Change Permissions
Set what a PDF allows: printing, copying, editing, filling in forms. The limits need a new owner password; PDF readers honour them, but they are not a lock.
About This Tool
Change Permissions rewrites the protection of a PDF: which of printing, copying, editing, annotating, form filling and page assembly it allows, and which passwords it carries.
The limits are stored with an owner password, so you have to type one, and it must be different from the user password; the button waits until then. A user password is optional: leave it empty and the file opens for anyone, with the limits in place. To take the protection off a file, use Remove Restrictions.
The limits are a request that PDF readers follow, not a lock: Remove Restrictions takes them off without the owner password. All processing happens in your browser, ensuring your documents remain private.
How to Use
Upload Your PDF
Drag and drop your PDF file or click to select.
Set Permissions
Tick what readers may do and untick the rest; "Allow All" and "Restrict All" set every box at once. With "Allow Printing" ticked and "Allow High-Quality Printing" unticked, readers may print a degraded copy only.
Apply and Download
Type a password under "Owner password (needed)", click "Apply Permissions", then download the result. If the file asks for a password when it is opened, type that under "Current Password (if PDF is encrypted)" first.
Use Cases
Prevent Copying
Untick "Allow Copying" and most PDF readers will refuse to copy text. This discourages copying; it does not prevent it.
Control Printing
Allow printing, allow it at low quality only, or ask readers to refuse it.
Limit Editing
Ask PDF readers not to let the document be changed. Someone determined can still remove the limit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a password?
Yes, a new owner password, different from the user password if you set one; the tool does not run without it. The current password is needed only for a file that asks for one when it is opened; its user password or its owner password will do.
Can permissions be removed?
Yes, and the owner password is not needed for it: Remove Restrictions takes the limits off any file that can be opened. They stop accidental printing or copying in ordinary PDF readers, and nothing more.
Are all PDF readers compatible?
Most PDF readers respect permissions, but some may not enforce them.