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How to password protect PDFs on Macs (for free) – Computerworld

If you are working remotely you may already be using or looking for some way to use password-protected PDFs to help maintain information security. Here is how to do so using your Mac’s built-in software.

There are two ways to create password-protected PDFs on the Mac, using Preview or the Print manager on the machine. Web Designing Course Online

How to password protect PDFs on Macs (for free) – Computerworld

You can use the multi-talented Print dialog to create a secure PDF. (Here are some additional printing secrets).

This hidden talent should benefit any Mac user who needs a more secure way to share documents and files.

Security options in the Print dialog’s “Save as PDF” drop-down menu allow users to password protect PDFs.

There are three PDF Security Options available. You enable them by ticking the checkbox beside each option.

Require password to open document: Check this, enter and verify a password, and you will be required to enter the password you created to open the document. This is quite useful when sharing confidential items via email.

Require password to copy text, images and other content: Check this box and anyone who opens the document won’t be able to copy items from within that document, which provides some protection against data leak. There is currently no protection against taking screenshots of the document, but it will not be possible to save the document as a new PDF.

Require password to print document: Check this box and enter and verify a password and anyone who gets their hands on the document will be required to enter a password to print that item.

You should then be able to handle these protected PDFs on iOS devices.

You can also use Preview to create a password-protected PDF though you must save the item as a PDF first and you don’t get access to as many options. Here’s what to do:

As you can see, the disadvantage of using Preview is that you do not get access to all the protections made available from within the Print Manager; that’s why I prefer to use the latter.

If you want to further enhance the security of the documents you want to share, you can also make use of utilities such as Keka ($3.99). It applies AES-256 encryption and lets you split your files into differently protected elements, making it even more challenging to get to your information. Keka is a highly capable tool for handling encrypted items of all kinds.

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How to password protect PDFs on Macs (for free) – Computerworld

Powerpoint Slide Design Hello, and thanks for dropping in. I'm pleased to meet you. I'm Jonny Evans, and I've been writing (mainly about Apple) since 1999. These days I write my daily AppleHolic blog at Computerworld.com, where I explore Apple's growing identity in the enterprise. You can also keep up with my work at AppleMust, and follow me on Mastodon, LinkedIn and (maybe) Twitter.