How to Put Password on PDF File?
Summary: This write-up talks about how to put password on PDF file to enhance their data security. There are several different ways of doing this task both manually and professionally. For scenarios where there are fewer files, manual methods can get the job done. However, to password protect a PDF file in bulk using a tried and tested automated tool can be a good idea.
Why It Is Beneficial to Put Password on PDF File?
Secured way of sharing: When dealing with sensitive information, there are chances of data alteration in the PDF file. That’s why many experienced professionals and organizations prefer to share their PDF docs in a secured password protected format.
Limit the user actions: Once we password protect a PDF file, then we can limit the actions that users can perform on it. Actions such as file editing, printing and copying the file data can be restricted.
Preferred by many legal professionals: Being the digital copy of evidence that was once only available on paper, many lawyers prefer PDF files. The information inside it cannot be altered once it gets password locked and the data remains in its accurate form.
Safeguard PDF and its content: It is a good idea to put password on PDF file if it contains confidential data. Once it gets locked with a password, only users with valid credentials can access it.
Different Methods to Password Protect a PDF File
Here we will explore various methods to protect PDF file with password in detail.
Method 1. Protect PDF File With Password Using Adobe Acrobat
For this users are required to have Adobe Acrobat on their system. This utility allows us to read, edit, create and print PDF files. Moreover, there is an inbuilt function that lets users put passwords on their PDF files.
Follow the steps mentioned below:
Step 1. Launch the Acrobat Application on the computer.
Step 2. First Step, Open the PDF File and click the Tools option in the top menu bar.
Step 3. Then click on the Show More option in the Tools menu to see all options.
Step 4. After that, navigate to Protect >> Encrypt >> Encrypt With Password.
Step 5. Once a strong password is set, hit the OK button.
Step 6. Then select the Adobe version and Save the file.
For users who are using Adobe Acrobat Pro DC version, they can follow these below-mentioned steps to put password on PDF file :
Step 1. Run the Acrobat DC software on the system and Open the PDF File.
Step 2. Go to All Tools and click on Protect a PDF
Step 3. Now select Encrypt, and Create a strong password.
Step 4. After confirming the password, Save the PDF file to apply changes.
Method 2. Put Password On PDF File Using MS Word
With such a rapid growth in its popularity among professionals, now users can encrypt their PDF files with a password in MS Word as well. To do this, the application must be installed on their computer. After that, use the following steps:
Step 1. In the first step, Open the document using MS Word.
Step 2. Navigate to File >> Save As
Step 3. Now choose a destination location to save the resultant file.
Step 4. Then click on Options >> Encrypt The Document With A Password.
Step 5. Next step, create a robust password and hit the OK button.
Step 6. At last, click Save to encrypted PDF with the password.
Method 3. A Better Way to Password Protect A PDF Without Acrobat
Although users can manually encrypt their PDF files using Adobe Acrobat and MS Word. However, it can only be practical for less amount of PDF files. As it might take a lot of time to encrypt each file one by one. Furthermore, it lacks many advanced features to reduce the working load of a user.
Therefore, we suggest using an expert-recommended tool like PDF Lock Tool. This tool offers advanced features like locking the PDF files with passwords in bulk. Also, there is an option to set the Document-Open Password to cut down unwanted access. Or simply apply the User Password to block specific user actions. For a more secure version of PDF file users can apply both User and Document-Open Password.
Follow the steps mentioned below to put a password on the PDF file :
Step 1. Download the above-mentioned tool on the computer.
Step 2. Open the tool and click on Add File(s) to add single or multiple PDF files.
Step 3. In the next step, select the destination path by clicking on Change to save the files.
Step 4. Then click Next to navigate to the Settings page.
Step 5. After that, Click the checkbox of Apply Document-Open Password.
Step 6. Create a good-strength password and apply Document Restrictions, if required.
Step 7. Now, proceed to Encryption Type and select the desired one from the available options.
Step 8. Final step, hit the Lock button to protect PDF file with password.
Method 4. Put Password On PDF File Using Online Platform
For users who are looking for a quick in handy way to encrypt their PDF file, they can opt for an online platform to do this task. However, keep in mind that most of these sites store all the uploaded data in their database. So if data privacy is a big concern for you then opt for the methods mentioned above.
Perform these steps to encrypt and protect PDF file with password:
Step 1. Navigate to the website that offers PDF encryption.
Step 2. Then Upload the desired PDF.
Step 3. After that, choose the option to set/create a password.
Step 4. Once the password is created, click on the Encrypt button to download the password-protected PDF file.
Also Read: Easy Way to Sign A Secured PDF in Adobe
How to Encrypt and Protect PDF File With Password On MacOS?
For users who operate on MacOS, they can follow the below-mentioned steps to protect their PDF files.
Step 1. Use the Preview application to open the desired PDF file.
Step 2. Then go to File and click on the Export option.
Step 3. Click the checkbox of the Encrypt option
Step 4. After that, provide strong passwords in both the Password and Verify fields.
Step 5. Hit the Save button.
Summing it Up
Encrypting PDF files with a strong password always provides an extra edge in terms of data security. Therefore, in this article, we explored how to put password on PDF file using various methods. After considering the ins and outs of the methods mentioned above, users can choose them according to their needs.