Cover content in a PDF
The whiteout tool draws a filled rectangle over part of the page. It hides content in the rendered document and in print. It does not remove the underlying text from the file.
How to cover content
- Open the PDF and choose the whiteout tool.
- Drag a rectangle over the area to hide.
- Adjust the fill colour if the page background is not white.
- Export and check the result in a second viewer before sending.
What whiteout is not
This is not redaction. The original text can still be extracted from the PDF with a text tool, because the rectangle is drawn on top of the content rather than replacing it.
For documents where the hidden information must be unrecoverable, use a tool that rewrites or removes the content stream and verifies the output. PdfCanvas does not do that, and the editor does not pretend otherwise.
When it is enough
Drafts, internal review copies, printed forms and documents where the covered content is sensitive but not legally protected. If the file needs to be safe after being forwarded, do not rely on whiteout.
Frequently asked questions
+Can someone recover the hidden text?
Yes. The underlying content is still in the file. Whiteout hides it visually only.
+Can I change the cover colour?
Yes. Set the fill to match the page background, or use a visible colour for internal markings.
+Is this the same as redaction?
No. Redaction removes the content; whiteout covers it. For legal sanitisation, use a dedicated redaction tool.
+Does it work on scans?
Yes. On an image-only PDF the covered pixels are not recoverable as text in the first place, but the rectangle still only covers them.