt. It's not like they are losing MONEY on the flyers they create, and with 65,000 consultants out there, how many are really using other peoples flyers?? Not likely a drop in the bucket.
 
esavvymom said:
I only suggested "borrowing" from your flyers, so you weren't double-doing the work. You already get pinged enough each month. ;)

But I'm glad I'm not the only one who does things like that! I "digitally signed" something in Adobe one time, and now I can't do it again! It keeps asking me for a password, but I never was prompted or asked to set one up the FIRST time I did this. Now I can't use that feature again. :grumpy:

Who knows why PC is doing it. I've stopped trying to figure out the tech folks who run the websites or the flyer type info. They sometimes baffle me. :D I don't see why it would hurt. It's not like they are losing MONEY on the flyers they create, and with 65,000 consultants out there, how many are really using other peoples flyers?? Not likely a drop in the bucket.

Oh! I don't mind that you suggested my flyers! I just wanted to warn that some may have the same exact issue with a few of mine. :)

Yeah, I don't do mine all in one sitting, so I was playing around and forgot what I had done earlier! I'll write it off to old age. ;)

I don't mind re-posting the unsecure HO versions - but wanted to make sure it wasn't going to violate anything with HO. It's one thing to add a fillable field, quite another to actually unsecure the pdf.
 
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  • #10
I love kams flyers but what do with the images are attached below. I email this to all of my hosts. I find that if I embed the specials they actually see it. Very few people like to open attachments.
 

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  • 1st Host Email - September.doc
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  • Thread starter
  • #11
esavvymom said:
Who knows why PC is doing it. I've stopped trying to figure out the tech folks who run the websites or the flyer type info. They sometimes baffle me. :D I don't see why it would hurt. It's not like they are losing MONEY on the flyers they create, and with 65,000 consultants out there, how many are really using other peoples flyers?? Not likely a drop in the bucket.

When I spoke to the Tech guys they said it was the marketing department that made them secure and the Tech Guys argued against it.
 
  • #12
cookingwithlove said:
I love kams flyers but what do with the images are attached below. I email this to all of my hosts. I find that if I embed the specials they actually see it. Very few people like to open attachments.

Love this letter! Thanks for sharing!
 
  • #13
KAM, I would love it if you would post the HO flyers in an unsecured format. I like to post the entire flyer with my contact info edited onto it on my FB page. I don't have Acrobat, but I have Photoshop. I tried to dowload the new December specials and I now need a "master password" in order to open them.

This is frustrating for me as I have made it VERY obvious that I am an independent consultant all over my page. I post the HO flyers as it's a lot easier than creating my own. I get very little feedback from the photos I post on my page so I don't want to go to a lot of effort recreating the wheel. I like to have the specials in my photo albums so just in case (and it's never happened yet) someone is interested in hosting a party, they know what the specials will be. It's also there in case a guest for a party can find the specials so again, they know what they are. Usually I have to call guests who place online orders so they can choose their montly special.
 
  • #14
Fantastic flyer! I also thought I was the only one having problems w/the images. I have taken pics. of pics. to upload before. It seems like the HO would want us to use the images as they are inticing for potential customers.
 
  • #15
What about using the photos from the website article suggestions? They usually have the pictures of products that go with the specials. Maybe you can download the picture onto your computer to use for your flyer? Just a suggestion.
 
  • #16
Jane,I usually take a cropped screen shot of the flyer and then upload that into FB. Is that an option for you? (I have a Mac and can't remember what pc's are like for doing that.)
 
  • #17
Amanda, I have a PC and I can't do that or I don't know how to. The issue is the securites they have put on the document.

