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- PDFs can be editable, read-only, or password-protected.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- You can make PDFs non-editable and read-only within your operating system or your document management software.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- FileCenter enables security and productivity for all of your documents.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
READ ALSO:<\/em>
10 Best Document Management Software for Small Businesses in 2024<\/a>
10 Best Document Scanning Software for Windows 10 Users in 2024<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nTypes of PDF Permissions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
When you\u2019re collaborating on a project<\/a>, accessibility and editability are top priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When you\u2019re sharing static information that you don\u2019t want others to change, shareability and persistence are top priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When you\u2019re transmitting confidential information that you want to limit to certain viewers, privacy and security are top priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your level of PDF security should reflect your priorities in each given context, so the best document management tools<\/a> give you the most control over what permissions you assign to your documents. To support your changing priorities, there are three different levels<\/a> of PDF permissions: edit, read-only, and password-protected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- Edit<\/strong> is the default security level of a PDF. Edit means that anybody with access to the file can open, read, and make changes to the document. There\u2019s one important change that other users can\u2019t make: They can\u2019t restrict the permissions of the PDF to lock others out of it, only the document administrator (typically the document creator) can change the permissions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Read-only<\/strong> is the type of permission this guide focuses on. Anybody can read a read-only PDF, but they can\u2019t make changes to the contents of the document. Since they can\u2019t make their own changes to the document, the terms \u201cread-only\u201d and \u201cnon-editable\u201d are interchangeable. The document administrator can still make changes, but other users can only read the document.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Password-protected<\/strong> is the most secure type of PDF permission. While anybody can open and read an editable or read-only PDF, only users with the password can open and read password-protected PDFs<\/a>. The most common use of password-protected PDFs is for digital sales where users have to purchase access to a digital document.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Method 1: Operating System Settings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The simplest way to make a PDF non-editable and read-only is to simply change the permissions within your operating system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Microsoft Windows, locate the PDF you\u2019d like to make read-only within Windows Explorer. Once you\u2019ve found the file you\u2019d like to restrict, right-click it and select Properties from the menu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Find](\"https:\/\/www.filecenter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Image-1-9.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nFrom the Properties menu, look for the \u201cRead-only\u201d checkbox near the bottom of the General tab. To make the document read-only, all you have to do is mark the checkbox, and click either \u201cOK\u201d or \u201cApply\u201d to finalize the change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Select](\"https:\/\/www.filecenter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Image-2-10.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhile this change is easiest in Microsoft Windows, it\u2019s only slightly more complicated on a Mac computer. To make a PDF read-only in macOS<\/a>, follow a similar process by locating the file you\u2019d like to protect. Once you\u2019ve located the PDF, click \u201cFile\u201d and then \u201cGet Info.\u201d Next, navigate to the Sharing & Permissions tab to set access rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If this method is so easy, why would you ever use a more complicated method? The ease of use comes at a price: While it\u2019s simple to change an editable PDF to read-only, it\u2019s equally easy to change it back, and anybody with sufficient user rights can simply follow the same process to change the PDF back to editable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Method 2: Document Management Software Settings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The better method of making a PDF non-editable and read-only is to change the permissions within your document management software such as FileCenter. This method gives you more control over who can view and modify your PDFs and is easy to implement with document management software.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To get started in FileCenter, begin by locating the PDF you\u2019d like to modify within the Manage tab. Once you locate your PDF, double-click the document to open it in the Edit tab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Double-click](\"https:\/\/www.filecenter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Image-3-3-1024x533.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nWith the document open in the Edit tab, locate the Options menu on the bottom left side of the preview pane. (Note: The Options icon in the Thumbnail pane gives you access to different options than the Options icon in the Preview pane. To make your PDF non-editable and read-only, locate the Options icon in the Preview pane.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With the Options menu open, select Document Properties from the bottom of the list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alternatively, you can press CTRL + D to open the Document Properties menu directly from the Edit tab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Open](\"https:\/\/www.filecenter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Image-4-2.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nOnce you have the Document Properties menu open, select the Security category from the Categories list. Under Document Security, you will have access to the Security Method drop-down menu. To make your PDF non-editable and read-only, select \u201cPassword Security\u201d from the drop-down menu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Select](\"https:\/\/www.filecenter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Image-5-1-1024x712.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nAs soon as you select Password Security, the Password Security Settings menu will automatically open. From this menu, you can restrict all access to the document by selecting \u201cRequire password to open the document,\u201d but to make your PDF read-only, select the second option, \u201cRestrict editing and printing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Select](\"https:\/\/www.filecenter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Image-6-1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nBefore pressing \u201cOK,\u201d you can create a password and adjust other security permissions for your PDF document.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
FileCenter Document Management Software<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
PDF security isn\u2019t the only reason you should consider using document management software. FileCenter<\/a> is packed with helpful tools that help you maximize the value of your documents by making them accessible from anywhere in the world, converting PDFs to other helpful file formats like Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations, and automatically sorting documents based on their contents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Read-only<\/strong> is the type of permission this guide focuses on. Anybody can read a read-only PDF, but they can\u2019t make changes to the contents of the document. Since they can\u2019t make their own changes to the document, the terms \u201cread-only\u201d and \u201cnon-editable\u201d are interchangeable. The document administrator can still make changes, but other users can only read the document.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- You can make PDFs non-editable and read-only within your operating system or your document management software.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n