How to Create Read-Only PDFs

PDF documents are widely used in today’s world, from business reports to resumes. However, sometimes you may want to restrict access to your PDF files to prevent any unintended changes or alterations. In such cases, making your PDF read-only is a simple and effective solution. If you’re not sure how to do it, don’t worry! In this article, we’ll guide you through the process of making a PDF read-only in a few easy steps.

Before we begin, it’s important to note that making your PDF read-only does not guarantee complete protection of your document. While it can prevent accidental changes, determined users can often find a way around the security measures in place. That being said, making your PDF read-only remains a useful tool for most purposes. Let’s get started!

How to Make a PDF Read Only: Protecting Your Document From Unintended Changes

PDFs have become the go-to format for creating and sharing professional documents. Unlike other file types, PDFs maintain their formatting and layout even when opened on different devices. However, one issue with PDFs is that they can be easily edited and manipulated. In some cases, you may find it necessary to make a PDF read-only to prevent unauthorized changes. In this guide, we will show you how to make a PDF read-only through different methods.

Method 1: Using Adobe Acrobat Pro

Adobe Acrobat Pro is a powerful PDF editor that allows you to create, edit, and secure PDF documents. Here’s how to make a PDF read-only using Adobe Acrobat Pro.

Step 1: Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro.

Step 2: Click on the “Protect” tab.

Step 3: Select “Encrypt” and then click “Encrypt with Password”.

Step 4: Check the box that says “Restrict editing and printing of the document”.

Step 5: Enter a password and confirm it. Click “OK” to save your changes.

Step 6: Save the PDF with a different name to preserve the original document.

Method 2: Using Microsoft Word

If you don’t have Adobe Acrobat Pro, you can use Microsoft Word to make a PDF read-only. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Open the PDF in Microsoft Word.

Step 2: Click “File” and then select “Save As”.

Step 3: In the “Save As” dialog box, select “PDF” from the dropdown menu.

Step 4: Click on the “Options” button.

Step 5: Check the box that says “Open file after publishing” and then click “OK”.

Step 6: Click “Save” to create the PDF.

Method 3: Using Online Tools

There are several online tools that allow you to make a PDF read-only. Here are a few popular options.

Option 1: Soda PDF

Soda PDF is a free online tool that allows you to create, convert, and secure PDFs. Here’s how to make a PDF read-only using Soda PDF.

Step 1: Go to the Soda PDF website.

Step 2: Click on “Upload PDF”.

Step 3: Select the PDF you want to make read-only.

Step 4: Click on the “Protect” tab.

Step 5: Select “Encrypt”.

Step 6: Check the box that says “Restrict editing and printing of the document”.

Step 7: Enter a password and confirm it.

Step 8: Click “Apply”.

Step 9: Click “Download” to save the read-only PDF.

Option 2: Smallpdf

Smallpdf is another online tool that allows you to make a PDF read-only. Here’s how to use Smallpdf.

Step 1: Go to the Smallpdf website.

Step 2: Click on “Protect PDF”.

Step 3: Drag and drop the PDF you want to make read-only.

Step 4: Click on “Add Password”.

Step 5: Enter a password and confirm it.

Step 6: Click “Encrypt PDF”.

Step 7: Click “Download” to save the read-only PDF.

Option 3: PDFescape

PDFescape is a web-based PDF editor that allows you to create, edit, and secure PDFs. Here’s how to make a PDF read-only using PDFescape.

Step 1: Go to the PDFescape website.

Step 2: Click on “Edit PDF”.

Step 3: Select the PDF you want to make read-only.

Step 4: Click on the “Protect” tab.

Step 5: Check the box that says “Encrypt this Document”.

Step 6: Enter a password and confirm it.

Step 7: Click “Save As”.

Step 8: Save the read-only PDF with a different name to preserve the original document.

Conclusion

Making a PDF read-only is essential to protect your document from unintended changes. There are different methods you can use to create a read-only PDF, including using Adobe Acrobat Pro, Microsoft Word, and online tools like Soda PDF, Smallpdf, and PDFescape. Regardless of the method you choose, creating a read-only PDF is a simple and straightforward process that will ensure the integrity of your document.

2. Ways to Make PDF Read-only

2.1 Using Adobe Acrobat DC

Adobe Acrobat DC is a powerful software for creating and editing PDF documents. This software also allows you to set a password for your PDF files and restrict access to them. To make your PDF read-only using Adobe Acrobat DC, follow these steps.

Step 1: Open Adobe Acrobat DC and open the PDF file you want to make read-only.
Step 2: Click on the “Protection” tab from the right-hand sidebar.
Step 3: Choose “Encrypt with Password” option from the drop-down menu.
Step 4: Set the password you wish to use for your PDF.
Step 5: Check the “Restrict Editing and Printing of the document” option and click on “Ok”.
Step 6: Save the document with the new settings.

2.2 Using Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word is a popular word processing software that can be used to create and edit PDF documents. You can set a password for your PDF files and make them read-only using Microsoft Word. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Open Microsoft Word and open the document you want to save as PDF.
Step 2: Click on “File” and choose “Save As” from the menu.
Step 3: Choose PDF(*.pdf) from the drop-down menu.
Step 4: Click on “Options” and choose “Encrypt the document with a password” option.
Step 5: Set the password you want to use for your PDF and check the “Restrict editing and printing of the document” box.
Step 6: Click on “ok” and save the document.

2.3 Using Google Docs

Google Docs is a web-based word processing software that allows you to create and edit documents, including PDF files. You can make a PDF read-only using Google Docs by following these steps.

