Changing security settings in Adobe Acrobat

Note: If the security settings of the PDF documents are password-protected, you will need this password in order to access and change the security settings.

To change the security settings

In Adobe Acrobat, choose File > Properties .
Switch to the Security tab.
Beside the Security Method list, click the Change Settings button.
Type the Permissions password in the Enter password box and click OK. In the Password Security - Settings dialog that appears, you can change or switch off the security settings for the document.
Modify the security settings in the Password Security - Settings dialog:
- To remove all security from the document, disable the Restrict editing and printing of the document. A password will be required in order to change these permission settings. option.
- To allow copying of text, images, ... select Enable copying of text, images, and other content; to prevent copying, clear the checkbox.
- To enable document assembly features, from the Changes Allowed list, select Inserting, deleting and rotating pages; to disable them, select None.
- To enable all the Adobe Acrobat form features, from the Changes Allowed list, select Commenting, filling in form fields, and signing existing signature fields.
- To enable only filling in and signing, disabling the creation of new form fields, from Changes Allowed list, select Filling in form fields and signing existing signature fields.
Click OK and save the document.
If you don’t know the Permissions password, the only other option you have is to re-create the PDF document from the original document. Redistilling the secured PDF document, i.e. opening it in Acrobat Distiller and converting it to a new PDF document, won’t help: the new PDF document will have the same security settings.

Note: For more information on Adobe Acrobat security settings, see the Adobe Acrobat Online Help (in the section Adding Security to PDF Documents).