Flattening, re-frying or print-to-PDF should prevent editing - but doesn't in DC

[richardr33924373]

Flattening, re-frying or print-to-PDF should prevent editing.  The Edit PDF tool in DC allows you to modify/remove highlights, text and callout boxes, exhibit labels, etc.  Is there a way to lock a PDF through Javascript which will invoke uneditability?  I have attempted to use the optimizer to do this.  I know I can set a passworded document but would prefer to process an editable PDF to non-editability through an Action.

[Moved from the non-support, general, all-of-Adobe forums Lounge to a product-specific support forum - Mod]

[Bernd Alheit]

With the Action Wizard you can add password security.

[richardr33924373]

Yes, but can you do it short of including a password?  I need to share the document with more than one person . . . just don't want tampering.

I will play with the Action Wizard again, but it seems to lead me to the regular permissions options which end with a password.

I have working on locking a Bates number using the Optimizer in the Save function when using the Action Wizard . . . just didn't know if there was another alternative.

Thank you.

Richard

[Test Screen Name · Accepted solution]

No, none of those SHOULD prevent editing and they never have. Acrobat's editor is designed to edit whatever is possible, and in Acrobat DC it can edit more.

If you want security (or some kind of security, it isn't really much use), then set security. Acrobat DC will respect this - that's what it's for. I don't know why the "more than one person" is an issue. Are you imagining you have to share a password?

[Test Screen Name]

One of the key reasons DC can do more is that if a page isn't editable in any obvious way (e.g. it's been rasterised), DC will quietly do OCR to detect the text and help the user to edit.

[richardr33924373]

One of the issues relates to the filing of a document with a court, e.g., an exhibit label.  Courts will generally not accept a document with is password protected.  We have had instances where a filed document with an electronic exhibit label attached found the document in the file with the label subsequently removed.  I grant this might be an isolated example, but in the case of a court document where you may have some annotations (primarily highlighting and exhibit labels), this is an issue.

I do appreciated the considerations and agree the responses received are correct.

Thanks to everyone for reviewing and responding.

Richard

[Test Screen Name]

Yes, there are many cases where a secured document is not acceptable. This is often because they need the right to change the files. A common requirement in professional printing. Can't see it for an exhibit label though.

But the basic principle is, if there is no security it can be edited, and Acrobat DC is smarter at editing, and overcoming all the methods you mentioned (and in principle, any other one).

Digital signatures are a way of detecting (not preventing) tampering if you are concerned with the authenticity of PDFs. This is entirely independent of security and editing.

[richardr33924373]

I concur, and thank you again.

R