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Adobe Acrobat and PDF distribution

Archived instructions

These instructions are kept for reference for documents created with older versions of Word. Current High Tech Forms templates no longer work with very old versions of Word. Contact High Tech Forms Support if you are unsure whether they apply to you.

Acrobat hiding the High Tech Forms menu

Acrobat's Word macros can conflict with the High Tech Forms menu and prevent it from appearing.

First, try this workaround:

  1. Right-click the menu bar.
  2. Click Customize.
  3. Click Close. Check whether the High Tech Forms menu appears.

If the menu still does not appear, disable Acrobat's Word integration macros. Create PDFs through the Acrobat application rather than through its Word macros. For organization-managed software, ask your IT department to make this change. See Macro security for guidance on Word's security settings.

For help finding the menu, see The High Tech Forms menu or contact High Tech Forms Support.

Why password protect your PDF files

You may want to distribute your contracts as PDF files. Do not assume that a PDF cannot be edited or converted. A recipient could convert a PDF to Word, modify it, and save it as a PDF with the same filename without your knowledge or approval.

Use password-based editing restrictions to limit changes while allowing recipients to read or print the file. These restrictions depend on the software honoring them and do not guarantee that content cannot be copied, converted, or altered.

PDF file password protection

PDF creation tools, including Word, Acrobat, and PDF printer drivers, provide different protection controls. Consult the documentation for your application to learn how to password protect the PDFs you create.

How to password protect your PDF files

  1. Always save and retain your document in Word format first. Return to this Word document if you need to make changes later.
  2. Create your PDF and apply password-based editing restrictions while allowing recipients to read or print it. Use a strong unique password.

Always proofread final copies received from others before signing, even if you distributed a password-protected PDF. File security can still be compromised.