How to Highlight Text in Secured PDF File? Try 2 Easy Ways

Are you stuck with the issue of can’t highlight text in PDF? It mainly happens if the document is secured due to creator restrictions. Since highlighters are a handy feature, you can convert the text into a colored one. Instead of traditional makers, these are more convenient and save paperwork. Luckily, this guide will help you discover how to highlight text in secured PDF file, helping you to access the text-selectable PDFs for free.?

Why is Text Highlighter Not Working in PDF?

PDFs are more like a workmate for organizations worldwide. It offers a wide range of features, allowing users to perform different actions including text highlighting. Moreover, the ability to select or copy the highlighted text makes reading the keynote easier than the whole document.?

Sometimes you might address the issue like PDF text highlighter not working or greyed out. There are various reasons for the PDF highlighter tools not selecting the text. It certainly occurs if it is a secured or locked PDF. Moreover, the document can be protected using different security settings which prevent the action of highlighting, copying, and printing of PDFs.?

Here are the common restrictions on secured PDFs that prevent you from highlighting the text:

• Document Permissions in Locked PDF: There are different types of PDF security imposed by document creators. The permissions like copying, editing, read-only, etc restriction unable users to highlight the text in the PDF file.?
• Strongly Encrypted PDF: Not all the PDFs are secured with owner restriction. Some documents are locked with strong encryption or password protection. Moreover, it requires a legitimate passkey to open or access the document.
• Restriction of Commenting: Text highlighting is an indispensable part of commenting. If the secured PDF contains the restriction of adding comments, it won’t let you select the text without removing the protection.?

Overall, these are the reasons why secured PDFs won’t allow you to highlight the text. Now, you must be seeking ways to remove security from PDF documents. So, let’s dive in to understand the techniques in a detailed manner.?

How to Highlight Text in Secured PDF File: Top 2 Ways?

The secured PDFs own restrictions which prevent users from highlighting the text in the PDF. Fortunately, here are the ways to enable text highlighting in locked PDFs. Using these methods, you can easily select text for highlighting and editing. So, take a look at how to highlight text in a locked PDF document:

1. Adobe Acrobat to Enable Highlighting in PDF?
2. SysTools Unlock PDF to Highlight Tool?

Now, let’s move down to learn the stepwise guide for allowing the highlighting text feature in secured PDFs. So, consider these methods to access your PDF with ease.?

How to Highlight Text in a Locked PDF Document Using Adobe Acrobat Tool?

If you want to interact with your PDFs then, use the Adobe Acrobat tool — a dedicated tool mainly utilized to improve collaboration and PDF management. This robust creative software lets you remove unwanted restrictions from your PDF document, especially the text highlighting feature when the PDF is locked.?

Using this tool, you can highlight or mark the important text on your original document. In this way, you can improve your workflow and get control over the PDF file, ensuring effective management of data. Here are the steps to consider when enabling the highlighting in a secured PDF file:

1. Open the Adobe Acrobat software on your PC.?
2. Look for File > upload the locked PDF file.?
3. Use right-click > find the Document Properties.?
4. Go to Security > read the Document Restriction Summary.?
5. Select Security > tab No Security feature to remove permissions.
6. Enter the password when asked > click on OK.?

In this way, you can enable the highlight text option in PDF when it is secured. After unlocking the PDF, if you want to highlight the important text, you can consider the following steps:

1. Again open Adobe Acrobat > add PDF.?
2. From the toolbar, click on Highlight Text Tool.?
3. Now, drag the cursor on the text and select any color to highlight the text.

It might look easy and hassle-free. Unfortunately, there are a few limitations that certainly add hurdles when highlight text in secured PDF using the Acrobat tool. So, we recommend you ensure that you take a copy of the original document before proceeding with the above steps.?

Limitations: The cost of Adobe Acrobat tool is quite expensive for both individual and business users. Additionally, the interface is complex when unlocking the secured PDF for highlighting text. Most importantly, this advanced tool demands for extra RAM which triggers issues like freezing and sluggish performance of your PC. So, be careful while using the Adobe Acrobat.?

How to Highlight Text in Secured PDF File - Try SysTools Pro Unlocker Tool?

The highlight text in secured PDF is considered a complex task, using the SysTools PDF Unlocker Tool, you can make it simple and quick. Unlike Acrobat, this unlock PDF to highlight tool has a sleek and intuitive interface, allowing users to easily navigate and remove PDF restrictions without any loss.??

The core features of this software include unlocking the secured PDF from editing, printing, copying, etc. It leverages you to remove the owner and open document password restriction, allowing you to select or highlight text in a locked document.?

Additionally, this software has a built-in feature to maintain the folder structure and document integrity. In this way, you can ensure the original formatting and equally preserve the PDF elements. So, download this robust tool on your Windows or Mac OS to highlight the text from secured PDFs.?

Steps to Highlight Text in Locked PDF

1. To unlock the PDF, download the SysTools Unlocker Tool.?

2. Find the Add Files option to upload the secured PDF.?

3. Select the Save radio button under the Destination Path.?

4. Pick the Change option to save the resultant PDFs.?

5. Lastly, hit the Unlock button to unlock the document.?

After unlocking the secured PDF, you can easily highlight the text. In this way, you can mark the necessary pointers or take keynotes from the highlighted text of the PDF document. Unlike Acrobat, it is cost-effective and utilized for a lifetime. Hence, this is a secure way to unlock highlighting in PDF documents.?

Best Practices for Highlighting Text in PDF Neatly

Once unlocking the secured PDF, here are the tips you can consider while highlighting the text in the PDF document:

• Select Key Points: Ensure highlighting the important points or phrases instead of complete paragraphs. Hence, be selective with the information.?

• Add Concise Comments: You can add a short comment on the highlighted text, it adds more relevance to the selected notes.?

• Review and Edit the Notes: It is yet another important practice, make sure to review your highlights. It allows you to update and edit the text with ease.?

Concluding Words?

In the following guide, we have discussed 2 ways for how to highlight text in secured PDF file. By using these methods, you can unlock and highlight the necessary text in the PDF. Instead of using Acrobat, we recommend you use SysTools unlock PDF to highlight solutions, it is reliable and lucrative software. It allows you to remove the security protection from PDF files. Once removing this prohibition, you can enable text highlighting in PDF. Additionally, ensure trying the practices for highlighting the text in a PDF file.?