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Redact a scanned PDF or a photo of a documentPage 1 of 3
Guide · redact a scanned PDF

Redact a scanned PDF or a photo of a document

A scanned page is just an image, so ordinary PDF tools cannot search it. Re-Doc reads every scanned page with OCR, including tilted or faded ones, finds the personal data and burns black boxes into the image. It works on scanned PDFs and on JPG, PNG, TIFF, WebP, BMP and GIF photos.

Upload a file, first 10 pages freeSee pricing
Example

What Re-Doc changes

Orange boxes are what Re-Doc finds on its own. Scans and photos get permanent black boxes burned into the image.

1. Your documentintake_scan.pdf
Patient Intake Form
Scanned · Clinic copy
PatientGrace Liu
DOB09/02/1990
Phone(212) 555-0144
Insurance IDHX-88213-04
Reason for visitFollow-up
2. Safe to shareintake_scan_safe.pdf
Patient Intake Form
Scanned · Clinic copy
PatientGrace Liu
DOB09/02/1990
Phone(212) 555-0144
Insurance IDHX-88213-04
Reason for visitFollow-up
What to removePage 2 of 3
Checklist

What to remove, and what to keep

Usually removed

  • Handwritten and printed names: wherever OCR can read them
  • Numbers that identify someone: IDs, insurance and account numbers
  • Dates of birth, phones and addresses: in forms, letters and statements
  • Your own items: describe them in a custom instruction

Usually kept

  • The scan itself, with the same size and resolution
  • Everything that is not sensitive
  • Stamps and signatures unless you ask to remove them
Tip

Scan at 200 to 300 DPI where you can. Clear scans give the best detection, although tilted and faded pages are handled too.

How it works

Three steps

  1. STEP 1

    Upload

    PDF, Word, TXT, scan or photo, up to 50 MB. Sign in with Google; the first 10 pages are free.

  2. STEP 2

    Review

    Re-Doc highlights every change. On scans you can add or remove boxes; for any file you can describe what to keep or remove in plain words.

  3. STEP 3

    Download

    Get the safe copy in the same format you uploaded, with the layout unchanged.

QuestionsPage 3 of 3

Frequently asked questions

01Can it read tilted or faded scans?
Yes, tilted and faded scans are handled. Very faint text may still need a manual box, which you can draw in the editor.
02Which image formats work?
Scanned PDFs plus JPG, JPEG, PNG, TIFF, WebP, BMP and GIF, up to 50 MB per file.
03Is the redaction permanent?
Yes. The black boxes are written into the image pixels, so nothing remains underneath.
04Can I fix something it missed?
Yes. Draw a box over anything else before you download.
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