Redact PDF

Mark the PDF areas you want to remove. Review every cleaned page and export a new PDF built only from the masked page images.

Processed on your deviceFree · No account needed

Permanent raster redaction: mark regions, inspect cleaned image previews, then create a new PDF exclusively from those cleaned pixels. Original files remain unchanged.

Choose a PDF

10 MiB input · 1–10 pages · 100 rectangles · 32 MP total · 25 MiB output. Pages keep their displayed size, order and orientation. Every page is rasterized, including pages without a mask.

What this mode removes and changes

Selected pixels are replaced by solid black, with an extra 1 pt on each side. The new PDF contains one fresh RGB image per page and no original text layers, original image objects, attachments, annotations, hidden layers, links, forms, signatures or metadata. Visible annotation appearances can become part of the page image: mark them too if needed.

Text search, copyable text, accessibility structure and vector detail are lost; files can grow. No OCR layer is added. Review all visible information outside your masks. The tool does not detect every sensitive detail or promise anonymity.

Preparing your tool…

A visual example

Remove a region, then review every page

Example: hide a customer reference while leaving the amount visible.

Synthetic invoice
Customer reference: DEMO-0042
Amount: CHF 125.50
Source page
Mark the entire reference, including its label if that should also disappear.
Image-only output
[Redacted region]
Amount: CHF 125.50
Reviewed page image
The chosen region is replaced in the cleaned pixels used for the new PDF.

Inspect the cleaned page images before confirming them. The export is built from those images, not the original text objects.

Illustrative example. You choose what needs hiding; the tool does not discover all sensitive information. Image-only output loses selectable text, vectors, links and forms. A rectangle added with an ordinary PDF editor is not this redaction process.

How to use it

Open a PDF of up to ten pages and mark each region to remove by drawing or entering coordinates.
Optionally find existing text and inspect each proposed rectangle before adding it.
Create the cleaned pixel previews and review every page, including visible content outside the masks.
Confirm all pages and export a new PDF built only from the cleaned page images.

The four-page sample rotates the same content through 0°, 90°, 180° and 270°. Its suggested masks cover SECRET-0012 and the color image, and each cleaned page still requires confirmation.

Details & limits

Image-only rebuild, up to 10 MiB / 10 pages / 32 MP. Original text, vectors, links, forms, annotations, attachments and metadata are not copied. Every page requires preview confirmation. The tool cannot choose which information you need to hide.

What is lost when the whole PDF is rebuilt from images?

Searchable/copyable text, accessibility structure, vectors, forms and signatures are lost. Original attachments, metadata and document objects are not copied into the new file. Visible material outside the masks remains, including visible annotation appearances; review it yourself. The source PDF stays unchanged.

Source page

Reviewed page image

How to use it

Details & limits

Review every page before the image-only export

Related tools