Redact tool applies to all pages, I just want to use it on the one page

[marketingt88297251]

Hi all,

I have an Adobe PDF file with multiple pages and I would like to remove some sensitive information by using the redact tool. When I select some text, mark it for redaction and apply redaction, this redaction is applied on (almost) all pages of my document, while I just wish to have it on the one page. On the other pages I have different areas I wish to redact, not the same one. I know there's a functionality to apply redaction to all pages, but I didn't check this. I don't see an option to uncheck this, so I also can't make sure it's disabled. I've even tried to enable it and then in 'page selection' filled in that specific page. It still applied it to almost all pages. I've read in another post that I needed to save the document as an Adobe PDF instead of just saving as PDF. I've done this, still have the same problem.

I've been trying to make this work way too long now and I feel like I've tried everything! I hope someone can help and let me know how I can get this done.

[ls_rbls]

Create a new index catalogue for just the type of search function you are trying to accomplish.

Also have you cjecked this link: https://blogs.adobe.com/acrolaw/category/actions/

You will also find a plugin tool for download here:

https://acrobatusers.com/actions-exchange

In this last link there is a plugin action tool that uou can add and it allows you to do what you are looking for.

Also check this additional threads:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/Lightroom-Classic/Exclude-Some-Key-Words-for-Export-Option/td-p/10593...

https://community.adobe.com/t5/Acrobat/Adobe-Redaction-Problems/m-p/10631156#M151541

[marketingt88297251]

Hi ls_rbls, thank you for your quick reply. However I can't find what I am looking for in these links. The last thread describes the same problem as the one I encounter, but there's no solution yet.

[ls_rbls]

Hi,

This is what I am thinking of... 

1) modify or create a new indexed catalogued for Advanced Searches

2) Clicking individually on the pages displayed using the  thumbnails viewer

3) See if modifying any settings shown in the slide below serves as a work around:

[marketingt88297251]

Hi ls_rbls, thanks again for taking the time to respond. I have followed your instructions, however it's still happening. I'll tell you what I'm doing exactly to make sure we're on the same page (I don't see the link between what I'm doing and your first piece of advice about advanced searches).

I want to hide some information on multiple pages of my Adobe PDF document. So I click on the Redact tool - mark for redaction - text and images - I select a part of text I want to hide on one page specifically - apply - and then I get a white rectangle on the same spot on almost all pages of my document. 

I worked around it and deleted the text I wanted to hide, but it's not ideal and would like to know how to do this in the future! I feel like it should work this way.

Thank you,

Nathalie

[ls_rbls]

I suggested the indexing of a catlogue because it seems that redaction tool depends on the advanced search engine. I wanted to see if you were able to narrow down a search to exactly wht you are looking for rather than the redaction tool marking stuff automatically.

[marketingt88297251]

Ahh, okay. Let me try that.

[marketingt88297251]

Still not the result I'm looking for, hope someone can find a solution 😄

[ls_rbls]

This is so frustrating LOL! I will keep an eye to what I find.

[marketingt88297251]

Thank you!!

[ls_rbls]

In regards to this concern: " I've read in another post that I needed to save the document as an Adobe PDF instead of just saving as PDF. I've done this, still have the same problem."

See this document: https://www.nuance.com/products/help/NuancePDF/en_US/Setting_Redaction_Properties.htm

I think you can do a combination of saving the PDF document to postcript and applying a redaction by pages. There are some considerations to that approach explain briefly in this link:

https://www.nuance.com/products/help/NuancePDF/en_US/Flatten_Document.htm   <-------scrolll down in that page and read where it says "

"Redaction

When a file to be flattened contains real redaction, flattening the file conserves them. The black rectangles that block out redacted content can be selected and moved with the Select Object tool, but the removed content cannot be seen or searched. When a file to be flattened contains elements that are only marked for redaction, flattening the file does not conserve the redaction. The black rectangles that block out content marked for redaction can be selected and moved with the Select tool, but then the underlying content remains visible and searchable."             

   https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/using/removing-sensitive-content-pdfs.html   <-----removing sensitive content how-to

And this is one would probably resolve your issue but coding in javascript is required following the examples referenced in this link: https://acrobatusers.com/tutorials/print/auto_redaction_with_javascript

[JLIM87 · Accepted solution]

Hey,

I had the same issue and finally figured out why it was doing it only most (but not all) pages. I had a background on a pdf that the redaction was picking up as an image and applying it to all pages that had that same background. I deleted the background and applied the redaction then added the background image back into it afterwards.

[ls_rbls]

That is great info!   Thanks for sharing.

Hopefully marketingt88297251 can update this thread and confirm if your solution is the correct answer to this problem.

