Why a black rectangle might not redact a PDF

A black shape placed over PDF text may only hide it visually. The underlying text can remain in the document and may still be selectable or extractable.

Use a PDF redaction workflow

Use a PDF tool designed to remove content. Mark the material, apply the redactions, and review hidden information such as metadata and comments. Adobe describes these steps in its redaction and sanitization instructions.

Verify the saved copy

1. Save a separate redacted copy, preserving your original privately.
2. Reopen the copy and inspect every page.
3. Try searching for and selecting the removed text. Finding it reveals a failure; not finding it alone does not prove all hidden data is gone.
4. Review attachments, comments and metadata using the PDF tool’s sanitization features.

When a screenshot is enough

If the recipient only needs an image of one part of a page, make a JPG or PNG screenshot and mask that image. The checker exports a PNG with opaque pixels in the masked areas. It accepts images, not PDF files.

This changes only the image you export. It does not remove anything from the source PDF, redact its other pages or certify the document. If you must deliver a PDF, complete the PDF redaction workflow instead.

For the image workflow, see how to hide personal information in a screenshot.

Only sharing a JPG or PNG screenshot of a page? The free checker can mask that image. It cannot redact or sanitize the original PDF.

Open the free screenshot checker

Examples use fictional data. Text checks can miss information; no result certifies an image as safe to share. Privacy and limitations

Reviewed with the local build on 17 September 2026. Advertising and affiliate links are disabled. Public-site measurement is disabled.