Do you know how to redact information in a PDF document or how to black out text and information in a PDF file? Nowadays, people always pay high attention to privacy protection. It is necessary for everybody to know how to hide or remove sensitive content in a PDF file, especially for those who always keep close academic exchanges and business communications where the PDF file format is widely used and protected. So this article will let you know how to redact a PDF document with three practical solutions (free and paid).
| WorkinTool PDF Converter | Apple Preview | Adobe Acrobat Pro | |
| Price | Free | Free | Paid ($14.99/mo.) |
| System | Windows & Online | macOS | Windows & macOS |
| Registration | Not required | Required | Required |
| Features | Conversion & Viewing & Editing | Viewing & Editing | Conversion & Viewing & Editing |
| Batch conversion | Available | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Running speed | Fast | Average | Fast |
#1: How to Redact a PDF without Adobe Acrobat Pro
Everyone knows that Adobe charges for service. People who don’t want to pay additional costs would like to redact a PDF file with another free software provider like WorkinTool. WorkinTool PDF Converter is an entirely free Windows-based program for PDF edits and conversion, by which users can not only batch convert PDF to or from any other formats but also edit PDF files as they like. It is a breeze for this software to black out text and images.
How to black out text in a PDF without redacting it
If you just want to hide unnecessary information in order to improve the reading experience, it is better to black out text and images in a PDF instead of redacting it, in case you accidentally remove important hidden information and file formatting. Follow the steps below and you can get a blacked-out PDF file.
- Open WorkinTool PDF Converterand choose “PDF Edit” in “View & Edit” to upload a file.
- Click on the pen-like icon on the upper toolbar, select “Drawing”, change the brush color and fill color into black, then draw on the region where you want to black out.
- Press the “Export”button (a downward pointing arrow icon) at the right upper corner to save the edited PDF document (You can set the file name and output directory there).
Notice
- It is the same to use the “Rectangle”tool to cover the original text and images by shapes. And you can add notes on the black bar to explain or supplement why you hide it (It only allows you to draw a single bar at once).
- If you really care about security, you can continue the last step. After you blacked-out information in a PDF file, use WorkinTool PDF Converter to transform the PDF file into JPG format, then convert it back with the “Image to PDF” With a simple conversion, no one has access to reveal the data you redacted even though they use advanced skills and software like PhotoShop.
How to redact a PDF in Word
If you want to erase those sensitive content permanently and feel unsafe covering information just by shapes, why not convert the PDF file into Word, delete the sensitive and private information in a Word document, then convert it back to PDF? It is more complicated but more secure than directly adding shapes to a PDF file. In addition, it won’t leave a black bar on your PDF file, which looks cleaner and neater in formatting and layout. Follow the easy steps below to redact a PDF in Word.
- Find “Convert to/from PDF” and select “PDF to Word” to convert your PDFs.
- Remove sensitive information in your Word documents.
- Select “Word to PDF” in the same category to convert edited Word documents back to PDFs.
Notice
WorkinTool PDF Converter also provides an online version for users to redact a PDF file. It is independent of operating systems and enables you to edit PDFs anywhere and anytime. Before you download the desktop software, you can try to redact a PDF online. The operation steps online are similar to that offline, you just need to upload and download files manually.
#2: How to Redact a PDF in Preview on Mac
Mac users can redact PDF documents without Adobe at ease with the free and preinstalled software Apple Preview. It is an image viewer and PDF viewer on macOS. Meanwhile, it can edit images and Portable Document Format files as well. With just a few clicks, you can remove sensitive content from PDFs.
- Open Preview and select “Redact” in the drop-down menu of “Tools”. (You can redact information by pressing on the upper left square icon as well.)
- Select text or images you want to permanently remove. (It is unrecoverable once you apply the changes).
- Click “Save as” in the drop-down menu of “Files” to save your redacted file. (It is better to save a copy in case you need to check the original file or accidentally deleted some critical information.)
#3: How Do I Black out Information in Adobe Acrobat Pro
Although Adobe Acrobat Pro is a paid program, it is hard to deny that many people are willing to pay $14.99 monthly to enjoy its powerful features. As an all-in-one application compatible with both Windows system and macOS, Acrobat allows users to convert, create, edit, and share PDF files smoothly. It can redact text and images and sanitize documents at the same time. Let’s see how to redact a PDF in Adobe.
- Open Adobe Acrobat Pro and hit “Redact”in the “Tools”
- Select areas in the document you want to redact permanently.
- Once you are done marking the unwanted parts, click “Apply”to save the changes. (A pop-up will remind you that you won’t be able to retrieve the redacted information including hidden data and metadata.)
Notice
If you just want to remove hidden data and metadata from your document so that sensitive information is not inadvertently passed along when you publish your PDF, Acrobat also allows you to sanitize documents without removing visible information.
Conclusion
Whether you are a Windows user or macOS user, willing to pay or not, I believe you can find an ideal solution about how to redact a PDF document in this article. Now pick one that suits you the most and begin to redact your PDF files!
