Password-protect a PDF
You’re sending a PDF that contains sensitive information and want it locked with a password.
- Choose Export, then enable password protection.
- Set the password and choose which permissions to restrict (printing, editing, and so on).
- Export, then pick where the file should go — Orifold applies real AES-256 (PDF 2.0 / R6) encryption and verifies the result before writing the file.
Why it matters: this is genuine AES-256, not a “protected” flag a reader can ignore — and Orifold re-opens the encrypted file to confirm the lock actually took before handing it to you.
Password rules
Section titled “Password rules”An export password must be at least 8 characters. Below that, Export stays disabled and an inline message explains why.
If the password is allowed but on the weak side — shortish and drawn from fewer than three of lowercase, uppercase, digits, and symbols — Orifold shows a hint suggesting a stronger one. That hint doesn’t block the export; it’s advice, not a rule.
Encryption runs after you’ve chosen the destination, with a progress indicator and a working Cancel, and the window stays responsive while it works.
There is no password recovery. This is real encryption — if you lose the password, the file is unrecoverable. Store it somewhere safe before you send the file.
What you should see
Section titled “What you should see”The exported PDF prompts for a password when opened in any standards-compliant PDF reader.