How to restrict printing and copying in a PDF
Control what readers can do with a document they are allowed to open.
Permissions cover the middle ground between a document anyone can do anything with and one nobody can open. The reader can read it; what else they can do is up to you.
Four things are controllable: printing, copying text, modifying the document, and adding annotations.
The steps
- Upload the document.
- Set an owner password — this is what would be needed to change these settings later.
- Tick what readers may do: print, copy text, modify, annotate.
- Run the tool and download the restricted file.
No password needed to read
Unlike encryption, permissions do not stand between the reader and the document. It opens normally. The owner password you set is what would be required to change these settings later — it is not something recipients need or should be given.
How much protection this really is
Permission flags are honoured by well-behaved PDF readers. They are a clear statement of intent and they stop casual copying. They are not encryption, and a determined user with the right software can bypass them.
Decide accordingly: use permissions to signal how a document should be treated, and encryption when it genuinely must not be read by the wrong person.
A sensible default
Allowing printing and annotation while blocking modification suits most review workflows — people can work with the document and comment on it without altering what it says.