[SaAUkEtNzSlANc]

This looks like an app bug to me. Surely we shouldn't be expected to do this elaborate workaround just to get the redaction function to work manually and on each page separately? I don't understand why there isn't a way to switch to manual / single page redactions (which i think should be the default setting).

[SaAUkEtNzSlANc]

I don't know how to identify, let alone delete, a background on my document (a lease) so can't implement this workaround. All i want to do is remove two pieces of information that only appear on the first page. But whatever I have tried it always repeats the two redactions on all 13 of the following pages which appear in exactly the same positions on the page as the first page (and don't line up with anything on the subsequent pages).  This is now an old problem. Is it normal for Adobe not to fix issues like this promptly?  

[SaAUkEtNzSlANc]

Also, when i try to specify a restricted page range under the 'Repeat mark across pages' function as a workaround so that it redacts only on the page that i want it to (ie manual method) it doesn't work - period. I found that it still repeats the redaction mark on every single page of the document, that includes pages that occur before or after the page where the word was redacted.  That just looks like a bug to me.

[ls_rbls]

Would you be able to share an example or a dummy file without sensitive data that does the same thing?

I am wondering if this is dependent on the software that originally produced the PDF.

When you open "Document Properties" what is the producing software that was used to create this PDF?

Also, if you open the Accessibility Tool you can run a full report. Thid feature runs a series of tests and lists the failed tests with a detailed but brief description of the issues found.

Last, can you also confirm if this redaction tool is running any type of JavaScript batch action?

[SaAUkEtNzSlANc]

<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)" /><!--<br>/* Font Definitions */<br>@font-face<br> {font-family:"Cambria Math";<br> panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}<br>@font-face<br> {font-family:Calibri;<br> panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}<br>/* Style Definitions */<br>p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal<br> {margin:0cm;<br> font-size:11.0pt;<br> font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}<br>a:link, span.MsoHyperlink<br> {mso-style-priority:99;<br> color:blue;<br> text-decoration:underline;}<br>.MsoChpDefault<br> {mso-style-type:export-only;}<br>@page WordSection1<br> {size:612.0pt 792.0pt;<br> margin:72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt;}<br>div.WordSection1<br> {page:WordSection1;}<br>-->

Hi  thanks for replying.   Appreciated.

In the properties of the doc it says it is an Adobe Acrobat file – openable with DC version. It is a scanned doc and I did not produce the original pdf.  I can confirm that I am not running any type of JavaScript batch action via the redaction tool.

I will try to run the Accessibility tool after I have problem-solved another issue I am currently having with Adobe kicking me off my $76+/mth account regularly and making me log in a way that bypasses my secure password manager (presumably this is deliberate). I have found the Adobe help thread yesterday to work through possible problems and solutions. So after a few hours on this I should be able get back to stubborn multi-page redaction problem. 

Btw, for my immediate redacting needs I used a work around by extracting the first page, making the redactions, then adding it back to the rest of the doc. But this is not good enough as a permanent solution to the problems with this tool.

cheers

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

[ls_rbls]

That is strange.... it almost looks like the PDF has some sort of editing restrictions or it was certified with a digital signature, or it is a digitally signed document. I may be completely wrong though, just speculating.

If that was the case, can you confirm if this document is not electronically or digitally signed?

[knl985]

Have you found a resolution to this issue? I am having the same problem - I mark a section of text for redaction and that markup applies itself to nearly every page. I have looked through these comments and tried printing to PDF, and the option to copy the redaction to all pages, and redacting another random page - none of this works. Any redaction mark I make applies itself in the same place on all the pages.

[Susan244785526u2u]

Some at my firm are having the same problem!  We are using Acrobat Pro Continuous Release V. 2022.002.20212.  This is happening on documents with no background - so the solution that worked for the original poster did not help us.  We are going to make sure the PDFs are freshly created using the Adobe driver going forward.  This is difficult one to pin down as it is seemingly random... 

[Bradyaus]

Incase someone else comes looking for a fix, this might help someone-

I was having the same issues, asked the sender to remove backgrounds and resend. Sender removed headers and footers from the document and resent. Redaction worked correctly.

But as I had already marked up the original pdf but not applied redaction and had only a dozen pages. I just split the document into single page pdfs. Applied Redaction on each pdf. Then merged them back into one as a workaround.

[Thomas31664734qj86]

One thing that I have found when working with a client is that there can also be "Image" boxes with no image in it. I am assuming that Adobe thinks there is an image and then applies a box to it. Once we removed them it allowed us to apply redactions with no issue

[ls_rbls]

Hi @Thomas31664734qj86 ,

Thank you for updating the thread.

When you refer to the boxes, are you referring to annotation boxes?

If yes, are able to delete them using the Edit Text & Images tool?

Would you mind sharing a screenshot?