Comments on: Password protect a PDF document in PHP

By: kumar

kumar — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 16:08:14 +0000

When I encrypted the file it is opening with out asking for password on Mac
Is that normal? Am I missing something?

By: ParthaSarathi

ParthaSarathi — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 06:50:02 +0000

We used this api to protect the pdf file while uploading. It works on Windows machine, but, when the file opened in MAC machine it’s not asking for the password.. any help?

By: Sarker

Sarker — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 20:53:56 +0000

Hi,
I have this code below to create a pdf on the fly and send as an email attachment. I like to make it password protected for open and everything. Is there any way I could use your code?

// download fpdf class (from fpdf.org)
require(“fpdf/fpdf.php”);

// fpdf object
$pdf = new FPDF();

// generate a simple PDF (for more info, see http://fpdf.org/en/tutorial/)
$pdf->AddPage();
$pdf->SetFont(“Arial”,”B”,14);
$pdf->Cell(40,10, “this is a pdf example”);

// email stuff (change data below)
$to = “info@XXXXX.com”;
$from = “info@XXXXXX.com”;
$subject = “send email with pdf attachment”;
$message = “Please see the attachment.”;

// a random hash will be necessary to send mixed content
$separator = md5(time());

// carriage return type (we use a PHP end of line constant)
$eol = PHP_EOL;

// attachment name
$filename = “bookingrequest.pdf”;

// encode data (puts attachment in proper format)
$pdfdoc = $pdf->Output(“”, “S”);
$attachment = chunk_split(base64_encode($pdfdoc));

// main header (multipart mandatory)
$headers = “From: “.$from.$eol;
$headers .= “MIME-Version: 1.0″.$eol;
$headers .= “Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary=\”".$separator.”\”".$eol.$eol;
$headers .= “Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit”.$eol;
$headers .= “This is a MIME encoded message.”.$eol.$eol;

// message
$headers .= “–”.$separator.$eol;
$headers .= “Content-Type: text/html; charset=\”iso-8859-1\”".$eol;
$headers .= “Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit”.$eol.$eol;
$headers .= $message.$eol.$eol;

// attachment
$headers .= “–”.$separator.$eol;
$headers .= “Content-Type: application/octet-stream; name=\”".$filename.”\”".$eol;
$headers .= “Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64″.$eol;
$headers .= “Content-Disposition: attachment”.$eol.$eol;
$headers .= $attachment.$eol.$eol;
$headers .= “–”.$separator.”–”;

// send message
mail($to, $subject, “”, $headers);

By: Heiko

Heiko — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 17:26:12 +0000

The FPDI-Encryption (40 bit) is not very secure.
It’s “cracked” in about 5-10 Minutes.

By: Gabriel Braila

Gabriel Braila — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 11:36:02 +0000

I’m doing an online calendar generator as pdfs but encrypting files it takes forever at least 5-10 times more than raw pdf version. I believe a more practical method will be to stamp every month file. But with a powerfull enough online system and with just few users trying to generate pdfs it may be acceptable.
I guess encrypting images take a lot more processing power and time than simply aplying password to text only documents.

By: yanke

yanke — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 02:46:41 +0000

hi Jose , there is for loop error in your code right ?

By: ZaieN

ZaieN — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 19:54:54 +0000

I tried but failed.. Where the errors?..

FPDF(‘P’, ‘in’, array(’6′,’9′));

//calculate the number of pages from the original document
$pagecount = $pdf->setSourceFile($origFile);

// copy all pages from the old unprotected pdf in the new one
for ($loop = 1; $loop importPage($loop);
$pdf->addPage();
$pdf->useTemplate($tplidx);
}

// protect the new pdf file, and allow no printing, copy etc and leave only reading allowed
$pdf->SetProtection(array(), $password, ”;
$pdf->Output($destFile, ‘F’);

return $destFile;
}

//password for the pdf file (I suggest using the email adress of the purchaser)
$password = “info@domain.com”;

//name of the original file (unprotected)
$origFile = “book.pdf”;

//name of the destination file (password protected and printing rights removed)
$destFile =“book_protected.pdf”;

//encrypt the book and create the protected file
pdfEncrypt($origFile, $password, $destFile );
?>

By: OG

OG — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 11:37:31 +0000

I have the same question as James Doc,

Is there a way to allow input into this script and not having to set the page format? It will default to landscape A4, but is there a way getting it to auto-detect the dimensions of the PDF that I am putting in?

By: Maxime

Maxime — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 11:57:47 +0000

I read all those comments, but none relate the fact that on a PC, setting ‘print’ allows printing + saving the document and no editing, while on a MAC, only printing is allowed…. All I awant is to allow “print” and “Save as” with no password when the destination computer is a MAC. Any idea someone …. thanks in advance

By: James Doc

James Doc — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 12:03:09 +0000

Hey Arthur,

To get allow printing replace the line:
$pdf->SetProtection(array(), $password, “”);

With
$pdf->SetProtection(array(‘print’ => ‘print’), $password, “”);

Should do the trick for you.

—

Cristina,

Many thanks,

James Doc