How to password protect a PDF file

When sending any sensitive data through e-mail, including PDF (Portable Document Format) files, make sure to password protect or encrypt that information. Follow the steps below to create a password protected PDF without having purchased Adobe Acrobat.

1. Download and install PrimoPDF, a free PDF creator.
2. Open the document or picture you want to create as a password protected PDF.
3. Print the file. In the print wizard, change the printer name from your printer to PrimoPDF, and click OK to start the PDF creation process.
4. In PrimoPDF, as shown in the picture below, select the quality of file (we suggest "Print" or "Prepress") and click the Change button for PDF Security.
5. In the Password Security window, check the box for "Require a password to open the document" and enter the password you want to use, and then click OK.
6. Click the Create PDF button to create the password protected PDF.