Drawing a dark rectangle over text is not the same as removing that text. When preparing a document in Acrobat 2020 Pro, use the supported redaction workflow and verify the saved result.
Define what must be removed
Work from a copy and identify the categories of information that should not appear in the shared document. Keep the original in its appropriate restricted location. If you are acting for an organisation, follow its document-review requirements.
Adobe’s redaction guidance separates marking content from applying the redactions. It also describes finding and removing hidden information. Match the instructions to the interface in your installed release.
Review the output independently
- Mark the intended text or images using the redaction tool.
- Review the marked areas before applying the changes.
- Apply the redactions and address hidden information as appropriate.
- Save the redacted version under a distinct filename.
- Close and reopen that output, then inspect and search it for the material that should be absent.
Check the whole document
A person’s name may appear in a paragraph, an attachment, a comment or another page. Review the document as a complete deliverable rather than stopping after the most visible instance has been marked.
For a repeated report format, maintain a review checklist that identifies the usual locations of sensitive content. Have an appropriately authorised second person review important releases when the situation warrants it.
Finally, share only the reviewed output. Keeping an original and a redacted copy in the same folder is useful for working purposes, but it also makes selecting the correct file at delivery an essential last check.
Publisher reference: Adobe: remove sensitive information from PDFs.
Review the Windows platform and product information for Acrobat 2020 Pro when planning your PDF editing setup.