1. Open the PDF in Acrobat, and from the global bar in the upper left, Select All tools > Redact a PDF. The Redact a PDF toolset is open on the left pane.
Removing sensitive content from PDFs Part 2
Redact Hidden Information options
Metadata
Metadata includes information about the document and its contents, such as the author’s name, keywords, and copyright information. To view metadata, choose File > Document Properties (macOS) or hamburger menu 
> Document Properties (Windows).
File attachments
Files of any format can be attached to the PDF as an attachment. To view attachments, choose View > Show/Hide > Side panels > Attachments (macOS), or hamburger menu > View > Show/Hide > Side panels > Attachments (Windows).
Bookmarks
Bookmarks are links with representational text that open specific pages in the PDF. To view bookmarks, choose View > Show/Hide > Side Panels > Bookmarks (macOS), or hamburger menu > View > Show/Hide > Side panels > Bookmarks (Windows).
Comments and markups
This item includes all comments added to the PDF using the comment and markup tool, including files attached as comments. To view comments, select the Comments icon on the right pane.
Form fields
This item includes Form Fields (including Signature fields) and all Actions and calculations associated with form fields. If you remove this item, all form fields are flattened and can no longer be filled out, edited, or signed.
Hidden text
This item indicates text in the PDF that is either transparent, covered by other content, or the same color as the background.
Hidden layers
PDFs can contain multiple layers that can be shown or hidden. Removing hidden layers removes these layers from the PDF and flattens the remaining layers into a single layer. To view layers, choose View > Show/Hide > Side Panels > Layers (macOS) or hamburger menu > View > Show/Hide > Side panels > Layers (Windows).
Embedded search index
An embedded search index speeds up searches in the PDF file. To determine if the PDF contains a search index, go to Acrobat All Tools > Add search index and select Manage embedded index in the left pane. Removing indexes decreases file size but increases search time for the PDF.
Deleted or cropped content
PDFs sometimes retain content that has been removed and is no longer visible, such as cropped or deleted pages or deleted images.
Links, actions, and JavaScripts
This item includes web links, actions added by the Actions wizard, and JavaScripts throughout the document.
Overlapping objects
This item includes objects that overlap one another. The objects can be images (composed of pixels), vector graphics (composed of paths), gradients, or patterns.
Sanitize document (Acrobat Pro)
Sanitize documents removes all sensitive information, hidden or not, from your document so that the information is not passed along when you publish your PDF.
It removes:
- Metadata
- Embedded content and attached files
- Scripts
- Hidden layers
- Embedded search indexes
- Stored form data
- Review and comment data
- Comments hidden within the body of the PDF file
- Hidden data from the previous document saves
- Obscured text and images
- Unreferenced data
- Links, actions, and javascripts
- Overlapping objects
2. Select Sanitize document. The Sanitize document dialog box is displayed.
3. Select Remove all. Specify a filename and location. If you don't want to overwrite the original file, save the file with a different name, at a different location, or both.
4. Select Save to save the document and automatically finish the sanitization process.
The sensitive information is permanently removed when you save the file. If you close the file without saving it, repeat this process, making sure to save the file.
Select a different language version for patterns (Acrobat Pro)
1. Select the hamburger menu
> Preferences (Windows) or Acrobat > Preferences (macOS).2. From the Categories on the left, select Documents.
3. In the Redaction area, choose a language from the Choose localization for search & remove text patterns menu. Then select OK.
Change the look of redaction marks (Acrobat Pro)
By default, thin red outlines appear around images and text you mark for redaction, and black boxes appear in place of redacted images and text. You can set the default appearance of redaction marks before you mark items for redaction. You can also change the look of redaction marks before you apply the redactions.
Set the default look of all marks
1. Open the PDF in Acrobat, and from the global bar in the upper left, Select All tools > Redact a PDF. The Redact a PDF toolset is open on the left pane.
2. Select Set Properties. The Redaction Tool Properties dialog box is displayed.
3. On the Appearance tab, select the options you want to change, and then select OK.
- Click the Redacted Area Fill Color icon and select a fill color from the color palette for the boxes that replace removed items. Choose No Color to leave the redacted area blank.
- Select Use Overlay Text to select the custom text or redaction code options. Select the font, size, and text alignment.
- Select Custom Text, and type the text to appear in the redacted area.
- Select Redaction Code, and then either select a code within an existing set or select Edit Code to define a new code set or a new code. (See Create redaction codes and code sets.)
- In the Redaction Mark Appearance area, select the Outline Color icon, Fill Color icon or both. Select a color from the color palette for the images and text you mark for redaction. Move the slider to adjust the opacity of the color. Choose No Color to leave the selected area blank.
Properties for redaction text (Acrobat Pro)
Custom Text Displays text you type into the Custom Text option over the redaction mark.
Font Displays custom text in the selected font.
Font Size Displays custom text in the selected point size.
Auto-Size Text To Fit Redaction Region Resizes custom text to fit within the redacted area. When selected, this option overrides the Font Size setting for the overlay text.
Font Color Displays custom text in the selected color, which you can change by clicking the color swatch.
Repeat Overlay Text Fills the redacted area with as many instances of the custom text as needed, without changing the font size. For example, if you specify the letter x or a hyphen (-) as the custom text, these characters are repeated throughout the redacted area.
Text Alignment Aligns text to the left, right, or center.
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