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Erica271828
Participant
August 16, 2021
Answered

Whiteout squares appear in Acrobat but not other PDF applications

  • August 16, 2021
  • 1 reply
  • 3567 views

I've been redacting some PDFs to post online, which leaves black rectangles where the redacted portions were.  The black rectangles are visually distracting, so I've been using the "Comment > Add shape > Rectangle" tool to put white rectangles with white borders over the black rectangles.  After saving and closing the document, I see that the white rectangles appear as desired when I open the PDF in Acrobat, but when I open it from another application the white rectangles appear as transparent black-bordered rectangles, through which the black redaction rectangles are visible.  These documents are for public viewing and I wiould like for the rectangles to be whited out regardless of what PDF program the viewers uses.  Any help is apprec 

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Correct answer Document Geek

Other PDF reader do not always honor  PDF comments made in Acrobat. Instead of adding white rectangles on top or the redaction, change the color of your redaction from black to white.

 

It's not readily apparent how to do it. But you'll need to bring up the Properties toolbar (Cmd / Ctrl + E). Change the color, then make your redactions. Then apply them.

 

1 reply

Document Geek
Community Expert
Document GeekCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
August 16, 2021

Other PDF reader do not always honor  PDF comments made in Acrobat. Instead of adding white rectangles on top or the redaction, change the color of your redaction from black to white.

 

It's not readily apparent how to do it. But you'll need to bring up the Properties toolbar (Cmd / Ctrl + E). Change the color, then make your redactions. Then apply them.

 

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Erica271828Author
Participant
August 16, 2021

That was just the ticket.  Thanks so much for this helpful information! 🙂

gary_sc
Community Expert
gary_scCommunity Expert
Community Expert
August 16, 2021

I just asked my wife who's a retired attorney about this. I asked if there was any issue if a redacted word(s) were any other shade or color other than black. 

 

Her response was that black has always been used since in the days before computers, one would take a black marker or ink and cover over the necessary words. With computers, black pixels cover the necessary words. Black is used now because it's the standard. 

 

As such using white, might be confusing to some because it's not what's "expected." One possible way around this is instead of white use some level of gray. [The world does not have to be black or white. ;>)]

 

Also, this might be just you. You might want to ask maybe a dozen folks or more if the solid black for redacted words makes it a challenge to read or not. In addition, ask them if the redacted word is white or gray, would that confuse them?

 

On the other hand, courts may have a different take on all this and some courts in some jurisdictions may have black as a requirement. Or it might be a requirement in some legal firms (the firm my wife used to work in REQUIRED two spaces after a period, there's no law for that, it was just what was required. So you might also wish to investigate the needs/demands of the recipient of the document what they prefer and/or demand. They very well may say "pink is fine."

 

Good luck!

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