Making Adobe PDFs from Word docs on the iMac--help?

[SpiceGrrl]

Hello, I got my iMac last October and installed MS Office 2011 so I could continue using Word for file compatibility reasons. I also have Adobe Acrobat Pro. Because of the business I am in (I am an online publisher), I frequently need to convert Word docs to PDFs that have certain security features such as you can't copy or edit. That is why I bought Adobe. Questions:

* When a Word doc is ready to be converted to PDF, what I normally do is I "save as" PDF. But when doing that, Word does not offer me any of the security options that I know come with Adobe. Nor is the word "Adobe" mentioned at all. From this, I conclude that there must be some default PDF converter that Word uses, unless told otherwise. There is no indication that Adobe is being used--although when I look at the saved document on my iDisk, its icon does looks like Adobe. Does that mean Adobe is being used? If not, how can I instruct Word to use Adobe? I have already looked in the general settings for Word, and the Help pull-down menu, and found nothing relevant.

* The only other way I know to convert a Word doc to PDF is to open the print dialogue box and "print" the document, choosing PDF. That does give me the choice to save as an Adobe PDF. But it still does not give me any choices re security options.

I am busily consulting the Adobe user forums now but would really appreciate any clues from YOU guys, my trusty Mac gurus.

SpiceGrrl

 

[dknightd]

I print to pdf using word. Then open in acrobat and set the permissions you want.

 

[SpiceGrrl]

You mean the security settings can be changed in Adobe AFTER the PDF is created? What is to stop readers who also have Adobe from changing them on their own computers?

 

[dknightd]

You mean the security settings can be changed in Adobe AFTER the PDF is created?

Yep. File - Properties - Security

What is to stop readers who also have Adobe from changing them on their own computers?

a password

(but even then, a dedicated user could probably find a way to work around security settings)

 

[jlc1978]

You mean the security settings can be changed in Adobe AFTER the PDF is created? What is to stop readers who also have Adobe from changing them on their own computers?

if a file is originally set with no security enabled it's not surprising anyone can up the security level. Once it has been set someone needs to know the password to be able to make changes. Even with a password the security settings aren't that strong.

 

[AFPoster]

I don't know if this relates to all of you but I just got this e-mail from Adobe a month ago, it's been very useful to me (via bootcamp) and might be to you all as well:

https://exportpdf.acrobat.com/pricing.html

It allows you to convert from PDF to Word for $19.99 a year.

 

[SpiceGrrl]

Much appreciating the help! I am doing fine now with creating secure PDFs. I realize neither Word nor Adobe are Mac apps, so technically I should not have brought this subject up in this "Mac Apps" forum, but somehow I escaped getting spanked thanks to the graciousness of this community. Really appreciate that.