Printing: Allowed
Document Assembly: NOT Allowed
Content Copying: NOT Allowed
Content Copying for Accessibility: Allowed (this allows you to save it to your desktop, but only in an Acrobat .pdf format)
Page Extraction: NOT Allowed
Commenting: NOT Allowed
Filling of Form Fields: Allowed
Signing: Allowed
Creation of Template Pages: NOT Allowed

Security Method: Password
Document Open Password: No (but only if opening in Acrobat, you need it for Photoshop)
Permissions Password: YES
Printing: High Resolution
Changing the Document: NOT Allowed
Commenting: NOT Allowed
Form Field Fill-in or Signing: Allowed
Content Accessibility Enabled: NOT Allowed
Encryption Level: 128-bit RC$
 
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  • #18
Can you "share" the FB Specials from PC's FB page onto your's? I don't know know much about FB, but they have the specials on their page, and they have a 'share' button. I just assumed that was so you could post the same thing on your page??
 
  • #19
Has anybody tried using CUTEpdf? When I get a fillable form that says I can't save the filled in portions, I just "print" to the CUTEpdf program, and then it's saved...just a thought?
 
  • #20
Last time I tried to use CutePDF, it put CutePDF watermarks all over the document. Does it still do that? I didn't think it looked very professional.
 
  • #21
nikked said:
Has anybody tried using CUTEpdf? When I get a fillable form that says I can't save the filled in portions, I just "print" to the CUTEpdf program, and then it's saved...just a thought?

NEVERMIND...just tried it...whatever they've done to make it unaccessable makes the CUTEpdf saved doc totally blank...YUCK!
 
  • #22
ShellBeach said:
Last time I tried to use CutePDF, it put CutePDF watermarks all over the document. Does it still do that? I didn't think it looked very professional.

I've never had a watermark? And just did a test doc with Word to CutePDF and didn't have any. I don't know...
 
  • #23
Kathleen, I wouldn't mess with HO's pdfs if I were you. We should all just use what HO provides to us and stop wasting time creating our own fliers. That time can be better spent on the phone with customers, hosts, potential recruits and team members. HO makes great fliers, and they also give us the ability to "share" the monthly promotions on our FB pages, so there is no reason to create anything extra. I don't spend any extra time on promotional fliers or emails. I click the "share" button on the main PC FB page when I'm using FB as my "PC" FB page, and the monthly promos automatically update to my page. The only thing that takes me any time at all is updating the "news" section on my website, but that takes literally 1 minute, since I use the suggested wording and images that PC provides. I think it's really nice that some are willing to go to the extra effort to make fancy fliers, etc., but it's obvious PC doesn't want us doing this, and it's probably for many reasons (copyright laws, they want us to work our businesses and leave the marketing to them, etc.). I suggest we all take this as a hint to just walk away and leave the fliers to home office. JMO
 
  • #24
cathyskitchen said:
Kathleen, I wouldn't mess with HO's pdfs if I were you. We should all just use what HO provides to us and stop wasting time creating our own fliers. That time can be better spent on the phone with customers, hosts, potential recruits and team members. HO makes great fliers, and they also give us the ability to "share" the monthly promotions on our FB pages, so there is no reason to create anything extra.

I don't spend any extra time on promotional fliers or emails. I click the "share" button on the main PC FB page when I'm using FB as my "PC" FB page, and the monthly promos automatically update to my page. The only thing that takes me any time at all is updating the "news" section on my website, but that takes literally 1 minute, since I use the suggested wording and images that PC provides.

I think it's really nice that some are willing to go to the extra effort to make fancy fliers, etc., but it's obvious PC doesn't want us doing this, and it's probably for many reasons (copyright laws, they want us to work our businesses and leave the marketing to them, etc.). I suggest we all take this as a hint to just walk away and leave the fliers to home office. JMO

WOW, I don't even know how to respond to this. (And maybe I shouldn't as it's been a bad day.)

My first thought is, if you don't want to use my flyers, then don't use them. But I feel as I should respond to some of your comments as you directly addressed your post to me.

1. I don't feel as though I am wasting my time. And, if I am, then it is my choice, isn't it? I actually enjoy creating the flyers. So, sorry, I don't see that as a waste of my time.

