You're sharing a contract sample with a prospect. It includes the previous client's name, address, and phone number — none of which should reach the prospect's inbox.
Redaction removes that data permanently. Not just a black box on top; the underlying text is gone. Flint does it right.
Real redaction vs visual blackout
Drawing a black rectangle on top of text in a regular editor looks redacted but isn't — copy/paste the 'blacked out' area and the original text comes out. Real redaction strips the underlying content. Flint's redact tool does the second: it removes text streams, then overlays a black mark so it's visible to readers.
Find and mark the data
Open redact PDF, drop the file, scroll to the page with personal data. Drag a selection box over the name. Repeat for addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, anything else PII. Or use 'find and redact' to type the text — Flint locates and marks every occurrence.
Apply redaction permanently
Click 'apply redaction'. Flint removes the underlying text/image data within each marked area and writes a black overlay. Save. The output file has no recoverable trace of the redacted content. Open in Acrobat, try to copy from the redacted area — you get nothing.
Verify before sharing
Always verify a redacted file before sending. Open the saved PDF, try to select text within redacted areas (should be impossible), and check for unredacted instances of the same data elsewhere in the document. If you missed one instance, redact it now and re-save.
FAQ
Is redaction reversible?
Not from the redacted file — the data is gone. You'd need to keep the original if you might need it later.
What about metadata?
Redact only handles page content. PDF metadata (author, title, subject) may also contain personal info. Clear it with edit PDF metadata controls.
Can I redact images?
Yes. Marking over an image redacts that area. The image data within is replaced with black.
What about hidden form fields?
Inspect with edit PDF and clear any form data that contains PII. Form fields can hide content not visible in the rendered page.
Find, mark, apply, verify. Redact personal information.