Protect PDF files with nearly no effort
My Account

Protect PDF Documents

Encrypt & Protect a PDF document with a passwordProtect PDF documents with Perfect PDF®

Encrypting PDF documents was already an important topic before the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force. Invoices, a completed form with important data for the local authority or a document for the insurance company; many things are nowadays sent online. Once not paid attention and the email was sent to the wrong addressee, who now has access to confidential information. Find out, how to protect PDF files with Perfect PDF®.

Protect individual documents| Batch processing | While converting to PDF format

Using protection
for individual documents

If you only encrypt PDF files from time to time, it is sufficient to use this simple function. Open the PDF file in the Perfect PDF® program and click on the blue highlighted field with the soft Xpansion logo (start menu). At the very bottom of the drop-down menu the item “Document Properties” is located.

After calling up the document properties, a new window opens. On the left side different categories appear, which you can adjust. The default view on opening is “Document”. Select “Security options” and the desired level of encryption.

Passwords and Security Permissions

Now the password can be set and the security permissions can be defined. To protect the PDF document from unauthorized reading, a user password can be created. This is checked every time the PDF file is opened. If you want to protect your PDF file with a user password, it is sufficient to confirm the password by entering it again and clicking “OK”. The file should then be saved.

To be able to assign security permissions, you need an owner password. After entering and confirming the owner password, you can define the security permissions exactly. Should the encrypted PDF still be editable? Can the recipient print the PDF file (in high quality)? Should form fields be accessible?
If you want to encrypt the PDF file with both passwords, you should first set the owner password and the security permissions. Subsequently, a second password should be assigned as user password.

Protect Documents
– using Batch Processing

Batch processing offered by Perfect PDF® can be used for large numbers of documents. With batch processing, you can encrypt PDF documents with little effort. You can find this function under the “Add-Ins” tab in the Perfect PDF program, menu item “Change PDF file security settings”.

As a first step, you should upload all PDF documents that you want to assign a password to in the window provided for this purpose. Then, set the security settings and security permissions for all documents. In batch processing, no passwords or rights can be given for individual documents. Please use the document properties for this.

Password assignment
during conversion into PDF format

If you want your PDF files to be protected against unauthorized reading and modification during conversion by default, you can set this up in the printer profiles. You only have to enter the desired password once during setup, after which it is automatically assigned during each conversion. To change the settings, click on “PDF printer” in the start menu in the lower bar.

A new window with the printer profiles opens. Select a printer profile or create a new one (e.g. with the name “Security”): Then click on “View/Change”. Select the “Document” section on the left and select the security level/security permissions for all documents created with this printer profile.

Not found the right program yet? Try our Premium software for free now!

Perfect PDF 10 Premium - encrypt your documents

Perfect PDF 10® Premium is a software that enables you to master all everyday tasks in connection with electronic documents. PDF files can be edited, signed, encrypted, annotated and merged.
Go to Product Page

My Free Download

Looking for Apps for Windows?

Our Perfect PDF Apps offer all the functions you need to process electronic documents.

Program help

FAQ | Edit PDF documents | Protect PDF documents | Sign PDFs | Convert to PDF | Remove pages in a PDF document