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patricia4550006
Participant
May 19, 2016
Answered

How to edit (erase) portions of a PDF scanned document?

  • May 19, 2016
  • 2 replies
  • 150982 views

I've just downloaded Acrobat DC and am trying to use it to edit a previously-scanned B&W document (the document is a PDF large-format scan of a sewing pattern -- just line drawings and text). 

What I want to do is delete (or at least mask out) a small portion of some of the detail on that scanned document in order to insert new text or make other corrections.  I can't seem to find a tool anywhere on Acrobat DC that will allow me to select a small section of the PDF image and erase that portion of the image within the selected boundaries, the way I can with Microsoft Paint for example. 

Is there an "eraser" tool I'm missing?  Or some other method to select and erase/delete a small portion of a PDF image?  I definitely do not want to change the overall dimensions of the image, or affect the rest of the image at all by erasing a portion -- just mask the section to white.

I'd be grateful for any help with this.  If I can't get this to work, I'm going to have to cancel my trial subscription to Acrobat, because it's useless to me otherwise.   Thanks!

Correct answer Bernd Alheit

Use the Redaction Tool.

2 replies

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Sherri Roth
Participant
November 21, 2022

I recently had a document that had some writing in the margins that I needed to erase. This is what I did:

Edit pdf - on sidebar, under OBJECTS, Select Edit Using...and then select Microsoft Paint - Select the ERASER and then hold mouse and scroll over the parts you want to erase. SAVE. CLOSE - you will return to your pdf with the parts erased GONE.

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    Steven Herrmann
    Participant
    December 21, 2023

    You Sherri deserve an AWARD! 🥇Thank you!

    THIS is the correct answer.

     

    Why can there only be one? Who decides this? Is it because he's a community expert?

    Even the correct answer has no upvotes. His answer needs to be redacted.

      Dave Creamer of IDEAS
      Community Expert
      Dave Creamer of IDEASCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      December 21, 2023

      There can certainly be multiple correct answers. Usually it's up to the OP to mark correct the answer that helped them. 

      David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)
      Bernd Alheit
      Community Expert
      Bernd AlheitCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
      Community Expert
      May 19, 2016

      Use the Redaction Tool.

      S
      stumpffiddle
      Participant
      June 10, 2016

      And where might the redaction tool be? 

      Bernd Alheit
      Community Expert
      Bernd AlheitCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      December 2, 2016

      I'm interested in erasing text and images and then be able to insert new text in the space erased.  After using the redaction tool, the area that I selected and redacted then appears to be permanently blank, i.e., I can insert text there with the fill and sign tool, but when I revert to the view document or print it, the redacted area remains blank nonetheless.

      Any way to erase and then insert something new?  Is there a redaction tool setting I can use that will allow putting new text (or images) in the redacted area?

      I'm dealing with forms that have been partially completed with handwriting, so the text recognition in the edit PDF mode doesn't seem to be viable.


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