Many leaks start the same way: someone draws a black box over a name, saves the file and shares it. The box hides the text on screen, but the text is still in the file. Anyone can select it, copy it and read it. Real redaction removes the content.
Cover-up versus redaction
- Whiteout or a black shape covers text. The words remain underneath.
- Redact removes what is under the box so it cannot be selected, copied or searched.
Redact with WriteDroid PDF Editor
- Open the PDF in the PDF editor.
- Choose Redact.
- Drag a box over every name, number or address you want to hide. Do this on every page that needs it.
- Press Save PDF.
When a page has redactions, the editor turns that page into a flat picture with solid black boxes. The hidden words are not in the picture, so there is nothing to recover.
What to know
- Redacted pages become pictures, so their text can no longer be searched or selected. Pages without redactions stay as normal text.
- Redact everything that can identify someone: names, emails, phone numbers, account and ID numbers, signatures, addresses and barcodes.
- Check document properties. Title and author can hold names too. Edit them from the More menu.
Check your work
- Open the saved file in any viewer.
- Try to select the text under the black boxes. Nothing should highlight.
- Search the file for a hidden word. There should be no match on redacted pages.
Related
For simple cover-ups that do not need to be secure, such as hiding an old price, Whiteout is fine. See how to edit text in a PDF for how it works, and how to edit a PDF for free for the full tool tour.
Common questions
Can I undo a redaction after saving? No, and that is the point. Keep your original file somewhere safe.
Why did the redacted page get blurry? It was turned into a picture. Zoom level in the saved file is high enough for normal reading and printing.
What about images and scans? A redaction box covers images too, because the whole page becomes a picture.