Creating a Secure TOU

This page describes the importance of using secure Terms of Use (TOU) documents in your business exchanges and how to create them.

The Purpose of a TOU

The TOU policy is one of the most important tools used by digital scrapbooking artists. The purpose of this legal document is to serve as a contract between digital art designer and customer. It describes the acceptable uses and unacceptable uses for the digital art products it pertains to. TOU’s are not always used in the course of business per say, as sometimes they are used when art is exchanged at no cost. This is the case many times with delivery of “freebie” products. TOU’s can also include more than just the description for legal uses of the art. For example they may include contact information for the artist, credits to other artists, and even coupons for online stores. However, its primary function is to serve as a legal agreement between parties and it should be written to serve this business exchange.

A Secure File is the Best Method

Many designers distribute their TOU via a plain text file. This is a big mistake because it’s not a secure document. When delivering the TOU in this fashion, the artist has minimal, and in some cases, absolutely no legal recourse if a customer is dishonest and changes the TOU document file. In the digital scrapbooking industry, it is rare that a digi-art exchange involves a signed agreement between two parties. Instead the TOU serves as a “memo of understanding” between the person distributing the art and the person receiving the art. Therefore it’s extremely important to create a secure TOU document - one that is easy to understand and cannot be changed by anyone once it’s delivered/accepted.

There is a Low-Cost/No-Cost Solution

We highly recommend artists to distribute their digi-art with TOU’s in a PDF file. This format offers several benefits:

• PDF files can be viewed using the free Acrobat Reader software, accessible from the Adobe website at: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/ .
• You can create secure files that can not be changed, and without any additional costs to the artist or the customer by using PDF converter software.
• PDF files can include both graphics and text, making it easy to use the Standardized TOU Initiative icons to simplify and clarify the document terms.
• These documents can also include hot-links. Hot-links are live hyperlinks that connect customers back to a websites with the simple click of their mouse.

Instructions

It’s very easy to create this type of file using just about any software program. Below is a step-by-step description of the steps to follow.  We also have a free PDF training file on this same subject that includes screen clips for additional information.  Here are the steps to follow in order to use the same method I use.

1. Install a PDF conversion program on your computer system. There are several types available online for quick download. Some at low-cost, some are free. I use the PRIMO-PDF program which is free. You can pick it up at: http://primopdf.com./ . This software is actually a printer driver and is super easy to install.

2. Create your TOU in the software product of your choice. I use the MS Word software to create my TOU documents.

Things to keep in mind when typing out your TOU:

• PDF converters compress graphic files. So you will see some degrading in your graphics that might result in some strange color changes. PRIMO is one of the few PDF converters I have found that will save a PNG file with its transparency intact.
• Not all PDF converters have methods for securing the final file. Choose and use only a converter that allows for this.
• Most PDF converters don’t allow for hot-linking to alternative text links. So if you want your links to work after the conversion, you have to type out the full URL. In other words, if you typed the words “click here” and attached the link to those words, the link will not work when it gets transferred to the PDF format. You have to type out the full address to include the “http://” portion of the URL.

3. Before converting the file, save it in the native format for the software you are using (in the case of a MS Word document the file format is .doc). Then access your printer options. From the choices of printers, select the PDF print driver you have installed. For me it’s the “PRIMOpdf” print driver.

4. Use the text box provided to give your file a name and location. Select the “Screen” setting and then click the Security button.

5. In the security window, set a password in the “Password to Change Security” option box. Select the 40-Bit encryption length. Allow users to print the PDF, but disable the options for copying text and graphics, for adding comments, and for the other options offered (i.e. adding, deleting pages). Then accept the security settings by clicking the “OK” button.

6. Click the “OK” button again to automatically send the file through the print driver and into a PDF file format.

That’s all there is to it.  Now you have a secure TOU in the PDF file format.

Additional Recommendations:

• Keep your graphics to a minimum. But ALWAYS use the Standardized TOU Initiative (STOUI) icons to help create a better exchange experience for everyone involved. Pick up your free STOUI icons from our download page.
• Use hyperlinks to give customers quick access to your website, your store, your email address, and your blog too!
• Keep the file as small as possible so you have more room in your zip files to deliver lots of great graphics to customers.
• Do not use the PDF save function available in the newest version of MS Word. Because there are no security settings to go along with this function. So the end result is an unsecured PDF file. Ultimately this is no better than an unsecured text file.

Get additional information about the Standardized TOU Initiative from the other Training we have available.

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