How To Redact A PDF? [Simple Methods]

Looking at how to redact a PDF? If so, you are in the right place.

We often feel the need to share PDF files in our work life. However, these files may contain sensitive information like contract terms or bank account details that we may not want others to see. You can solve this problem by learning how to redact a PDF file.

While many people rely on Adobe Acrobat’s redaction tool to redact PDFs, there are several other ways to go about it. For example, Mac users can use the Preview app to permanently black out text in PDFs, while Windows users can take advantage of free annotation tools to cover up sensitive information.

To find out more about redacting PDFs, read this post. We have included all the details you need to know.

How To Redact A PDF?

You can redact a PDF with or without Adobe Acrobat—there are plenty of ways to remove confidential or sensitive information from a PDF permanently. To help you, we have explained a few of the most common ways to redact a PDF.

Method 1: Redact A PDF In Adobe Acrobat Pro

Pay attention to this section for those wondering how to redact a PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro. As one of the advanced tools out there, Adobe Acrobat Pro has an in-built Redact tool that allows you to remove graphics and text from a PDF permanently. All you have to do is follow these steps.

Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat.
Go to Tools and select Redact to begin.
Use the crosshair tool to permanently draw rectangles over the images or text you want to remove. If you make a mistake, use Control+Z (PC) or Command+Z (Mac) to undo it.
Adjust the redaction marks if you prefer something other than a black box. To do this, open the Redaction Tool Properties by clicking the drop-down menu following Redact Text & Images, and choose your fill colors and preferred outline or add overlay text. You can also use preloaded options like FOIA and US Privacy Act codes or import custom codes. After making your selections, hit the OK button.
Click Apply, and you will be warned that the redacted content will be removed permanently. Confirm by clicking OK.
You can remove hidden metadata and data from the PDF in the same pop-up. Keep the Sanitize Document toggle turned on to clean the file.
After completing the above steps, click OK to finalize the redactions.
Save the document with a new name so you don’t accidentally overwrite the original PDF.

Method 2: Redact A PDF Without Adobe Acrobat Pro

How can I redact a PDF without Adobe Pro? Follow the instructions as given, and you will be done.

Launch PDFMaster and open the PDF file you want to redact.
Clickhl the Redact tab located on the top toolbar.
Higight the images or text you want to remove by clicking and dragging over them.
Right-click and select Repeat Mark Across Pages to apply redaction across multiple pages.
To adjust redaction properties like color or overlay text, right-click and select Properties. This will let you customize the appearance of the redaction mark.
Once all selections and settings are finalized, click Apply twice to confirm and make the redactions permanent.

Method 3: Redact A Signed PDF In Cisdem PDFMaster

Digital signatures often prevent modifications to a PDF, including redactions. If you are the signer, you should redact and sign the unsigned version of the document. However, if you don’t have the original file, you can use Cisdem PDFMaster for assistance. Here’s how:

Launch Cisdem PDFMaster and load the signed PDF file.
Go to the menu bar and select the Redact option. The software will notify you that the existing digital signature will be removed. Hit the Save button to confirm.
Once the signature is removed, redact the PDF. Follow the steps explained in the previous section for the redaction process.
Once you finish the redactions, you can add a new digital signature. This can be done directly within Cisdem PDFMaster.

Method 4: Redact PDF On Mac With Preview

Preview, the built-in PDF reader on a Mac, is a handy tool with a PDF redaction feature. This redaction tool was first introduced with macOS 11 Big Sur and is entirely free. If you are not sure how to redact a PDF on Mac, we have detailed the steps in the lines below. This method is for those who are using macOS 11 or later.

Launch Preview and open the PDF file you want to redact.
Navigate to Tools and select Redact.
Hit the OK button to confirm the content you want to redact.
Move the cursor over the images or text you want to redact.

Redact A PDF In Preview (macOS versions before 11)

If you are using an older macOS version, follow these steps:

Open the PDF with Preview by right-clicking on the file.
Go to View and select Show Markup Toolbar.
Select a shape and set its outline. Next, select the fill color to black.
Use your mouse to draw the shape over the text you want to redact.
To make the redacted content irrecoverable, export the PDF as images.
If necessary, you can convert the images back to PDF in Preview.

