HOW TO SECURE A PDF DOCUMENT
Requirements:
- You must have Adobe Acrobat Pro DC installed
- You must be in possession of an Adobe ID and Password (this is not the same as your UKZN LAN Account).
If you do not have an Adobe Account/License, you can email adobe@ukzn.ac.za to request a named user license.
- You must be signed in to Adobe with your Adobe Account so that all features in the application are available.
STEP 1: Open your Adobe PDF Document
Double-Click on the file or simply open Adobe Acrobat Pro DC from the Windows Start menu and then Click on the File menu à Open… browse to open your PDF document.
STEP 2: Editing and Saving / Locking your document
Once you have edited your document and are ready to save, you will have to lock your document so that no further changes can be made without a password.
Open the File menu and choose the Properties option from the list
Once the Document Properties window has opened, Click on the Security tab
On this Tab you will see the Document Restrictions Summary listing exactly what can be done with the document before restrictions.
Click on the drop-down box on the Security Method option and Choose Password Security.
When chosen, it will open the Password Security – Settings window
Choose the Tick box under Permissions to enable this feature
Once enabled, click on the drop-down box under the Printing allowed feature and choose High Resolution
The Changes Allowed feature must be set to None
You will need to set a password in order to change permissions after saving your document.
Once a strong password has been set, scroll down and click on OK to commit changes.
Click on the File Menu and Choose the option Save As…
Remember to save your PDF document under a new name (Student Number) and do not save over your original template document.
Once your document is saved, close the document and reopen to see if your restrictions have been set. You can check your settings by opening the Document Properties window once again and you will see the restrictions listed under the Document Restrictions Summary.
Your restrictions will also show that they are set if you are unable to enter any data as you did before restrictions.
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