PDF Permissions: Open Password vs Owner Password

An encrypted PDF can carry an open password, an owner password and a set of permissions. The permission checkboxes only mean something when the owner password is set, so the pair has to be chosen together.

Why this comes up

Sending a file to a client and archiving one internally are opposite problems. The client needs to open it and perhaps print; the archive needs the file to stay unchanged while remaining readable to staff.

Check before you run it

• Set the open password for the people who must read the file. This is the password every recipient types. There is no recovery if it is lost, so store it before the file leaves your hands.
• Set an owner password when the permissions must hold. Without an owner password the print, copy, modify, annotate and assemble switches are advisory. With one, the recipient can open the file but a compliant reader enforces the limits.
• Separate ordinary printing from high-resolution printing. Allow printing when the recipient needs a paper copy, and allow high-resolution printing only when a quality copy is acceptable. The two boxes are independent.

When to reach for it

• A salary schedule goes to an external adviser. Set an open password, refuse copying and editing, and allow printing only if a paper copy is part of the job.
• An internal archive must be readable but not altered. Use an owner password with printing allowed and modifying refused, so staff can read and print without changing the record.

One question we get

How strong is the password protection?

Up to AES-256 encryption, with an optional separate owner password for permissions — readers can open the file but be blocked from copying, printing or editing if you choose so.

Where it fits

The tools people usually open next to Protect:

• Redact PDF — Mark sensitive content and remove it for good — what is under a mark is destroyed, not hidden.
• Unlock — Remove restrictions and password from PDF files
• Delete Pages — Remove pages from a PDF document.

Every tool works on a copy, so the original file is never touched. Uploads are stored under an unguessable id and deleted automatically two hours after you last open them; nothing is listed, shared or indexed. More on the security page.