What does a password do?

You can set up passwords to restrict access and usage of certain functions such as opening, editing, and printing. There are two types of passwords:

  • Open Password: the user must type in the right open password that you used to protect the document to open the document.

  • Permissions Password: while opening the document does not require a password, any attempt to alter restricted functions will be denied unless you enter the correct permissions password.

Note: if a document is protected with both types of passwords, you can use either one to open the document. If you use the open password to open the document, you will have to enter the permissions password when trying to change the restricted.

Methods to secure a PDF or PDF Portfolio with password security

There are two ways to secure a PDF file with password security.

  • Password Security dialog box. This is where you can view and edit both document open password and permissions password security settings. To open the Password Security dialog box:
    Choose Security > Encryption > Encryption > Interactive Password or open the Document Properties dialog box, click the Security tab and then click Settings.... You can also choose Security > Encryption > Encryption > Open Password/ Permissions Password to set a password directly.

  • Security scheme. A security scheme is a reusable security profiles in which custom security settings are saved. If you often need to apply the same security settings to multiple documents, it is advised to create a security scheme to save time.

Note: we recommend always keeping a backup of the encrypted PDF file in case you forget the correct password. You cannot retrieve password from the PDF.

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