2. I started creating these flyers for myself to save on ink - I am cheap and hate buying toner and wanted to print the specials in color. So, in my opinion, that was enough of a reason for me to create the flyers. I started with the 3 month flyer. If I used HO's, I would be printing 6 pages instead of 1.

I started sharing my flyers with my cluster, then it dawned on me that maybe others could use them, so I started making them "fillable" and posting them here. Hopefully, since I am "wasting my time" then others won't have to and they can just use what I have created.

3. I don't know for a fact that HO doesn't want me (or others) to create flyers. I don't know why they started securing the pdfs. Sure, the thought crossed my mind, but if that was the case, they could easily contact me and tell me to stop. Also, my name does not appear anywhere on the flyer. It is clearly marked PC and I try not to "re-word" anything they have provided. Almost always, I will use HO's verbiage just so my flyers are in "HO's words" and I am not putting any of my misinterpretations into the flyer.

4. I am pretty sure the basis for this thread was not that others wanted to create "fancy fliers". I think they just used to be able to save the pdf as an image and post it where (FB or in a Word doc) they wanted. I do not believe that it was all that time consuming. In fact, saving the pdf as an image only takes a second. It is the fact that they are secured now that is taking all kinds of time. So, it is not fair to assume everyone posting on this thread is wasting their time and not working their business.

For some reason your response just hit me wrong. Maybe I am just taking it the wrong way, but I don't think it is any of your business what I spend my time doing. Maybe I create these at 5am, at work or in the middle of the night when I couldn't be calling anyone anyway.

If everyone feels as though I am wasting my time and "not working my PC business enough" then I will be happy to stop "wasting my time" and will stop creating the flyers.

JMO
 
  • #25
cathyskitchen said:
Kathleen, I wouldn't mess with HO's pdfs if I were you. We should all just use what HO provides to us and stop wasting time creating our own fliers. That time can be better spent on the phone with customers, hosts, potential recruits and team members. HO makes great fliers, and they also give us the ability to "share" the monthly promotions on our FB pages, so there is no reason to create anything extra.

I don't spend any extra time on promotional fliers or emails. I click the "share" button on the main PC FB page when I'm using FB as my "PC" FB page, and the monthly promos automatically update to my page. The only thing that takes me any time at all is updating the "news" section on my website, but that takes literally 1 minute, since I use the suggested wording and images that PC provides.

I think it's really nice that some are willing to go to the extra effort to make fancy fliers, etc., but it's obvious PC doesn't want us doing this, and it's probably for many reasons (copyright laws, they want us to work our businesses and leave the marketing to them, etc.). I suggest we all take this as a hint to just walk away and leave the fliers to home office. JMO

Since I inadvertantly stirred this pot, I feel compelled to comment also. I WANT to use the HO flyers. At issue is that I cannot upload .pdf files to FB. I must convert them to .jpeg. Now that the flyers are locked, I can't do that. I have been taking the ENTIRE flyer created FOR us as consultants to use, adding in my name, consultant #, phone #, e-mail address, & website address in the space provided on the flyer (you know, that white section under the words "Your Consultant is:"), converting to .jpeg, and uploading them to FB. It takes me about three minutes.

I avoid the HO FB page at all costs. It frustrates me to no end the amount of inappropriate, but not against any FB rules, conversations that HO allows. Those conversations belong in private team/cluster groups, here, or in the Consultant Community. Also, any time I share items from the HO FB page, the website customers are directed to is the HO website or the PC FB page, not my personal site. If I am posting things, I want to direct you to MY site and MY FB page. It does MY business no good to share the montly specials only to have you go to the HO site or FB page to submit an order to any ol' consultant who is getting HO leads. I post the information because I WANT THEIR business! Sorry, but I would rather someone I most likely know does business with me rather than somene they don't know at all.