Step 1: Open Google Docs and create a new document.
Step 2: Copy and paste the content of the PDF you want to make read-only on the new document.
Step 3: Click on “File” and choose “Download” from the menu.
Step 4: Choose “PDF Document (.pdf)”.
Step 5: When the PDF is created, click on “Share” to set the file’s sharing preferences.
Step 6: Set the sharing preference to “View Only” and enter the email address of the recipient.
Step 7: Click on “Done”.

2.4 Using Smallpdf.com

Smallpdf.com is an online PDF converter that allows you to compress, merge, and convert PDF files. You can also make a PDF read-only using this website.

Step 1: Go to Smallpdf.com in your web browser.
Step 2: Click on “Protect PDF”.
Step 3: Select the PDF file you want to make read-only.
Step 4: Upload the file to Smallpdf.com.
Step 5: Set password or leave it blank.
Step 6: Set the permissions for your PDF.
Step 7: Click on the “Encrypt PDF” button and download the protected PDF.

2.5 Using Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft PowerPoint is a presentation software that can be used to create and edit PDF documents. You can make a PDF read-only using Microsoft PowerPoint as follows.

Step 1: Open Microsoft PowerPoint and open the document you want to save as PDF.
Step 2: Click on “File” and choose “Save As” from the menu.
Step 3: Choose PDF(*.pdf) from the drop-down menu.
Step 4: Click on “Options” and choose “Document Security” option.
Step 5: Set the password you want to use for your PDF and check the “Restrict editing and printing of the document” box.
Step 6: Choose “No Changes Allowed” from the drop-down menu below the password field.
Step 7: Click on “ok” and save the document.

2.6 Using Foxit PhantomPDF

Foxit PhantomPDF is a PDF editor that allows you to create, edit and secure your PDF documents. You can make a PDF read-only using Foxit PhantomPDF by following these steps.

Step 1: Open Foxit PhantomPDF and open the PDF document you want to make read-only.
Step 2: Click on “Protect” tab and choose “Password”.
Step 3: Set the desired password and check the “Restrict editing and printing of the document” box.
Step 4: Choose “No Changes Allowed” from the drop-down menu below the password field.
Step 5: Save the document with the new settings.

2.7 Using LibreOffice Writer

LibreOffice Writer is a free and open-source word processing software. You can make a PDF read-only using LibreOffice Writer by following these steps.

Step 1: Open LibreOffice Writer and open the document you want to save as PDF.
Step 2: Click on “File” and choose “Export as PDF” from the menu.
Step 3: In the “PDF Options” dialog, click on the “Security” option.
Step 4: Choose “Password Security” and enter the password you wish to use for your PDF.
Step 5: Check the “Permissions” box and select the “Changes Not Permitted” option.
Step 6: Click on “Export” to save the PDF document.

2.8 Using Nitro Pro

Nitro Pro is a PDF editor that allows you to create, edit, and secure your PDF documents. You can make a PDF read-only using Nitro Pro by following these steps.

Step 1: Open Nitro Pro and open the PDF document you want to make read-only.
Step 2: Go to the “Protect” tab and click on “Password”.
Step 3: Set the desired password and check the “Restrict editing and printing of the document” box.
Step 4: Choose “No Changes Allowed” from the drop-down menu below the password field.
Step 5: Save the document with the new settings.

2.9 Using PDF-XChange Editor

PDF-XChange Editor is a PDF editor that allows you to make changes to PDF files. You can also use it to secure your PDF documents and make them read-only. Here are the steps to do it.

Step 1: Open PDF-XChange Editor and open the PDF document you want to make read-only.
Step 2: Go to the “Protection” tab and click on “Encrypt Document”.
Step 3: Set the desired password and check the “Restrict editing and printing of the document” box.
Step 4: Choose “No Changes Allowed” from the drop-down menu below the password field.
Step 5: Save the document with the new settings.

2.10 Using PDFsam Basic

PDFsam Basic is a free and open-source software that can be used to split, merge, and extract PDF files. You can also use it to make a PDF read-only.

Step 1: Open PDFsam Basic and choose “Encrypt/Decrypt” from the list of available actions.
Step 2: Add the PDF file you want to make read-only.
Step 3: Set the desired password and check the “Restrict editing and printing of the document” box.
Step 4: Choose “No Changes Allowed” from the drop-down menu below the password field.
Step 5: Save the document with the new settings.

The Steps to Make a PDF Read-Only

Making a PDF read-only is a simple process. In this section, we will discuss the steps that you need to follow to make a PDF read-only.

Step 1: Open the PDF Document

The first step is to open the PDF document that you want to make read-only. If you don’t have a PDF document, you can create one using software like Adobe Acrobat or Microsoft Word.

Step 2: Click on the File Menu

Once you have the PDF document open, click on the file menu in the top left corner of the window.

Step 3: Click on Properties

In the file menu, select “Properties” from the list of options.

Step 4: Change Security Settings

In the Properties window, click on the “Security” tab, and then click on the “Change Settings” button. This will open the “Security Settings” window.

Step 5: Make the PDF Read-Only

In the “Security Settings” window, check the box next to “Restrict editing and printing of the document”, and then click on the “OK” button. This will make the PDF read-only, and no one can edit or print the document without permission.

In conclusion, making a PDF read-only is a simple process that can help protect your documents from unwanted changes or printing. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can easily make your PDF read-only and ensure its security.

Thanks for Reading!

We hope you have found this article helpful in learning how to make your PDF files read-only. If you have any other tips or tricks to share, please leave a comment below. Don’t forget to come back soon and check out more helpful articles on our website. Until then, take care and happy reading!