How to redact a PDF.

Sometimes, a PDF can include sensitive information, like financial or personal details, that you might prefer to keep private. Redacting these parts of your document allows you to safely share your files without compromising security.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about redacting PDFs.

What you’ll learn.

What does it mean to redact a PDF?

Redacting a PDF means permanently removing sensitive content such as text or images from a document. When you redact a PDF, the content is obscured or deleted, and you can choose to replace it with redaction marks or leave the space blank. This ensures that no sensitive information is visible or recoverable.

Whether you're working with contracts, reports, or personal records, knowing how to redact a PDF helps you keep your information safe.

How to redact a PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro.

When it comes to protecting your sensitive information, Adobe Acrobat Pro is your go-to tool. Let’s dive into how you can easily redact your PDFs to keep your data secure:

  1. Open your PDF. Begin by opening Adobe Acrobat Pro and loading the PDF you need to work on.
  2. Access the redaction tool.
    • Navigate to the Edit menu and select Redact a PDF.
    • Alternatively, you can find this option under All tools.
    • For a quicker approach, right-click on the text or image you wish to redact and select Redact, or choose Redact text from the floating menu.

The Redact function from Adobe Acrobat.

  1. Customise your redactions (Optional).
    • Want to tweak how your redaction marks look? Click on Set properties in the Redact toolset on the left pane. This ensures your redaction marks blend seamlessly with your document’s style.
  2. Mark content for redaction.
    • Double-click on words or images to select them.
    • Drag to cover larger areas, like blocks of text or images.
    • Search and remove text. You can also use the Find text or tools option to search for specific words or phrases across one or more PDFs that contain searchable text. This is especially useful for quickly locating and redacting sensitive information like names or numbers.
    • Preview your redaction marks by hovering over the marked areas to make sure you’ve captured everything you need.
  3. Repeat redactions across pages (Optional).
    • For documents where the same content appears on multiple pages, right-click the redaction mark and select Repeat mark across pages to streamline your workflow.
  4. Finalise and apply redactions.
    • Once you’ve marked all the items, click Apply to make the redactions permanent. If you prefer, you can save the document first and then choose Apply & Save.

How to redact PDF content in bulk.

If you need to remove specific segments of text from multiple documents, the Adobe Acrobat PDF redaction tool can do the job for you:

  1. Access the Redact tool. Start by selecting the Redact tool from the Tools menu or the Edit menu, just like you would for a single document.
  2. Search for text. Use the Find text or tools option to search for multiple words, a single word, or patterns like email addresses or phone numbers. Ensure the text is searchable—if it’s not, you may need to use OCR (Optical Character Recognition) first.
  3. Apply and save. Once you’ve identified and selected the text, apply the redactions. Keep in mind that this method is primarily for text redaction. Images or other non-text elements will require manual handling. After applying the redactions, save your updated documents.

This method will help you efficiently clean up multiple PDFs in one go.

How to redact a PDF without Adobe Acrobat Pro.

If you don't have Adobe Acrobat Pro, you can still redact a PDF using Apple’s Preview tool on your Mac:

  1. Open your PDF. Start by opening your PDF in Preview.
  2. Access Markup. Click the Markup icon in the top right corner.
  3. Save a copy. A reminder will pop up asking you to save a copy of your PDF. Click OK to proceed.
  4. Select and redact. Use the rectangle tool from the Markup toolbar to draw over the text or areas you want to redact. You can change the colour to black or another solid colour to effectively obscure the content.

This method is a simple way to handle redactions without needing Adobe Pro.

Tips for redacting PDFs.

When you’re redacting sensitive documents, it’s important to take extra care to ensure everything is handled securely. Here are some practical tips to help you get it right:

  1. Double-check your work. Review your document carefully after redacting to ensure all sensitive information is properly covered.
  2. Use redaction patterns. For repeated sensitive information, use redaction patterns to save time and maintain consistency.
  3. Keep an original copy. Always save a copy of the original document before redacting. Redactions are irreversible once applied.
  4. Secure deleted files. Ensure any copies of the original file are securely deleted if you no longer need them.

FAQs.

How do I black out text in a PDF?
To black out text in a PDF using Adobe Acrobat, simply use the Redact tool. By default, the redacted areas will appear as blacked-out text. If you prefer a different colour for the redacted box, you can customise it in the Set properties menu.
Where is the redact tool in Adobe Acrobat?

The Redact tool can be accessed in a handful of places in Adobe Acrobat. Some possible options include:

  1. Look for Redact under the All tools menu.
  2. Edit menu. Go to the Edit menu and select Redact a PDF.
  3. With a PDF open, you can right-click on the text or image you wish to redact and select Redact, or choose Redact text from the floating menu.
Which program should I use to redact a PDF?
One of the best programs for redacting PDFs is Adobe Acrobat Pro. It offers a range of tools, including the Redact tool, making it easy and convenient to edit and secure your documents.
Can I redact text in a scanned PDF?
Yes, you can redact text in a scanned PDF. First, use the Adobe Acrobat OCR (Optical Character Recognition) tool to convert the scanned image into editable text. Once the text is recognised, you can use the Redact tool to cover or remove the sensitive information.
Can I undo redactions after applying them?
No, once redactions are applied and saved in Adobe Acrobat, they can’t be undone. Redactions permanently remove the content, so make sure to save a copy of the original PDF before applying redactions if you might need it later. If you need to make changes, you’ll have to start over with the original file.
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Content as a Service v3 - Wednesday 8 January 2025 at 22:22

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How to redact PDF.
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Learn how to redact a PDF with Adobe. When you need to control the information you're sharing, take charge of your documents with Adobe's Redact tool.
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