So, asking someone to either unlock the document that I will be using IN ITS ENTIRETY or to convert it to a usable format, is not messing with what HO provides for us. I am not wasting my time recreating the wheel. In fact, I am trying NOT to do that , but that is exactly what HO is forcing me to do. It makes no sense. I would rather use their "approved" flyers, but they are making it impossible for us to do that.
 
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  • #26
Kam, I LOVE your flyers and personally use the ones that have a combination of the Host/Guest/Recruiting info on one page because then I only have to print 12 in color and I slip them into my lapboards. That way I'm not printing 36 for each show - a total waste of ink!
 
  • #27
kristina16marie said:
Kam, I LOVE your flyers and personally use the ones that have a combination of the Host/Guest/Recruiting info on one page because then I only have to print 12 in color and I slip them into my lapboards. That way I'm not printing 36 for each show - a total waste of ink!

What she said!

Kam,

What YOU do saves me time, money and makes my business look good. Thank you!
 
  • #28
I dislike the new settings because I like to put both the host and guest specials on the same page for my hosts. Can't do that now. And, yes, I've let the home office know.
 
  • Thread starter
  • #29
nikked said:
Has anybody tried using CUTEpdf? When I get a fillable form that says I can't save the filled in portions, I just "print" to the CUTEpdf program, and then it's saved...just a thought?

It will not allow you to use a PDF printer. Already tried. I think we need to keep expressing to HO why we want them unsecured. The funny think is the PDF version of the CN is not secure and you can copy things from there. It is frustrating, because now I have to take a picture of the screen then crop it then paste it into my document.
 
  • Thread starter
  • #30
Oh by way, Kathleen. I love the flyers.
 
  • #31
Kathleen (Kam), I appreciate all that you do and hope that you keep sharing things with us. Your flyers are professional and always represent the original flyers really well. I agree, they save ink and paper and I prefer to use the flyers you share with us. Please don't stop, and know that we do not feel you are wasting your time. And you have saved me TONS of time by sharing what you are able to do. How you spend your time is your business. I felt hurt on your behalf when I read that post, and hope you're okay.
 
  • #32
i just bring flyer up and hit print screen on my keyboard and then take into micro publisher and paste and crop to fit page... i can walk you through over phone if you need more help and you have publisher.
 
  • #33
Thank you to those who have said they use my flyers and it saves them time. I appreciate it.

Yes, Amanda, I felt a little hurt by the comments.

I thought "I create the flyers and share them and this is the thanks I get." Certainly doesn't make one feel appreciated.

There is nothing saying I need to share the flyers. I have always felt that since I was creating them anyway, why not post them for everyone to use. But, I don't know why that fact opened me up to the comment on how I shouldn't mess with HOs pdfs and stop wasting time creating flyers.

I don't think I started anything negative on this thread prior to provoke those comments.

It's things like this that makes one think twice about doing something nice. Here I thought I was being helpful by sharing. Oh well.

Thanks again to those who appreciate my flyers.
 
  • #34
I agree with exactly what Amanda said. I hate wasting paper and printing so many copies in color. Please keep doing what you are doing, Kathleen.
 
  • #35
Kam, I love your fliers and so do my group - they save us money printing fliers AND I get more email addresses when i use your form and not HQ. Thank you so much for putting these together - please don't stop because some choose not to use them. Love what YOU do - thank you!
 
  • #36
I also love the flyers. I'm a new consultant and can use all the help I can get!! Please continue to post them for the ones of us that think they are awesome and save us a lot of time!!
 
  • #37
you can save the CN from CC onto your desktop. Then the camera will work and you can take a pic of anything in the CN and post it into an email etc.
 
  • #38
PCJenni said:
you can save the CN from CC onto your desktop. Then the camera will work and you can take a pic of anything in the CN and post it into an email etc.
Just tried this and in works! Thank you.
 
  • #39
Kathleen - you know I LOVE your work! I have never been able to say THANK YOU enough! Ignore the minority.

