How to Print Encrypted PDF Files
By Matthew Burley
The Adobe PDF (portable document format) is a versatile type of file that retains its settings across various programs. While this typically involves consistent display settings, it can also apply to the security settings that the PDF file type offers. A PDF can be encrypted to only open when a password is provided, or it can be encrypted so that a password is needed to edit or print the document. This setting can be changed or removed to allow for printing of an encrypted document.
Print an Encrypted PDF with Adobe Acrobat or PDFSecure
Step 1
Navigate to the website for Adobe Acrobat or PDFSecure.
Step 2
Click the "Download" button, select a location on your computer for the saved file, then click the "Save" button.
Step 3
Double click the downloaded file, then follow the on screen prompts to complete the installation.
Step 4
Open your downloaded program.
Step 5
Click the "File" button at the top of the screen, then select the "Open" option.
Step 6
Navigate to your encrypted PDF and click the "Open" button.
Step 7
Click the "Advanced" button at the top of the screen, select "Security", then "Encrypt with Password".
Step 8
Type the password when prompted.
Step 9
Click the box in the "Permissions" section next to "Restrict editing and printing of the document". Once the box does not have a check mark in it, click the "Ok" button.
Step 10
Select the "File" option at the top of the screen, then select "Print".
Step 11
Specify your printing settings, then click the "Print" button.
Print an Encrypted PDF with PDFProtect
Step 1
Navigate to the PDFProtect website.
Step 2
Click the "Download" button, select a location on your computer for the installation file, then click the "Save" button.
Step 3
Double click the downloaded installation file, then follow the on screen prompts to complete the installation.
Step 4
Launch the PDFProtect program, then click the "Open" button and navigate to the location of your encrypted PDF file.
Step 5
Select the security settings for your document. Select to allow printing, then click the "Start" button. A new, printable version of your PDF will open. Click the "Print" icon, then specify your printer settings and click the "Print" button.
References
Tips
- It is also possible to only allow certain types of printing within a PDF document by configuring the security settings within Adobe Acrobat or PDFSecure
Writer Bio
Matthew Burley has been a writer of online content since 2005. You can view many of his articles on associatedcontent.com. Burley holds a Bachelor of Science in political science from Arizona State and a Master of Science in computer information systems from the University of Phoenix.