Best way to save an illustrator design so it cannot be altered

Question

I have designed a logo for a non-profit that I want to allow different committees to use it, but I don't want them to be able to alter anything but the size.

I have created the design as a vector image(all font saved as outlines) with transparent background and with separate versions for black, greyscale at 80%, white to print on dark backgrounds and a specified color.

The skill of members varies as does their printers, some barely know what a jpeg is, others are prepping brochures for press printing, others are using the image on the web and for email.

I know I can take most image formats and extract, distort, erase, change colors, superimpose other elements etc.

I don't want others to be able to do this without permission from the organization board. Using illustrator in CS5 on iMac 27" OS X 10.10.4

Answer 1

The key is to make it easier for people, not harder.

I have seen people Google their own company logo, then pick the first result (an off-color 200px JPG) blow it up to 1800px and use that as the introductory slide for their sales presentation. All because they were too lazy to search for the logo files on the company drive (admittedly, they were about 36 folders down).

So if you want to protect your logo's integrity, make it easy for people to find and use. Export it to as many formats as possible so everyone can find the version they need. Include a friendly and visual (!) reminder of what is and is not permitted.

Most of your co-workers won't alter the logo in any way. And if they really want to, there is no way to stop them anyway. Anyone who knows what they're doing can recreate anything you can see on a computer screen, no matter how well-protected it is. Just don't give them a reason to want to do it.

Answer 2

There is no way you can stop people for altering your design, full stop. You can make it harder, but you can not stop it. Once something is on somebody elses computer your at their mercy.

The most obvious way would be to ship a raster file at sufficient resolution. The other is to divide up and flatten all paths. Though that might be disastrous for web usecases.

Just write a note saying you may use but not alter.

Answer 3

I don't want others to be able to do this without permission from the organization board.

This has nothing to do with a file format. This is an administrative issue. If the board needs to autorize changes, probably some design issues were not adressed in the beginning, and some major changes need to be made. Colors? Shapes? Style?... Concept?

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The skill of members varies as does their printers, some barely know what a jpeg is, others are prepping brochures for press printing, others are using the image on the web and for email.

Here are two parts.

1) Education

And the way to adress this is by preparing a corporate identity manual.

You need to explain in clear form what you can do and what you can not do.

2) File Formats

This is to simplify things for users. I would prepare 3 levels.

a) Whoever needs a scalable format, you have lets say AI, or PDF or SVG files. CMYK and pantone color modes probably. (Graphic designers?)

b) Who needs a more fixed format, prepare a transparent png in diferent sizes. (Web designers?)

c) A specific aplication. A Power Point presentation, a Word or Excell header? Simply prepare the respective template. (Administrative personal?)

Answer 4

1. Export Ai file to pdf.

2. Open pdf in the Acrobat Pro

3. Go to Main menu / File / Properties / Security

4. Setup Password security for "Restrict editing" options