You can limit access to a PDF file by setting a Document Open password, which requires a user to type the correct password to open it. You can encrypt a single PDF file, components of a PDF Portfolio, or an entire PDF Portfolio.

Note: you are not allowed to change or remove the security settings of a signed/certified document. To add a password, you have to clear all signature fields by choosing Form > Advanced > Reset Form Fields or use a then-created Reset Form button.

Managing password security

  1. Open a PDF file and do any of the following:

    • To add a password to a single PDF or a component of a PDF Portfolio (double-click to view the file in the PDF Portfolio), choose Security > Encryption > Encryption > Interactive Password or Document Properties/Preferences > Document Properties…. (File > Properties > More Properties). In the Document Properties dialog box, on the Security tab, select Password Security from the Security Method drop-down menu.

    • To add a password to an entire Portfolio, choose File > Document Properties…. In the Document Properties dialog box, on the Security tab, select Password Security from the Security Method menu.

  1. Upon receiving a prompt, click Yes to allow changing the security settings of the document.

  2. In the Password Security dialog box, select a PDF version from the Compatibility drop-down menu. The PDF version you choose determines the level of encryption, which should be equal to or lower than the recipients’ version of Right PDF Editor or Reader.

    • PDF 1.2 and later secures the document using 40-bit encryption.

    • PDF 1.4 and later secures the document using 128-bit encryption.

    • PDF 1.5 and later secures the document using 128-bit encryption.

    • PDF 1.6 and later secures the document using the AES encryption algorithm with a 128-bit key size.

    • PDF version 1.7 and later (low security) secures the document using 256-bit AES encryption.

    • PDF version 1.7 and later (high security) secures the document using 256-bit AES encryption.

Note: be aware that anyone using an earlier version of PDF application/reader cannot open a PDF document with a higher compatibility setting.

  1. Select an encryption option, check Allow document opening only by password, and then type a Document Open Password in the Document Open Password field. If you select Encrypt only file attachments, the Document Open Password field will be replaced by the File Attachment Open Password field. Here are the encryption options:

    • Encrypt all document contents. Select to encrypt the document and the document metadata.

    • Encrypt all document contents except metadata. Select to encrypt the contents of a document except metadata. This option is available only when the compatibility is set to PDF 1.5 or later.

    • Encrypt only file attachments. This option is available only when the Compatibility is set to PDF 1.6 or later. It requires users to type a File Attachment Open Password to open file attachments and they no longer need a password to open the document. Select this option and then type a password into the File Attachment Open Password field. This is mainly used to secure file attachments attached in a security envelope.

  1. Click OK. At the prompt to confirm the Document Open Password, retype the password in the field and then click OK.

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