Guide to Remove Redaction from PDF Documents

Introduction:

For those who greatly value information security in a PDF, redacting the PDF content before sharing the document can be a way out. What if users mistakenly blacked out the text and wanted to undo it? Therefore, in this post, we'll cover several methods to remove the redaction from a PDF.

First, these PDF tools are only applicable when you haven’t finished the editing process and yet saved the changes. But if you have blackened out the text, it is tough to uncover the hidden text.

How to Remove Redaction from PDFs with Desktop Software

If you’re looking for a desktop PDF solution to get rid of the redaction marks, the following products may be of help.

SwifDoo PDF

Most of us prefer a lightweight and portable PDF desktop program. SwifDoo PDF has a 10 MB memory size and integrates 35 different features to simplify every PDF-related task.

The whiteout feature enables users to black out the unwanted content while at the same time users can decide to delete the covered content. Here are the steps:

Step 1: Download and install SwifDoo PDF on your PC;

Step 2: Open a PDF document having redaction;

Step 3: Click on the Edit button and choose White-out, then apply redaction on the specified part;

Step 4: Right-click on the redacted part, select Delete White-out to remove the redaction.

SwifDoo PDF is one of the desktop tools to undo the action of blacking quickly and easily out the text. But this PDF software can only fulfill the basic needs of redaction. If you have more expectations for removing redaction, try the following two PDF tools.

                                                                Free Download

Nitro PDF

The following recommendation on Windows to remove the redaction goes to Nitro PDF. It is another feature-rich PDF tool that provides multiple features relevant to an eraser. Within the Erase ribbon, users can apply redaction to the PDF and remove the redaction. Let’s go explore how to get rid of the redaction marks from the PDF document:

Step 1: Download and install Nitro PDF, and then open a PDF document using Nitro PDF;

Step 2: Choose Erase and then right-click on the redaction area to select Delete to erase the redaction marks from the PDF easily. 

In terms of redaction, Nitro PDF outperforms SwifDoo PDF as the former PDF software provides more relevant features to better black out the text or remove the redacted content.

How to Remove Redaction from PDFs on Mac

Although the inbuilt PDF viewer Preview can tackle different PDF tasks, it cannot remove redaction marks from PDFs. That’s why we need to include this part. Therefore, if you’re waiting for a guide to discuss about how to remove the redaction from a PDF on Mac, you’re at the right place.

Adobe Acrobat

If you’re an active PDF user, you must have heard about or used Adobe Acrobat to deal with PDF-related paperwork. As the leading software in this industry, Adobe has incorporated a flawless document protection system within its operation panel, including redaction.

Step 1: Download Adobe Acrobat DC on App Store;

Step 2: Open the program and upload a PDF document;

Step 3: Navigate to the Tool menu and click on the Protection button;

Step 4: Put your cursor at the redacted content and right-click the redaction area to choose Delete.

How to Remove Redaction from PDFs Online

If you need a web-based online PDF program without downloading from an unknown source, AvePDF turns to be helpful.

AvePDF

It’s an all-in-one online PDF program, and it’s totally FREE. With the ambition to demonstrate the newest technologies in the document management industry, AvePDF can help with e-signing, compressing, editing, combining, organizing, and converting PDFs. What’s more important, it can remove the redaction from the PDF:

Step 1: To start, type the URL on the search bar;

Step 2: Import the PDF document to the workstation from Google Drive, Dropbox, or via a link;

Step 3: Click Protect and choose Redact PDF, then select Add redaction marks;

Step 4: Put the mouse on the redacted area and click on the Delete icon to finalize the redaction removing process.

Conclusion

Finally, we must reiterate that redaction is conducive to protecting sensitive information, but it is rarely undone. So be careful to save all changes when you black out the text within a PDF.