[JohnM]

Well I just installed Pep 4 Designer (Free) on my laptop to try this method out.
First things first ... If the pdo is protected it won't open in Designer but kick straight through into Reader ... where this stuff can't be done.

Some files will open Designer but will request a Password or to open in Reader. Obviously, if you haven't got the password, you're not gonna get it to open in Designer, only in Reader. The Artist doesn't want you to mess with his design. I have found that if you contact the artist and explain what you want to do, many will do it for you and send you the altered files.

However, if you do have the password or the file has been left open, you'll find that you CAN perform the de-lining and de-texturing operations as described in my previous post #4. BUT ... in the free version of Designer, you'll find that you cannot 'save' or 'save as' the changes. It will ask you to insert the 'Paid for' Keycode first.

However, you can cheat a bit, and instead of saving the altered file, you CAN print it. Probably best if you 'Print to PDF' so you have a digital copy. When you close the program, it will ask if you want to save the changes, but without the keycode it won't let you, and the file will revert to it's original state.

The bottom line being ... if the file is protected the Artist doesn't want you messing with his work ... and if you really need to use the full power of Pep Designer, Tamasoft would like you to pay for the program. It seems to be a one-off payment, not an annual subscription like many nowadays. Not having been a paid up customer for long, I can't confirm this though.