The Security presets section allows you to manage the existing default presets or add new ones. These presets let you configure the security options for the resulting PDF file (setting a level of encryption protected by a password, that restricts certain document permissions for the resulting PDF file). A preset can be used by multiple printing profiles and whenever a preset is updated, it will be modified automatically in all profiles that use it.
Manage presets
New
This will create a new preset based on the default one. You can change its settings and use the Save button to record your changes and create the preset. It is created only after you click on the Save button, if you click on Cancel or select a different preset the current one will be discarded.
Copy
This allows you to duplicate an existing preset. To do so, just select an existing preset and click on Copy. Unlike the New option, when you copy an existing preset the duplicate is automatically saved with a different name (original name of the preset plus the word Copy ). Removing the original preset doesn't affect in any way the existing copy of it.
Delete
Deletes the preset selected from the list of presets. You cannot delete the default presets that are included in the application.
Browse
You can use the left/right arrows in the top-right section of the window to navigate back to the profile manager page or forward to the preset window. You can also access quickly the presets by clicking on the Profile text next to the navigational arrows and selecting the preset section you want to read more about.
Presets List
When the novaPDF is installed, a default set of presets is included for each section that uses presets. These presets have predetermined unchangeable settings that are taken into consideration when creating the PDF files.
However you can create custom presets based on the default ones that when used, will create PDFs using the options you've chosen. In novaPDF there are two types of presets, private and public:
- Private presets. A private preset is visible only to the current user. By default new presets are created as private and only the users from the computer where it was created will be able to see it and use that preset in their profiles.
- Public presets. Public presets are visible from all client computers (or other users on the same computer) that connect to and print via the computer where they are defined (the printer server). When a public preset will be used, all the settings from that preset will be propagated to the client computers.
This list shows the presets (both private and public) that were defined. The icon on the right of the preset name shows what type of it is (public or private). You can filter the shown profiles by starting to type in the search field and also use the Public/Private checkboxes to filter them by type.
Default Presets
The default security presets are automatically included in the application and available right after installation. These are presets created based on the most used scenarios for this section.
Allow changes
When this preset is used, the resulting PDF will allow editing, commenting and form-fill authoring. Printing and extracting text/graphics will be disallowed. To enforce this preset you need to make a copy and add an user password for it.
Allow copying, enable accessibility
When this preset is used, the resulting PDF will allow content copying and extraction and enable content access for the visually impaired. Printing, editing and form filling will be disallowed. To enforce this preset you need to make a copy and add an user password for it.
Allow everything
When this preset is used, the resulting PDF will allow all operations such as copying, printing and editing, enable accessibility.
Allow printing
When this preset is used, the resulting PDF will allow only printing. Editing, commenting, form-filling, copying and annotating will be disallowed. To enforce this preset you need to make a copy and add an user password for it.
Do not allow anything
When this preset is used, the resulting PDF will not allow any of the checked permissions (i.e. printing, editing, commenting, form-filling, copying, annotating).
Security
Name
You can type a name for the default preset you are editing/creating.
Description
Add a description for the default preset you are creating/editing.
Author
Optionally you can set the author for this default preset.
Private preset
When the novaPDF is installed, a default preset is created. This preset uses its own default printing settings to create the PDF files. However you can change those settings and create a custom preset, that when used, will create PDFs using the options you've chosen. For each newly defined preset you can choose to have it as Private or Public by checking or unchecking the Private checkbox.
User password
You can setup a user password for opening the PDF document. If you enter a user password, the document cannot be opened without entering user or owner passwords.
Owner password
If the PDF Document is encrypted, access permissions can be changed only if the document is opened with the owner password.
Encryption level
Available encryption levels are:
- 40-bit RC4 - low level security supported by Adobe Reader 3.0 and above. The PDF document will be encrypted with a low level encryption algorithm. You can setup passwords for opening the document and other access permissions for printing, editing or extracting text and graphics.
- 128-bit RC4 - high level security supported by Adobe Reader 5.0 and above. Allows setting up passwords and access permissions (printing, editing or extracting data) and also advanced permissions for the PDF document (print high-res, advanced extract, fill forms).
- 128-bit AES - high level security supported by Adobe Reader 9.0 and above. Allows the same protection options as 128-bit RC4.
- 256-bit AES - strongest encryption type, supported by Adobe Reader 9.0 and above. Supports all encryption options of the previous levels and adds encryption options for XMP metadata.
Document permissions
You can enable or disable permissions to:
Low level (40 bits) :
- Print document - if this is unchecked, the resulting PDF file will not allow printing (possibly not at the highest quality level, if Print High Resolution is not allowed)
- Modify document content - if this is unchecked, the resulting PDF will not allow editing
- Extract text and graphics - if this is unchecked, the resulting PDF file will not allow text/graphics extraction, including copying text from the PDF file
- Modify annotations, fill forms - if this is unchecked, the resulting PDF will not allow filling forms or changing annotations (if Modify document content is allowed, create or modify interactive form fields)
High Level (128 bits), has all the features of the low level protection plus :
- Print high resolution (print the document to a representation from which a faithful digital copy of the PDF content could be generated. When this is not allowed, but Print document is allowed, printing is limited to a low level representation of the appearance, possibly of degraded quality (150dpi maximum image quality).
- Assemble the document (insert, rotate, or delete pages and create bookmarks or thumbnail images)
- Advance extract text and graphics (force allow extract text and graphics in support of accessibility to disabled users or for other purposes)
- Advance fill forms (fill in existing interactive form fields, even if Modify Annotations, Fill Forms is not allowed)
Strongest Encryption Level (256 bits), has all the features of the high level protection plus :
- Encrypt XMP Metadata with AES encryption - if this is checked the extended markup metadata will be encrypted and not visible in the PDF viewer.
Note: Some of the features mentioned on this page might not be available in your edition. The Professional edition includes all the features, while Standard and Lite have limited functionality. For a comparison between editions, please check feature matrix topic.