How to white out text in a PDF on a Mac, and when not to
Cover text in a PDF with a white box on a Mac in Preview, why the words are still in the file underneath, and what to use when they must really be gone.
The problem
You need a line gone from a PDF, an old address, a wrong figure, a name, and covering it with white looks like the quick way.
How do I white out text in a PDF on a Mac?
- Open the PDF in Preview and click Show Markup Toolbar.
- From Shapes, choose the rectangle and drag it over the text.
- Set the border colour to none and the fill colour to white.
- Add a Text box on top if you want to write something else there.
Does a white box delete text from a PDF?
No. The words are still in the file under the box. Anyone can select across it and copy them, search for them, or move the box away. For names, numbers or anything private, use redaction, which removes the words; Preview's own redaction note says redacted content is permanently removed.
When is white out fine?
When it does not matter if the old text is found: tidying a template, hiding a stray mark, covering a label you want to replace. To change the wording properly, see edit PDF text on a Mac.
Our take
Ask one question before you white out: would it matter if someone found the old text? If yes, redact. A white box is the most common way private details leak from PDFs, because it looks finished to the person who drew it.
In Simply PDF
Simply PDF's Edit text removes or replaces the words themselves, and its Redact tool removes private text for good and checks the saved file. Both need a key.
Questions
Does a white box delete text from a PDF?
No. The text is still underneath and can be copied or searched. Use redaction to remove it.
How do I remove text from a PDF on a Mac?
Redact it with Preview's Redact tool, or use an editor that deletes text in place.