PDF White Out – Erase Text or Images from PDF Online

Need to hide sensitive or outdated information? Smallpdf's PDF Editor lets you white out text or images quickly and easily. Instead of redacting content with black boxes, you can use white shapes to blend over information. It's a simple way to clean up your document before sharing it with others.

How to White Out Text or Images in a PDF

Using Smallpdf's PDF Editor, you can whiten out text or images from a PDF. Here's how to do it:

1. Go to the PDF Editor and upload your PDF. Simply drag and drop your file into the upload field, or by click “Choose Files” to select a file from your device.
2. Once you're in the Editor, select the square icon from the top toolbar. From the dropdown menu, choose “Rectangle.”
3. Next, click and drag the shape over whatever you'd like to whiteout in your PDF. Position it carefully to cover all the content you want to hide.
4. Change the fill color to white by clicking the color selection icon in the toolbar above your PDF. Make sure both the fill and border are set to white to completely cover the content.
5. When you're happy with your whitened-out PDF, click the “Download” button in the top right-hand corner of the screen. Your new document will download directly to your device.

Add New Text Over a White-Out Box

You can use the same editing tool to add new text and instantly place it directly on top of the white-out box. Simply select the text tool from the toolbar and click where you want to add your replacement text. In addition to the block in white and the option to add text, you can also insert drawings and images into your PDF file.

White Out vs. Redact in a PDF: What's the Difference?

While white-out and redaction might seem similar, they serve different purposes and offer different levels of security. Understanding the difference is crucial when handling sensitive information.

• White-out simply covers content with a white shape or annotation layer. The original text or image remains in the PDF file and can potentially be recovered using specialized software or by copying the content underneath.

• Redaction permanently removes content from the PDF file, making it impossible to recover. This process deletes the actual content from the document's data structure, not just covering it visually.

Use white-out for casual editing and cleaning up documents for presentation. Choose Redact PDF when dealing with confidential information, legal documents, or when permanent content removal is required for security or compliance reasons.

Is White Out in a PDF Free with Smallpdf?

Our tool is free to use for basic white-out tasks. You can easily upload a PDF and cover or remove content without needing to register or download any software.

For users with more advanced needs, such as editing multiple documents in batches or accessing additional features, a Smallpdf Pro subscription is available. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial to use all Smallpdf’s tools without any limits.

Other Ways to Remove or Change PDF Content

Beyond white-out, Smallpdf offers several alternatives for removing or modifying PDF content:

• Convert to Word: Our PDF to Word tool makes it possible to convert your document into an editable file where you can freely remove, edit, or enhance existing text.
• OCR for scanned documents: If you upload scans, our Optical Character Recognition (OCR) tool recognizes and extracts all types of content for editing (Pro feature).
• Direct text editing: With our Edit PDF tool, you can unlock full text editing with Smallpdf Pro. This allows you to directly edit, delete, move, and change the existing copy in your PDF.
• Extract or delete pages: Remove entire pages containing unwanted content using our page management tools.

Other Smallpdf tools can help with things like converting output files to PPT, Excel, or JPG.

Best Practices for Safe PDF White-Out

Follow these guidelines to ensure your white-out process is effective and secure:

• Save a backup copy of your original document before making any changes.
• Verify coverage by zooming in to ensure the white-out completely covers all sensitive content.
• Test the final document by trying to select or copy text from the white-out area to confirm it's properly covered. As an added security measure, use Flatten PDF to prevent the white rectangle from being selected.
• Consider redaction instead for highly sensitive or confidential information that needs permanent removal.
• Review the entire document to catch any missed sensitive information before sharing.

Make Quick White-Out Edits in Your Browser

Need to make quick changes to a PDF, like whiting out text or images? Use our Edit PDF tool to add text, shapes, highlights, or annotations directly in your browser. It's fast, free, and requires no installation or sign-up.

Start your free trial to access all Smallpdf tools and unlock advanced editing features for your PDF workflow.

FAQs: White Out on a PDF

Can I white out a PDF on iPhone or Android?

Yes! You can use Smallpdf's mobile-friendly web editor in your browser on any device or download our mobile app from the App Store or Google Play for convenient PDF editing on the go.

How do I white out the background or remove color in a PDF?

White-out works best for covering specific text or images rather than changing entire page backgrounds. For background modifications, consider converting to Word first or using our other PDF editing tools.

Is white-out reversible in a PDF?

White-out shapes can be deleted or moved if they're still in annotation form, but once the PDF is flattened or saved permanently, the white-out becomes part of the document structure.

Can I white out multiple areas at once?

You'll need to create separate white-out rectangles for each area you want to cover. Pro users can work more efficiently with batch processing features for multiple documents.