I could never understand why people were making Outside Order Forms when the HO one is great but when it comes to the specials - I do NOT want to print each month. As several have said, I can print X amount and make do for 2-3 months. LOVE IT! AND I love the layout, simple and professional. Gives the Host & Guest Special and sometimes even the recruiting special. How can there be any negative?

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!
 
  • #40
Kathleen - I'm sorry my post offended you so much and obviously I hit a nerve. That was not my intent. I just personally think that the effort that you put forth on the fliers could be better spent on other business-building activities, that's all. I wasn't trying to hurt your feelings. If you want to continue to spend the time to create the fliers and others appreciate it, that's great, but I think that HO is sending us a clear message that they DON'T want us to do this anymore, and that's all I was suggesting, that maybe we all take the hint and just use what they give us and move on. I'm from Philly and I'm a pretty "matter-of-fact" kind of person, so if I type something and you don't agree, there's no reason to get all upset and think that I'm bashing you. I'm just stating an opinion, and you can choose to ignore it if you don't care for it. I stated at the end "JMO", which stands for "just my opinion", and that's all I was stating. If you don't agree, that's fine, too. I'm not a mean person and I did not post my response to upset anyone, just to give another opinion on the matter. I just remembered why I don't post here much anymore. Too many people get upset at the silliest little things, and only those opinions that match those of the original poster are appreciated. Back to my hiding spot.
 
  • #41
cathyskitchen said:
Kathleen - I'm sorry my post offended you so much and obviously I hit a nerve. That was not my intent. I just personally think that the effort that you put forth on the fliers could be better spent on other business-building activities, that's all. I wasn't trying to hurt your feelings.

If you want to continue to spend the time to create the fliers and others appreciate it, that's great, but I think that HO is sending us a clear message that they DON'T want us to do this anymore, and that's all I was suggesting, that maybe we all take the hint and just use what they give us and move on.

I'm from Philly and I'm a pretty "matter-of-fact" kind of person, so if I type something and you don't agree, there's no reason to get all upset and think that I'm bashing you. I'm just stating an opinion, and you can choose to ignore it if you don't care for it. I stated at the end "JMO", which stands for "just my opinion", and that's all I was stating. If you don't agree, that's fine, too. I'm not a mean person and I did not post my response to upset anyone, just to give another opinion on the matter.

I just remembered why I don't post here much anymore. Too many people get upset at the silliest little things, and only those opinions that match those of the original poster are appreciated. Back to my hiding spot.

Just as you have every right to post your opinion, I have every right to post mine. Which is what I did.

Just because I posted MY OPINION to your post is no reason for you to "go into hiding".

So, basically, I should have not responded my opinion to your post?? I should have just "gone into hiding" since I didn't agree with your opinion?

Again, your statement: "I just personally think that the effort that you put forth on the fliers could be better spent on other business-building activities, that's all" is YOUR opinion and NOT mine. How do you know how my time could be better spent? Seriously, I do these flyers when I couldn't be doing anything else business related anyway.

And maybe I personally did take offense because you addressed your post to ME.

I generally do not get involved in taking sides or getting upset over posts on here...but again, you singled me out.

I am going to create the flyers for myself and my cluster so I thought I was being nice to share them here. That put me as the target for your comment.
 
  • #42
I LOVE your flyers. Thank you so much for sharing! You have saved me a lot of ink and paper. HO should hire you! ;)
 
  • Thread starter
  • #43
Well look at this mess I started :p! KAM we love your flyers and I am glad you make them because I don't have time to do it and I would be lost if you didn't. While you took offense to Cathyskitchen, I really don't think she intended to offend you. I find that this type of communication can be difficult. I have often offended or been offended when I shouldn't have been. It is easy to read too much into what is written. We all agree that this is our own business and we can do as we chose to. That is the beauty of the Pampered Chef :love:!!
 

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