BlackbarMake the text in a PDF unselectable
Open your PDF below and press Download PDF. Every page is saved as a picture, so the new file has no text to select or copy. Add black boxes first if you want parts hidden too.
- Stays on your device
- No account
- Nothing saved
You can download without any boxes, or drag over parts to hide first.
How it works
- Choose your PDF.
- Optionally drag black boxes over anything to hide.
- Press Download PDF. Each page becomes a picture in the new file.
People do this to send a document that's harder to copy and paste from, or to strip a hidden text layer from a file. The new PDF looks the same page for page, but select-all finds nothing and search finds nothing.
A US letter page is 8.5 by 11 inches. Blackbar saves it as a picture 1,224 by 1,584 pixels, twice the size it shows at, so small print stays readable. Expect a bigger file than a text PDF of the same pages, since pictures take more room than text.
Questions
Can someone still read the text?
Yes, by looking at it. A person can retype it, and some apps can read words out of a picture. It only removes the text you can select and copy.
Can I still print it?
Yes. It prints like any other PDF.
Does it keep links and form fields?
No. Links, form fields and bookmarks aren't in the new file, since each page is just a picture.
Is my file uploaded?
No. It's done in your browser, on your device.