Is this safer than drawing a black rectangle?

Yes, and the difference matters. Drawing a black box in most editors leaves the text sitting underneath, where anyone can select and copy it — that is how redaction failures make the news. This flattens the page to an image, so the words no longer exist in the file.

What do I lose by flattening?

The page stops being selectable text, which also means it is no longer searchable. That is the trade for the content actually being gone.

Is this safer than drawing a black box?

Much. A black rectangle drawn over text leaves the text in the file, and anyone can select and copy it — a mistake that has embarrassed governments. Redacted pages here are rebuilt as images, so the words underneath are gone.

What is the trade-off?

A flattened page is no longer searchable or selectable, and the file is larger. That is the cost of the text genuinely being removed.

Redact PDF

Cover a region and flatten the page so the text underneath is genuinely gone.

Runs in your browser — nothing uploaded

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How to use Redact PDF

Choose the PDF containing information that must be removed.
Drag boxes over every region to hide.
Press Save. The page is flattened so the text underneath is genuinely gone.

Questions

Is this safer than drawing a black rectangle?: Yes, and the difference matters. Drawing a black box in most editors leaves the text sitting underneath, where anyone can select and copy it — that is how redaction failures make the news. This flattens the page to an image, so the words no longer exist in the file.
What do I lose by flattening?: The page stops being selectable text, which also means it is no longer searchable. That is the trade for the content actually being gone.
Is this safer than drawing a black box?: Much. A black rectangle drawn over text leaves the text in the file, and anyone can select and copy it — a mistake that has embarrassed governments. Redacted pages here are rebuilt as images, so the words underneath are gone.
What is the trade-off?: A flattened page is no longer searchable or selectable, and the file is larger. That is the cost of the text genuinely being removed.

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