Knowledgebase

Question

How do I password protect a pdf file so no-one else can make edits to it?

Solution

Implement security onto a document

On the File tab, click Document Properties.

In the resulting window, navigate to the Security category, and change the Security Method to Password Security.

The Password Security Settings dialog will open:

Below we will detail the functions in this window.

Options

Compatibility is used to determine how far back, in Acrobat versions, your PDF will remain fully compatible. 

For best results, we recommend setting this to Acrobat 6.0 and later.

Document Passwords

Under this field you have two options. When you select either option, the fields beneath will no longer be grayed out, allowing you to input the desired password.

Select Restrict editing and printing... in order to use the permissions options:

Under Printing Allowed you can set at what quality the document can be printed. e.g. Low resolution, High resolution, or not at all (Not allowed)

Under Changing Allowed you can set what kind of changes are allowed to be made:

When you are satisfied with the settings, click on OK. The window will close, click OK on the Document Properties window. then save the document. 

When you save, a small padlock will show up next to the document name on the tab:

You now have a secure Document.