PDF Security

Security can be set to restrict access to the PDF or to require a password for modification. Some functions, such as splitting the document or extracting pages, cannot be performed without first breaking its security and doing so will revert the PDF to an unsecured state.

Some actions, such as certifying or digitally signing a document, automatically secure it.

This process can be performed on multiple PDFs at the same time. PDFs do not need to be open in Revu when the process is run. If a document is open in Revu, any changes resulting from the process will be made to the document, but the document will not be saved or checked in (if relevant); the user will need to save and check in the document manually. If a document is not open in Revu, and it is not checked out/locked by another user, changes will be applied and saved to the document automatically (without opening the document in Revu).

The Security icon on the Navigation Bar shows the current security settings of the active PDF. Click it for complete security details. In general, the icons indicate the following security states:

No security is defined.

Password is required to open the document.

Printing and editing are limited.

Password is required to open the document and printing and editing are limited.

While the icon visible in the Navigation Bar shows the current security settings of the active PDF, you might want to see more details that one icon can give you. To view more information about a PDF's current security settings:

  1. Open the desired PDF.

  2. Go to Document >  Security or click the Security icon on the Navigation Bar. The Document Properties dialog box, open to the Security tab, appears.

    The current security settings are shown. To change any of these settings, click Change Permissions and enter the PDF's password (if required). See Changing Permissions below for more information.

  1. There are several ways to access PDF security. Do any of the following:
    • Go to Batch >  Security.
    • Go to Document > Security, then click Change Permissions on the PDF Security dialog box that appears.
    • Go to Document >  Document Properties, then select the Security tab and click Change Permissions on the PDF Security dialog box that appears.
    • Click the Security icon on the Navigation Bar, then click Change Permissions on the PDF Security dialog box that appears.
    • Select Change Permissions from the Security menu on the Navigation Bar.

    The PDF Security dialog box appears.

  2. The active PDF, if any, is automatically added to the process. To add more PDFs, use one or more of the following methods:

    • Files: Adds individual files from a network or local drive. Selecting this option will cause the Open dialog box to appear. Navigate to the appropriate location and select the desired files.
    • Open Files: Adds all files currently open in Revu.
    • Open Set: Adds all files contained in the current Set.
    • Folder: Adds all files in a selected folder on a network or local drive, but not files contained in any of its subfolders. Selecting this option will cause the Select Folder dialog box to appear. Navigate to the desired folder and select it.
    • Folder and Subfolders: Adds all files in a selected folder on a network or local drive as well as all files within any of its subfolders. Selecting this option will cause the Select Folder dialog box to appear. Navigate to the desired folder and select it.
  1. To use a saved security configuration, select it from the Preset menu.
  2. To define a new security configuration, set one or both of the available passwords as described below (see Security Configurations for more information about the effects of the available combinations):

    1. If you wish to require a password to open the PDF:
      1. Select Require Password to Open the Document.
      2. Enter the password in the Open Password field.
      3. Enter the password again in the corresponding Confirm field. If the passwords do not match, the OK button will not be available.
    2. If you wish to enable editing and/or printing of the PDF:
      1. Select Enable Permissions to Limit Printing and Editing.
      2. Enter the password in the Master Password field. This password will grant users who possess it access to all editing and printing functions; all other users will be limited to the functions selected below the password fields.
      3. Enter the password again in the corresponding Confirm field. If the passwords do not match, the OK button will not be available.
      4. Set the permissions for users who do NOT have the Master Password by selecting from the available options. Users with the Master Password will have access to all the normal functions within Revu.
    3. If you wish to encrypt the PDF, select an option from the Encryption menu. The options are arranged in order of complexity, from simplest to the most complex. In general, choose the most secure encryption type that is compatible with the recipients' PDF reader. All three encryption types can be opened by Revu Windows version 10.1 and later and Revu Mac.
    4. To save this configuration for later use, see Saving and Applying Quick Security Settings below.

  1. Click Save at the bottom of the dialog box. The new security configuration will not go into effect until the PDF is saved.

Security settings may be saved so that the same settings can easily be used again when applying security to other PDFs.

To save a security configuration:

  1. Set the desired permissions as described in Changing Permissions above.
  2. Click Save to the right of the Preset menu. The Save Document Security Policy dialog box appears.
  3. Enter a name for this configuration and click OK.

To apply a saved security configuration:

  1. Open the desired PDF.
  2. Select the desired security configuration from the Security menu on the Navigation Bar.

When defining a security configuration there are two passwords that can be set. It is not necessary to set both if this is not desired. When deciding which configuration to use, consider the following:

Open password only

  • Users will be prompted for the password when trying to open the PDF.
  • Even with the password, no user will be able to edit or print the PDF.
  • Previews of the PDF will be obscured.
  • Any user who can open the PDF will be able to access and change the document's security settings.

Master password only

  • Users will not be prompted for a password when opening the PDF.
  • Actions available to users are determined by the options selected under Set Permissions on the PDF Security dialog box.
  • Previews of the PDF are not obscured.
  • Users will be prompted for the password when trying to access the document's security settings.
    • Accessing the document's security settings will also bypass any permission limitations established under Set Permissions for the user. For example, if Allow Changes was unchecked, users would normally be unable to make any changes to the PDF. However, a user with the Master password can use it to open the document's security settings, causing Revu to recognize them as a document owner and granting them full access to all functions.

Both Open and Master passwords

  • Users will be prompted for the password when trying to open the PDF. Either password will work.
  • Functions available to users who enter the Open password are determined by the options selected under Set Permissions on the PDF Security dialog box.
  • Users who enter the Master password automatically have access to all, normal Revu functions.
  • The Master password is required to access the document's security settings.
  • Previews of the PDF are obscured.

Related topics

Navigation Bar