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Know-How to Remove Watermark From Locked PDF Documents

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Published By Nilesh Kumar
Debasish Pramanik
Approved By Debasish Pramanik
Published On July 8th, 2024
Reading Time 6 Minutes Reading
Category Adobe PDF

Do you want to know how to remove watermark from locked PDF or Restricted PDF? Read this article to learn the best technique to remove watermark from protected PDF documents.

In general, there are two methods to fix this issue i.e. long method and the smart method. In this article, we will go through both approaches.

  • Lengthy method (Also the Most Expensive) — Via Adobe Acrobat
  • Quick and Easy Method- Using PDF Watermark Remover Software

These are professional solutions that can be utilized for legal papers or business-related tasks.

Table of ContentsHide

How to Remove Watermark From Locked PDF Document Using Adobe Acrobat?

As we already know, Portable Document Format (PDF) is a versatile and practical solution in many sectors that operate in information sharing and receiving. However, sometimes clients find many drawbacks depending on his/her needs such as a watermark on a locked PDF.

So, to remove the watermark from the locked PDF, first, you must remove its security. Only after removing the security from the PDF file, you can remove watermark from a PDF file.

Remove Watermark from Locked PDF (Two Parts)

  • First Part – Remove Security from PDF file.
  • Second Part – Remove Watermark from that PDF.

First Part – Remove Watermark from Protected PDF

      • Launch the Adobe Acrobat program and open the locked PDF document with watermark.
      • Select File >> Properties from the navigation bar.

Navigate to the Security tab in the Document Properties dialogue. In the Security, Method box select No Security from the drop-down menu. When prompted for a Permissions Password, enter the password in the column and click OK.

Recommendation: If you forgot the permission password, you can use the Best PDF Password Remover to remove restrictions without entering the password.

    • Next, click OK to confirm. Click OK again.
    • Finally, click Ctrl + S to save the updated PDF document.
    • Now that your PDF is unlocked, you can move to the next part to remove the watermark from it.

Second Part: Remove Watermark from Locked PDF

    • Click Tools on the toolbar to open the Tools pane, and then select the Pages pane from there. Just below the Edit Page Design section, click on Watermark. A drop-down option will display, simply hit the Remove button.
    • A confirmation dialogue box will display; click yes to confirm.
    • Finally, click Ctrl + S to save the changes in the updated PDF.

This is how to remove watermark from protected PDF file using Adobe Acrobat Software. If you haven’t already had an expensive subscription, then you can go with the alternative option showcased here.

Remove Watermark from PDF Document using Microsoft Word

You can use Microsoft Word to remove the watermark if you have removed security from the password-protected PDF document. 

  1. To open the PDF file with Microsoft Word Right-click on it and select the file Open with Microsoft Word.
  2. You will be informed that the PDF file will be transformed into an editable Word document when Microsoft Word launches. In the prompt dialog box, click the OK button.
  3. You may remove the text of the watermark from a PDF file by opening it in a Word file then Right-click on the text and go to the Delete button.
    4. Select the Insert tab from the menu bar, click the Header button, and then select Edit Header from the drop-down menu to get rid of picture watermarks.
  4. To erase the image watermark, click on the area that you want to choose, and then hit the Delete keys on your machine.
  5. Return the Word document to a PDF file once the watermarks have been eliminated. To accomplish this, select the File tab from the Microsoft Word menu bar, then select Export from the Backstage menu; Create a Document in PDF or XPS format.
  6. Choose PDF, enter a file name, choose a destination, and press the Publish button on the “Publish as PDF or XPS” popup.
  7. The watermarks are removed and the Word document is converted back to a PDF file.

Limitations of The Manual Solution to Remove Watermark From Locked PDF Documents

Remove watermark from protected PDF documents using manual methods has several limitations and challenges. Here are the key limitations:

  • Removing watermarks manually on every page, especially when using picture editing tools, can take a long time, especially for large or complicated papers.
  • Proficiency in advanced technologies such as Adobe Acrobat Pro and Microsoft Word is required.
  • Certain watermarks are difficult to remove without causing harm to the document because they are firmly ingrained in it.
  • Removing watermarks manually from documents that have many overlapping watermarks is quite difficult.
  • Unlocking PDFs via web tools can jeopardize privacy and security, particularly when dealing with sensitive information.

In summary, manual techniques are frequently unfeasible for larger or more complicated papers, even though they might be useful in some situations. These techniques can raise issues with quality and security and need a large investment of time, energy, and technological know-how. Watermarks on restricted PDFs can frequently be removed more effectively and consistently by using a one-stop trick to remove watermark from locked PDF documents.

One-Stop Trick to Remove Watermark From Locked PDF 

As you have already seen the above method has both negative traits that are time-consuming and chances of human error, users who haven’t bought their subscription can erase watermarks from their secured PDF files using a PDF Watermark Eraser. This solution is much cheaper and easy to use compared to Adobe Acrobat. The unique feature of this solution is that if your PDF has master-level security, also known as “Edit Restrictions” you do not need to enter any permission password to access it.

What’s Next?

Once you’ve removed the watermark from your PDFs, it’s crucial to add another one to keep them safe from unauthorized access. Luckily, the PDF Watermark Maker makes it simple to create and add watermarks to multiple PDFs at the same time.

Read More: Know – How to Delete Digital Signature from PDF?

Conclusion

This post has depicted the best available solution for user query how to remove watermark from locked PDF. You can choose either an expensive Adobe Acrobat or a budget-friendly yet effective software to remove watermark from protected PDF file. If you haven’t bought Adobe Acrobat yet, try the free demo version of the Recommended solution and evaluate its functioning yourself.

Read More- How to Unprotect Multiple PDF Files in Most Efficient Ways?

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By Nilesh Kumar

As a Chief Technical Writer, I know the technical issues faced by home and professional users. So, I decided to share all my knowledge via this blog. I love to help you with challenges while dealing with technical jargon.