Method 5: Redact A PDF With PDF-XCchange Editor

You can redact information in a PDF like you would blackout text on paper and scan it. You can remove or blackout sensitive information in PDF files using PDF-XChange Editor. Afterward, you can flatten the PDF using Microsoft Print to PDF. To get started, you must follow these steps:

Open the PDF you want to redact with PDF-XChange Editor.
Go to the top toolbar and select Comment followed by Highlight.
Press the Highlight icon to see the Comment Styles Palette option, then click it.
A pop-up window will appear, asking you to choose any style and click Clone. Set the fill color to black and ensure the opacity is 100%.
Exit the Comment Styles Palette and highlight the images or text you want to redact.
Navigate to the Print menu and select Microsoft Print to PDF as your printer. Select Print as Image to apply the changes permanently.

Method 6: Redact A PDF With LibreOffice

LibreOffice is a free tool for Windows users that allows you to redact and hide sensitive information in PDF files. It includes a built-in redact feature, which enables you to add freeform or rectangular shapes to conceal information in the PDF. You can also export the redacted PDF with a black or white background.

Here’s how to use the tool:

Drag and drop your PDF file into the main interface of LibreOffice.
Navigate to Tools and select Redact.
Next, select the method you want to use to redact the document.
In the Properties window on the right, you will find settings for Area, Character, Line, Paragraph, etc. You can adjust these settings as per your requirements.
Once you finish the redactions, access Tools again and select Redact, followed by Export Redacted PDF (Black).
Choose the file name and location to save your new redacted PDF.
Open the exported PDF to review the redactions.

Method 7: Redact A PDF With iLovePDF

iLovePDF is a popular PDF service that is preferred by many users because of its ease of use. The good thing is that it offers both a desktop app and online tools. The online tools are free to use, including several advanced features like Redact PDF, OCR PDF, and Compare PDF. With iLovePDF, you can redact PDF files of sizes up to 400 MB.

Here are the steps to follow:

Open your browser and access the official website of iLovePDF at https://www.ilovepdf.com/redact-pdf.
Choose the PDF file you want to redact from your PC and upload it on the site.
At the top left, you will notice the Redact option. Click on it.
Now, choose the text you want to redact. For convenience, you can use the search box to find specific text.
You will notice the redaction marks appear on the right side. You can remove any unnecessary marks by clicking on them if needed.
Once the redactions are correct, select Redact and download the file on your device.

Method 8: Redact A PDF With AvePDF

If you want a web-based platform to redact your PDF, you can use AvePDF. It is a highly efficient tool offering over 50 tools to process documents online. In addition to redacting PDFs, it gives you access to advanced features like PDF annotation, scanning document capture, file size reduction, e-signatures, hyper-compression, and more.

To redact your PDF using this tool, follow these steps:

Open your browser and visit AvePDF.
Go to Protect, select Redact PDFs, and upload your PDF.
Select Add redaction marks and start blacking out the text you want to hide.
All redaction marks will be listed on the left side. If you wish, you can also remove any unnecessary marks.
Once you finish the above steps, hit the Save button to start the redaction process.
After the redaction is complete, select Download to get the edited PDF.

Final Words

Knowing how to redact a PDF helps you to hide sensitive information better. The best way to do this is to use Adobe Acrobat Pro. But if that’s not an option, you can use other tools to redact your PDFs. You should use the tools mentioned in this post as they are the best options available.

FAQs

How do I black out text in a PDF?

You can use a redaction tool like Adobe Acrobat Pro or PDFescape to black out text in a PDF.

How can I redact a PDF for free?

You can use tools like Microsoft Word or Preview (Mac) to redact a PDF for free.

How do I redact a PDF without Adobe?

You can use free online tools like Sejda, Smallpdf, or PDFescape to redact a PDF without Adobe.

Why can’t I redact in PDF?

You cannot redact a PDF if the document has security settings that prevent modifications.

How do I erase text in a PDF?

With the help of Adobe Acrobat Pro, you can erase text in a PDF.

How do I convert a PDF to black?

You can convert a PDF to black by using Adobe Acrobat. Go to Print Production > Preflight, and choose a grayscale conversion option.

How do I black out text in the PDF preview?

To black out text in PDF preview:

Open the PDF in Preview (Mac).
Use the markup tool to draw a black rectangle over the text you want to hide.
Save the file as a flattened PDF to ensure the text underneath cannot be recovered.

Can I darken the text on a PDF?

An editing software like Adobe Acrobat can help you darken the text on a PDF.

How do I black out text in a PDF in Chrome?

To black out text in a PDF in Chrome:

Open the PDF in Chrome’s PDF viewer.
Use an extension to edit the document directly in the browser.
Alternatively, print the PDF as a flattened image and use a drawing tool to cover the text.

How do I blur out text in a PDF?

With the help of advanced software like Adobe Acrobat, you can easily blur out text in a PDF.