Improving Security

Master PDF Editor comes with a function for password-protecting documents. To do this, select Properties in the File menu and then click on the Security tab (Figure 9). Two types of passwords are available: The user password restricts the group of readers and their capabilities, and the owner password prevents users from changing the document [2].

Figure 9: Two passwords control various details in the reproduction of documents: On opening a document protected in this way, you first need to enter the password.

After setting the password, you can then set the desired properties. The next time you save, the editor considers the passwords and prompts you for them upon opening the document again – just like Adobe Reader. However, such passwords offer only limited protection: A web search for "pdf" and "password" provides numerous tools and recipes for working around this protection.

Settings

You can change many aspects of the interface and the internal processes of Master PDF Editor in Tools | Settings. Among other things, you will find a selection for localization and important options for saving, such as the default anti-aliasing (Smooth text and image, Figure 10).

Figure 10: A number of important decisions regarding the format are available in the Tools menu below Settings.

The Save file in PDF/A format option specifies that the editor applies the much stricter requirements of the PDF/A format when saving the file [3]. This mode also disables JavaScript (and therefore also multimedia content) and web links.

Conclusions

Master PDF editor, which also lets you edit XPS (XML Paper Specification) files if needed, turns out to be a great piece of software. It provides an easy and effective approach to correcting any errors you discover in a document. Thanks to its simple operation, even novice users will quickly achieve the desired results.

Additionally, response from the developers was amazing; within minutes, they responded to inquiries with understandable and qualified replies  – something that does not often happen, even with commercial software.