One of the explanations PDFs are so fashionable, particularly amongst legal professionals and different authorized professionals, is that they’re correct and (for essentially the most half) unalterable variations of paperwork that had been as soon as solely obtainable on paper. As a outcome, as a result of PDFs typically maintain info that we wish to preserve personal, they can be password-protected.

There are quite a lot of methods you’ll be able to password-protect a PDF file. If you employ a Mac, you need to use the Preview app that comes with macOS. If you employ a Windows PC, it’s just a little extra concerned; you need to use the Word app (assuming you’ve obtained a paid-for model), or you need to use a web-based app by Adobe (the corporate that created the format).

Here are step-by-step instructions that will help you defend your PDFs with considered one of these strategies.

Apple has offered password safety for PDF recordsdata with its Preview app, making the method very simple. Here’s all it’s important to do:

• Open the PDF file in Preview
• In the highest menu, choose File > Edit Permissions…
• You’ll then get a pop-up menu that can assist you to create a password to open the doc, together with a separate “Owner Password” separate password to make modifications in, or carry out duties utilizing, the doc. These modifications embody printing, copying, inserting or deleting pages, including annotations or signatures, or filling in varieties.
• Just click on on the Apply button, and also you’re carried out.

After that, you’ll be able to ship the file through electronic mail or retailer it within the cloud; if anybody needs to open it or (assuming you verify the bins) alter it in any manner, they’ll must know the password.

If you employ a Windows system, there isn’t any built-in option to password-protect a PDF. One manner so as to add a password is to make use of a web-based app from Adobe, the creator of the PDF format. If you’re comfy utilizing Adobe’s cloud storage for this goal, right here’s the way it works:

• Go to Adobe’s Password Protect tool.
• Drag and drop your PDF onto the app window, or click on on Select a file and select the file you wish to defend.

• Type in your password (you’ll need to repeat it) and click on on Set password.

• Once the doc is prepared, you’ll get a brand new web page with a Download button to click on. When you obtain your file, it will likely be saved to your laptop with “-protected” added to the file identify.

If you wish to save the file to Adobe’s cloud service, you’ll be able to sign up to Adobe utilizing your electronic mail handle or your Google account). According to a be aware on the obtain web page, if you don’t sign up, your file might be deleted from their server (which, for those who don’t need them to have a replica, is definitely an excellent factor).

If you wish to use Adobe to password-protect a PDF doc however don’t wish to do it on-line, you should purchase the standard version of Adobe Acrobat for about $156 a 12 months.

If you employ Microsoft Word, you’ll be able to password-protect a PDF file throughout the utility. It seems to be just a little advanced at first however is definitely fairly simple.

• In Word, open the PDF file you wish to defend.
• Word will inform you it’s going to transform the file to an editable format. Click OK.

• Go to File > Save As.
• Select the placement you wish to save the file to.
• In the left-hand column, you will note the place the identify of the file and its format is ready. Change the identify if you wish to.
• In the format subject, it can most likely be set to save lots of your file in Word format. Click on that subject and choose PDF as an alternative.

• Click on the Options hyperlink just under the format subject.
• In the following pop-up field, search for and click on on the Options… button.

• At the underside of the following pop-up, you’ll see a checkbox for Encrypt the doc with a password. Check the field and choose OK.

• You’ll get a field labeled Encrypt PDF Document. Enter your password (and repeat it within the second subject). Click on OK > Save.

Now, each time you wish to open the doc, you’ll be requested for the password. If you wish to take away the password, undergo the identical course of, however this time, uncheck the Encrypt the doc with a password field.

If none of those give you the results you want, there are a number of third-party apps that you need to use to password-protect your PDF file, such because the free Windows app PDFEncrypt and the net app Smallpdf. Whatever you resolve to make use of, including passwords to PDFs will offer you not less than a measure of additional security in your necessary paperwork.