BlackbarRedact a scanned PDF
A scan is a picture, so tools that search for text can't find anything in it. Here you drag the boxes yourself, so a scanned PDF works the same as any other.
- Stays on your device
- No account
- Nothing saved
Drag over what you want hidden on the scanned page.
Why scans need a different tool
- Choose your scanned PDF, from a scanner, a copier or a phone scanner app.
- Drag over each part to hide. Zoom in on small print first if you need to.
- Press Download PDF.
Search-based redaction finds words by their text, and a scan has no text, only a picture of the page. You'll see that in other tools as "no matches found." Blackbar doesn't search; it puts a black box wherever you drag.
Scans are often bigger than letter size in pixels. Blackbar draws each page at twice its PDF size, so a letter-size scan comes out as 1,224 by 1,584 pixels, which keeps typed text readable.
Questions
Some scans have hidden text. What happens to it?
Some scanners add a hidden, searchable text layer. Blackbar saves pictures of the pages, without a text layer.
My scan is a JPG or PNG
Blackbar opens PDFs only. Most phone scanner apps can save as PDF instead.
Can I redact a scanned ID?
Yes, if the scan is a PDF. Box the license or ID number, the birth date and the address, and keep what the reader needs.
Is the scan uploaded?
No. It opens in your browser and the new PDF is made on your device.