How to Remove Text from PDF: The Complete Whiteout Guide (2026)

PDF Whiteout is the digital equivalent of using correction fluid on paper. It involves placing an opaque white (or colored) rectangle over text or images in a PDF document. When done correctly, the covered content becomes permanently invisible and cannot be recovered.

This is different from simply changing the text color to white, which can easily be revealed by selecting all text or changing view settings. True whiteout actually draws a solid shape over the content, embedding it into the PDF structure itself.

Using our free PDF Whiteout tool is straightforward. Here's how to safely remove sensitive text from any PDF:

1. Open the Tool: Navigate to our PDF Whiteout tool. It works on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android—any device with a modern web browser.
2. Upload Your PDF: Click "Select PDF" or drag and drop your document. Remember: your file stays on your device and is never uploaded to any server.
3. Navigate to the Page: Use the page navigation arrows to find the page containing the text you want to remove. You can zoom in for precision work.
4. Draw the Whiteout Box: Click and drag to draw a rectangle over the text you want to cover. The selection will appear as a highlighted area.
5. Apply the Whiteout: Click "Apply Whiteout" to permanently cover the selected areas. The tool draws solid white rectangles over your selections.
6. Download: Save your redacted PDF. The original sensitive text is now permanently covered with white boxes.

While the terms are often used interchangeably, there are subtle differences between whiteout and professional redaction:

For most everyday uses—hiding a phone number, covering salary details, or obscuring personal addresses—whiteout is perfectly sufficient. It's fast, free, and works entirely in your browser.

If you need FOIA-compliant government-grade redaction (where data must be forensically unrecoverable), consider our Flatten PDF tool after whiteout to ensure the underlying text structure is completely removed.

History is full of examples where improper PDF redaction led to embarrassing or even dangerous information leaks. These real-world disasters illustrate why using proper whiteout tools is essential:

The lesson from these disasters is clear: never assume that visual concealment equals true redaction. Always use tools specifically designed for proper whiteout or redaction, and always test your results before sharing.

Many people accidentally expose sensitive information due to improper redaction. Here are the most common mistakes:

Follow these expert tips to ensure your redacted PDFs are truly secure:

• Flatten After Whiteout: After applying whiteout, run the PDF through a Flatten PDF tool to merge all layers into a single image layer, eliminating any recoverable text.
• Test Your Redaction: Before sending, open the PDF in a different viewer and try to select/copy the redacted text. If any text copies, your redaction failed.
• Use "Print to PDF" for Maximum Security: If you're paranoid (rightfully so for sensitive documents), print the PDF to a new PDF. This completely rasterizes the content, making text recovery impossible.
• Consider Full Page Redaction: For pages with mostly confidential info, consider deleting the entire page using our Delete PDF Pages tool instead of redacting line by line.
• Double-Check Form Fields: PDFs with fillable forms may have the original data stored in form field values. Flatten the PDF to remove form interactivity and embedded field data.

Is the whiteout truly permanent?
Yes. Our tool draws solid white rectangles at the PDF page level. The covered content cannot be seen, selected, or copied. For additional security, flatten the PDF afterward.

Can I whiteout specific words instead of rectangles?
Our tool uses rectangular selection. For word-precise redaction, draw small rectangles around the specific words. For complex text-based redaction, consider our PDF to Word conversion then delete text in Word.

Does whiteout work on scanned PDFs?
Yes! Scanned PDFs are essentially images, and our whiteout draws on top of them. The covered areas will be invisible regardless of whether the PDF contains text or images.

Can I use a color other than white?
Our standard tool uses white whiteout to blend with document backgrounds. For black redaction boxes (government-style), you can flatten and print after whiteout, or contact us for enterprise solutions.

Will the file size increase?
Minimally. Whiteout adds small shape objects to the PDF. If you're adding many redactions, the file might grow by a few kilobytes. Use our Compress PDF tool afterward if needed.