How to Lock PDF from Editing Easily

Digital document PDF allows you to easily share, create, and edit PDF documents around the globe. On the one hand, people that you have shared the document with can easily view it. On the other hand, you don’t want people to edit the document. What if you don’t want anyone to edit it? Well, you can lock PDF files from editing. In this article, we will teach you how to lock a PDF file. PDFelement allows you to lock your PDF from editing using two approaches.

How to Lock PDF from Editing with PDFelement

PDFelement ProPDFelement Pro is the best software available in the market to lock a PDF. This software protects the PDF file by providing a password and other permission security parameters. Moving on to this versatile software, it is the ultimate solution provider for your PDF requirements. From basic editing to advanced protection to ORC feature it got you covered. It's simple, quick-to-locate; user interface makes it stand out from other PDF editors.

Let's dig into the step-by-step guide on how to lock PDF from editing and restrict users to copy and edit its information.

Step 1. Open a PDF file

First of all, you need to open PDFelement on your computer. On the software interface, click the 'Open files' icon on the home window. On that, a file explorer window will open up. This will help you add the PDF file into the software that needs to be locked from editing. Find the PDF file and choose it, and click on the 'Open' button to import it to the program.

Step 2. Lock a PDF from editing

Once the PDF is loaded on PDFelement, head to the 'Protect' tab on the left side of the toolbar then choose the 'Set Password' option. Thereafter, it will display the 'Security' dialog box, use this section to set permission password. Permission password gives us the provision to limit editing features and lock the PDF from editing. Enable Permission password by clicking on the permission checkbox.

Enter the confidential PDF lock password and then click the 'Changes Permission' from the drop-down icon. Select the 'No changes are allowed' options. After completing the selection, click 'Save' to implement the new permission setting, and lock the PDF from the editing password.

Step 3: Save a PDF with a password

Now that the lock is set on PDF for getting edited, complete the final step by clicking on the 'Save' button from the top 'Quick Access Menu'. With this, your PDF is locked from editing. No one can edit it without your permission.

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How to lock a PDF from editing

Alternatively, you can also go for the second approach - which is to lock your PDF document from editing using Signature. Let’s see how.

Step 1. Sign a document

When the PDF file is uploaded, click the 'Protect' tab from the left side of the toolbar. Protect features will be displayed just below the toolbar, click the 'Set Password'. This step will protect and lock PDF form editing by Signature. To do it, click the 'Sign Document' option from the sub-menu. Select the location where you wish to add a Signature on your PDF.

Step 2: Sign document to protect PDF from editing

Thereafter, a 'Sign Document' window will be shown. Click the 'Sign As' drop-down icon and select ID or click 'New ID' to create the new ID. Enter the password in the password field and enter and select other prompted details. When done, click 'Sign' to apply the signature on your PDF document.

In PDFelement, in these two ways, you can lock a PDF from editing easily. Adding password protection and permission parameter to your PDFs gives you the freedom to share your documents freely and maintain the originality of the document.

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