Information sharing is commonplace in today’s digital world, and one of the ways to share essential information is through the creation of PDF documents. PDFs are highly ubiquitous because they are compatible across devices and platforms. Typically, PDF documents contain sensitive information, such as business information. You might be using this file format for your upcoming presentation or include all the marketing materials to share with your team. 

Since PDFs generally contain confidential information, it is essential to learn the skill of redaction so you can safeguard the information being shared. For instance, you may need to share the same PDF with multiple departments of your company, but not all departments need to know certain information included in the document. This is where knowing how to redact specific pages from the document comes in handy. And for Mac users, there are powerful tools that make redaction a breeze. 

What is Redaction and its Benefits 

Redaction is the permanent removal of confidential information from a PDF file. The information may include personal details, images, text, or any other data that you don’t want to become public knowledge. The benefits of redacting PDFs are:

  • Improved security: The redaction of confidential information means reducing the risk of unauthorized or accidental disclosure. This is particularly useful when sharing medical reports, confidential documents, or financial records.
  • Complete transparency: Redacting sensitive and irrelevant information allows you to share PDFs while making sure your privacy is protected. This encourages trust and transparency without risking confidential data. 
  •  Maintenance of compliance: There are certain laws and regulations that require companies to redact specific information from their PDF documents. Thanks to redaction, organizations can adhere to these regulations and safeguard themselves from any legal repercussions. 

The Best Redaction Tools for Mac Users 

When it comes to redacting a PDF document, Mac users have the following options at their disposal:

  • Preview 

Preview is a default Mac application for viewing images, and it is also the default PDF viewer. Although the application is basic, it comes with built-in functionality to redact PDF documents. The application allows for the basic redaction of images and text, making it a convenient option for simple tasks. 

Please note that Preview has featured a PDF redact tool since macOS 11 (Big Sur). So, if your Mac is using macOS 11 or later, you can make use of this functionality.

To use the redaction feature, open the PDF document in Preview > click Tools > choose Redact > click OK on the pop-up window > choose the text you want to redact > save your document. 

Another way of redacting PDFs is using markup tools. Open the document in Preview > click on the markup icon in the toolbar > choose the rectangle tool > place a black rectangle over the text you want to redact > export the file as a new PDF instead of saving the changes. 

  • PDFelement Pro

PDFelement Pro is equipped with a powerful redaction feature that allows users to handle PDF documents easily and with confidence. The redaction feature can be used to black out texts, images, and pages in the document. 

In addition to its redaction feature, the software is packed with a comprehensive suite of editing tools that you can use to delete, add, extract, and replace images and texts in PDF files. The program also has integrated optical character recognition software that allows users to search, edit, and open scanned PDF files conveniently. 

  • Adobe Acrobat Pro

Adobe Acrobat Pro doesn’t need any introduction. It is the industry standard for PDF editing. The tool offers comprehensive redaction features and allows users to permanently replace or remove text and images. 

  • Skim

Skim is an open-source PDF viewer featuring a user-friendly interface. The program offers basic redaction tools, including image and text removal. The program seamlessly integrates with Mac applications. 

  • PDF Expert

If you are seeking a versatile PDF editor, check out PDF Expert. With this application, you can easily edit, annotate, sign, and combine PDF files. It also has a redaction tool that allows you to black out graphics and text in the document. 

  • PDFpen

This is another powerful PDF editor with redaction capabilities. The tool allows for accurate redaction of images, texts, and even metadata. 

  • Redact-it

This is a dedicated redaction tool that focuses on efficiency and simplicity. The tool offers a simple way to remove images and text before sharing the PDF document.

A step-by-step Guide to Redacting PDFs

Regardless of which tool you choose to redact PDFs, the basic steps remain the same:

  • Open the document you want to edit by choosing your preferred redaction tool. 
  • Identify the confidential information that needs to be redacted. 
  • Choose the information you want to remove and then click the redact button. 
  • Review the redacted document and save it. 

So, now you know how to redact PDFs to keep confidential information under wraps and away from public knowledge.