Beyond just password protection, PDF supports granular action permissions — a user can open and read the file freely, but be blocked from printing, copying text, or editing content. These restrictions are set by the owner password and honored by well-behaved PDF viewers. The Rankato Permissions Editor lets you review current permissions and update them without changing the open password.
Available permission flags
Print (with sub-option: high-resolution print), copy text/images, modify content, fill form fields, add annotations, extract pages, and enable accessibility features. Toggle each on or off; the tool encodes the permissions bitmask into the PDF's security dictionary.
How strong are these restrictions?
Honored by mainstream viewers (Adobe, Preview, browser viewers). Not enforceable in the cryptographic sense — a determined actor can strip permissions with the right tool. For actual security, encrypt the file with a strong open password.
Reading existing permissions
Drop any PDF and the tool shows current permissions before you edit. Great for auditing whether a PDF you received actually restricts what its creator claimed.