How to Redact a PDF on Windows and Mac: Remove Sensitive Content

In this article, we’ll walk you through 3 simple methods on how to redact a PDF with ease. Whether you need to protect sensitive information or you’re just looking to make sure your documents are secure, we’ll show you everything you need to know about redacting a PDF.

And if you only need to black out text in PDF without redact, you can also try our online PDF editor.

How to Redact a PDF on Mac for Free

The best way of redacting a PDF is using a free and dedicated PDF editor such as PDFgear for Mac, which helps redact information on PDFs for free, without Adobe Acrobat.

It allows you to select areas to be redacted, and securely obscure the text or graphics you need to keep hidden. and it automatically adds a black box to cover the text. Not only will the text become invisible, but it will also be unselectable and permanently removed.

Now, let’s find out how to use PDFgear to redact PDFs on Mac:

Step 1. Open PDF File with PDFgear

Click the button below to download PDFgear on your Mac computer, it’s free to use.

Then launch PDFgear, and click on the “Open File” button to open the PDF file you want to redact in the editor.

Step 2. Redact Text in a PDF on Mac

Go to the “Protect” tab, and select the “Redact” tool (It looks like a black marker icon) within the menu.

A pop-up window will appear, asking if you want to proceed with the redaction operation. Click ‘OK‘ to continue.

Click and drag over the text or image you want to redact to select it. An opaque black box will cover the area. Repeat the same step to redact any other text or images needed.

When finished redacting, click the Command+S button to save a redacted copy of the PDF.

Redact a PDF on Windows with Adobe Acrobat Pro

Adobe Redact is a powerful tool for redacting sensitive information from PDF documents. It supports a range of redaction tools such as blacking out text and images and watermarking for secure document sharing.

Here is how to quickly and easily remove sensitive content in Adobe Acrobat:

Step 1. Open a PDF in Adobe

Launch Adobe Acrobat Pro on your computer.

Click on “File” in the top left corner, then select “Open” to browse and open the PDF file you want to redact.

Step 2. Locate the Redaction Tool

Once your PDF is open, click the “Tools” at the top of the menu bar. Scroll down to the “Protection & Standardize” section, and click on “Redact“.

Step 3. Select Text to Redact

With the Redact tool activated, your mouse cursor will turn into a crosshair. Click and drag to select the content (text or images) you want to redact. A red overlay will cover the selected content, indicating it will be removed.

For more redaction features, click the Redact Text & Images button to switch to Redact Pages or Find Text & Redact tools.

If needed, click on the “Properties” button in the right sidebar to adjust redaction settings like color and overlay text.

Step 4. Apply Redactions to the PDF

Before applying redactions permanently, review the redacted areas to ensure all sensitive information is covered.

Once you’re confident with your redactions, click on “Apply Redactions” in the right sidebar.

Step 5. Save the New PDF

After applying redactions, Adobe Acrobat Pro will prompt you to save the redacted PDF as a new file to avoid overwriting the original.

Open the newly saved redacted PDF to verify that the sensitive content is effectively removed.

How to Redact PDF Text on Mac in Preview

The Redact feature of the Preview Application on Mac is a great tool for protecting sensitive information. It allows you to permanently remove text and images from a PDF file. The feature works by selecting the content you want to delete and then applying a “Redact” button.

For macOS 11 and Newer:

To redact a PDF on macOS 11 or newer using Preview, follow these steps:

Open your PDF document with Preview. > Navigate to the “Tool” menu and select “Redact,” or access the Show Markup Toolbar and click the Redact icon. > A warning prompt will appear, click “OK.” > Use your cursor to drag and redact the text with black marks.

While editing, you can modify the redaction as needed. However, once saved, the redacted text cannot be recovered.

For Versions Before macOS 11:

For older macOS versions, you won’t be able to redact the PDF, you can simply hide the text with color bars.

Click the “Show Markup Toolbar” icon. > Choose “Border Color” and set it to “none,” “black,” or any other color you prefer for blacking out the text. > After applying the necessary redactions, click “Export as PDF” to save the redacted PDF on your Mac.

Avoid using the regular “Save” option after adding redaction actions, as this may allow others to withdraw the redactions using Preview, leaving the information exposed.

What is PDF Redaction?

PDF redaction is the process of permanently removing sensitive information from a PDF document. It involves obscuring or deleting text, images, or other content to protect confidential data before sharing or distributing the document.

Can I Redact a PDF by Simply Highlighting Text in Black?

No, this is not a secure method of redaction. Highlighting text in black or using basic editing tools may not permanently remove the information. The text can often still be recovered or viewed by adjusting the document’s properties. Always use dedicated redaction tools provided by PDF editing software.

FAQs

Is it possible to redact metadata from a PDF?

Yes, it’s important to redact both visible content and hidden metadata. Most professional PDF redaction tools offer options to remove metadata, such as author information, creation and modification dates, keywords, and document properties. Learn how to edit PDF metadata in PDFgear.

What precautions should I take when redacting PDFs?

• Always work on a copy of the original document
• Use dedicated redaction tools, not basic editing features
• Double-check all redactions before finalizing the document
• Consider removing metadata and hidden information
• Save the redacted version as a new file to avoid overwriting the original

How to Black Out Text in PDF Without Redacting?

Step 1. Open the PDF file you want to edit in the PDFgear.

Step 2. Use the highlighter tool under the “Annotate” tab to choose the text you want to black out.

Step 3. Choose the color you want to use to black out the text. For example, you can select black or any other dark color.

Step 4. Repeat these steps for any additional text you want to black out. Save the edited PDF file by clicking on the “Save” button in the top toolbar.

How Do I Redact a PDF in Chrome?

Google Chrome does have a built-in PDF viewer that only allows you to open, view, and print PDF files within the browser. To redact a PDF file, you would need to use a third-party PDF editing software like PDFgear.

How to Redact a PDF in Word?

There are 3 simple methods you can redact the information you have in Word:

Method 1: Use the “Inspect Document” tool on both Windows and Mac to remove author details and other hidden information.

Method 2: Replace the text you want to redact with a different character, like “x,” and black it out using formatting tools.

Method 3: If you only want to redact certain parts, convert your Word document into a series of images.

Conclusion

In conclusion, redacting a document is a simple process that can be easily done with the right tools. By following these methods, you can ensure that your sensitive information is thoroughly hidden, and your documents are kept secure.

When it comes to redacting text in a PDF, PDFgear stands out as a free solution. Whether you’re using a Mac or Windows, online or offline, PDFgear provides straightforward PDF redaction.