PDF Permissions — Control Printing, Copying & Editing

Choose a PDF, set an owner password (required — it is what protects the rules), optionally an open password, and tick what readers may do: print, copy text, modify, annotate. The rules are enforced by the PDF’s encryption, applied by the open-source QPDF engine in your browser — nothing is uploaded.

Choose a PDF file or drag & drop here

Owner password (required) Open password (optional) Printing

Allow copying text & images Allow modifying Allow comments & annotations Allow filling form fields

Honest note: PDF permissions are respected by well-behaved readers (Adobe, browsers) — they are a “do not” sign backed by encryption, not an unbreakable vault. Anyone with the owner password can change them, so keep it private. If you set an open password, readers need it to open the file at all.

Share a document that can be read but not copied, printed or altered: real PDF permissions, encrypted in your browser.

UNDERSTAND YOUR RESULTS

PDF Permissions — Control Printing, Copying & Editing guide

Set real PDF permissions with AES-256 encryption: allow or deny printing (full, low-resolution or none), copying, modifying, annotating and form filling — all protected by an owner password you choose.

How to use this tool

Choose or drop your PDF. If it is already password-protected, unlock it first — permissions are applied fresh here.
Set the owner password (required: it is what stops readers changing these rules) and optionally an open password readers must type to open the file at all.
Tick what readers may do and pick the printing level, then click Set permissions & download. The done message lists the exact rules applied.

A worked example

A training provider sells a workbook PDF: printing allowed, copying and modifying denied, no open password so buyers read it instantly — but the text cannot be lifted into a competitor’s course without the owner password.

How it works

Permissions are written into the document’s encryption dictionary by the open-source QPDF engine running in your browser: the file is encrypted with AES-256, and the permission flags become part of that encryption. Mainstream readers (Acrobat, browsers, Preview) enforce them. The owner password authenticates changes; the optional user (open) password gates reading itself.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between the two passwords?

The open (user) password is typed to read the file. The owner password is typed to change permissions and security settings. A file can have an owner password only — it opens freely but its rules are locked.

Will denied copying stop screenshots?

No — nothing can stop a camera or a screenshot. Permissions control what reader software offers (copy, print, edit menus), which is the honest scope of the feature.

Which printing level should I choose?

Full for normal sharing; Low resolution (150 DPI) when people may print drafts but not press-quality copies; None when the document must stay on screen.

Can permissions be removed later?

Yes — with the owner password, using Unlock PDF. Without it, they cannot be legitimately changed, which is the point.

Are the passwords uploaded?

Never. Encryption happens in your browser; neither password nor file leaves your device.