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susan_9772
Participant
June 2, 2025
Answered

Redact Not Working/Signed Document

  • June 2, 2025
  • 2 replies
  • 1274 views

I work in a university and need to remove student identifying information from some signed documents. The reason for this is that we are reaffirming our accreditation, and the accrediting body requires real samples of these documents with the student's identifying information redacted. From reading other posts, it appears that Adobe doesn't allow redaction on signed documents. While in theory I understand that signed documents shouldn't be edited, there are times when one needs to remove from" VIEW" information on a signed document to protect someone.

 

I have attempted to accomplish this by highlighting the student's identifying information in black. However, I got a warning stating that the information blacked out could still be revealed by changing the document properties. 

 

How can I protect the student information if I can't use the redact tool on a signed document?

    Correct answer try67

    You can't. You will have to remove the signature first, then apply the redaction, then sign the file again.

    2 replies

    MikelKlink
    MikelKlink
    Participating Frequently
    June 3, 2025

    How "real" do the "real samples" for the accrediting body need to be? If they require the original digital signature to remain and to remain valid, you cannot effectively remove the student identifying information.

    If on the other hand they merely need a view of the document, simply export the PDF as bitmap images and redact them. That way you can additionally be pretty sure that you overlook no student identifying information in metadata.

    If the requirements are somewhere inbetween, please explain them.

      S
      susan_9772Author
      Participant
      June 3, 2025

      They need to be visually real and should have the redacted signatures with the dates. Also, removing the signatures isn't even an option due to the database in which the original documents exist. The only workaround I could come up with was highlighting in black and then taking screenshots of each page to include in our submission document. This isn't ideal, but it might work. 

      To my knowledge, if I want a bitmap, I export in an image format and then convert to a bitmap, but I don't have the software needed to then "paint over" the identifying information. However, I may be misunderstanding the process you are suggesting.

      I really don't want to have to do this the old-school way, printing out the documents, redacting with black marker, and then scanning them.

      try67
      Community Expert
      try67Community Expert
      Community Expert
      June 3, 2025

      If you do it like that the new files are not digitally signed, though.

      try67
      Community Expert
      try67Community ExpertCorrect answer
      Community Expert
      June 2, 2025

      You can't. You will have to remove the signature first, then apply the redaction, then sign the file again.

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