How To Black Out Text in a PDF Online/Offline

PDF is a widely used document format in the workplace. However, when sharing or publishing documents, it may be necessary to conceal sensitive information such as personal identification data, birth dates, home addresses, and private telephone numbers.

Different from PDF highlighting that only, the process of blacking out always involves the removal of confidential information, and it usually requires PDF editor software, which you can find in our list of the best PDF editors.

If you have concerns regarding this matter and are seeking a solution, keep reading to learn more.

How To Black Out Text in a PDF By PDFgear Online Editor

If you are searching for a convenient PDF editor that is complimentary but encompasses many everyday PDF editing, converting, compressing, splitting, and various other functions, PDFgear can assist you. The web-based PDFgear online tool allows you to edit PDFs on iPhone, Android, Windows, and Mac. The following will provide you with three different techniques that enable you to safeguard the confidentiality of PDFs by blacking out the text via PDFgear.

Method 1. Use “Rectangle” To Black Out Text Online

You can add graphics to mask text in PDF, and of course, you need to fill in the color inside the graphics to achieve the effect of blackening out the text in PDF.

Step 1. Access To PDFgear Online Editor

Navigate to the PDFgear online PDF editor. Drag the files to the upload box or click “Choose files” to select and add files.

Step 2. Add Shapes To Black Out Text in PDFgear

Click “Add or edit annotations-Add shapes” in the upper-right corner, and then select Black from the drop-down menu of “Change Color” to fill the shape. Use the mouse to swipe to blacken out the text in the PDF to cover up text.

Method 2. Add a Textbox to Overwrite the Text in PDFgear

Adding a text box allows you to modify the statements in the PDF, but if you make a setting for the added text box, it can be used to overwrite the text and black out the text.

Step 1. Enter the PDFgear Online Editor

Similarly, upload the PDF that needs to be blacked out after entering PDF Online Editor.

Step 2. Add Text Boxes in PDF Through PDFgear

To begin, simply click on the “Add or Edit Annotations” option situated at the top of the screen. From there, choose “Free Text” and position the text box directly over the content that needs to be concealed. Another option is to hover your cursor over the text box once it’s been added to the document.

Step 3. Black Out Text With PDFgear

After adding the text box, you will see the words “Type Here”. Delete it, and click “Change Color” in the function options shown above and select the Black color to fill.

How To Black Out Text in a PDF By PDFgear Desktop Software

The offline version of PDFgear called PDFgear Desktop is another solid option for redacting PDFs, it’s listed as one of the best free PDF editors for powerful features. However, the online tool has several limitations and prompts that the file cannot be uploaded when its size exceeds 20MB. In case the unstable network causes issues with document operations, content cannot be saved in time. Therefore, an offline approach for handling large files would be more suitable.

In the PDFgear desktop program, in addition to the aforementioned methods for blackening text within PDF operations, you can also add highlights to complete text blackening. Adding highlighting is a common technique for marking up PDFs, and you can customize the highlighting color in PDF to serve as a text masking tool.

With the inbuilt OCR feature, you can even black out and edit scanned PDF documents.

Step 1. Upload PDF Files To PDFgear

Go to the PDFgear website and install the software on your device. Once installed, double-click the desktop shortcut to access the main interface and click “Open File” to add and upload your PDF files.

Step 2. Black Out the Text in the PDF in PDFgear

Locate the “Annotate” toolbox on the PDFgear editing page, locate and click the “Highlight” tool, and select black by clicking the final panel when the brush color selection appears. You can then use your mouse to drag over the text that needs to be covered to blacken it all.

How To Black Out Text in a PDF By Adobe Acrobat Pro

For such professional tools as Adobe Acrobat, you want to black out the text in a PDF is a very simple and convenient thing. But the basic version of Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Reader does not allow you to achieve this operation, so you need to upgrade to the Pro version to do so.

Step 1. To begin, navigate to the Adobe Acrobat Pro tool page and locate the “Redact” feature. Next, select “Add” to include PDF files.

Step 2. By clicking on the top of the “Redact Text & Images” select the drop-down menu in the “Properties”. You can choose to use lines, text blocks, objects, or regions to select the cipher text part.

Step 3. Click “Apply” to finish blacking out more important information after selection.

FAQs

How to Black Out Text in a PDF on Mac?

If you are using a Mac device, PDFgear can help you effectively black out text in your PDF. Simply add highlighting and change the color, and when you want to reverse it, simply use the “Ctrl+Z” shortcut key to undo it.

How to Black Out Text in a PDF for Free?

PDF processing tools are often paid or only provide a free trial period, but with PDFgear, you don’t have to worry about any fees. You can black out private information in your PDF directly on the PDFgear Online Editor by adding graphics and filling colors.

Can I Black Out Text in a PDF Without Redacting it?

You can certainly black out text in your PDF without redacting it. In Adobe Acrobat Pro’s “Protect” toolbox, you can also set the option to black out the marker. You can go to the “Protect Tool” to hide sensitive information.

What are the Steps To Redact in Adobe Acrobat Pro?

There are some complexities in trying to black out specific text information in Adobe Acrobat Pro, but it is also very intuitive. First, upload the file to Adobe Acrobat Pro and then click “Mark for Redaction” > “Text & Images”. Use your mouse to select the text and areas you need to black out, and finally click “Apply” to complete the process.

Is It Possible to Black Out Text in a PDF Online?

For those who have limited device space or only occasionally need to black out text in their PDF, an online PDF tool is a sensible choice. PDFgear has considered this point and offers a powerful and user-friendly online PDF editor. Simply access the PDFgear Online PDF Editor and follow the same steps as with desktop software to successfully black out text in your PDF.

Conclusion

Adobe Acrobat Pro is certainly a very trustworthy and reliable website for editing PDFs, but it requires an expensive subscription fee. If you are looking for an unrestricted solution for you to black out text in PDF, then PDFgear can be your best choice. You can not only experience the speed of online tools but also enjoy the full range of desktop software.