Whiteout PDF

Runs in browser PDF Editing & Annotation

Draw a box over the text or picture you want hidden and it is painted over in the page content. Add new text on top to replace a line. Whiteout hides content from view; the text underneath is still in the file — use Redact PDF when it must be gone.

Privacy: Processed locally in your browser. Your file is not uploaded.

What is a PDF annotation, and why does whiting-out text not remove it?

An annotation is an object attached to a page on top of its content: highlights, underlines, strike-throughs, sticky notes, free text, ink drawings, shapes, stamps and signature fields are all annotation types defined in ISO 32000, stored in the page's /Annots array and editable or removable later. Flattening draws them permanently into the page content. The PDF editor on this site keeps only highlights, underlines, strike-throughs (unless you choose to flatten them) and sticky notes as annotations; the text, drawings, shapes, stamps and signature images it adds are written straight into the page content and are permanent. A white rectangle drawn over text is exactly that — a shape on top — so the text beneath still exists, copies and searches; only redaction, which deletes the underlying content, removes it.

Security note: Covering text with a shape is not redaction: the hidden text remains in the file and can be selected, extracted or found by search. Use a redaction tool that removes content, then check the result by searching for the removed text.

Read the guide: How to Edit a PDF Without Uploading It

Whiteout paints a white box on top of the page, so the words under it stay in the file and can still be found; to remove them, use Redact PDF.

Whiteout PDFThis tool

Covers content

On screen:
A white box covers the words
In the saved file:
The box is added on top; the text underneath is still there
Search or Extract Text finds the covered words:
Yes: they can be selected and extractedFail
Rest of that page:
Unchanged, still selectable
Use it to:
Replace a visible line, such as an old address, with new text typed on top

Redact PDF

Removes content

On screen:
A black box covers the words
In the saved file:
The page is replaced by a picture of itself with the boxes burnt in; the original page leaves the file
Search or Extract Text finds the covered words:
No: the words are absentPass
Rest of that page:
Part of the picture: its text is no longer selectable
Use it to:
Remove sensitive text and images before sharing

How to use Whiteout PDF

  1. Drop a PDF.
  2. Drag a box over what should be hidden.
  3. Optionally add new text on top.
  4. Click "Save PDF" and download.

Whiteout PDF features

  • Drag to cover an area
  • Opaque white boxes (a coloured cover can be drawn as a filled shape in the PDF Editor)
  • Type new text on top
  • Boxes are page content (always shown, printed)
  • Clear statement that content is covered, not removed
  • Local processing

Whiteout PDF example

Replace an old address

Input:

White box over the address line, new text typed over it

Output:

letter-whiteout.pdf — the old line covered, the new one as text

Frequently asked questions about Whiteout PDF

Is whiteout the same as redaction?

No, and the tool says so on the result. A whiteout box is drawn over the content; the text underneath remains in the file and can be selected or extracted. Redact PDF re-renders the page without it.

Can I use a colour other than white?

Not with the whiteout tool, which always paints white. For a coloured background, open the full PDF Editor (or Add Shapes & Arrows to PDF), draw a rectangle, tick Fill, pick the colour and keep the opacity at 100%; it is page content too and hides what is underneath in the same way.

Can I type in the white box?

Yes. Switch to the text tool and click inside the box; the text is drawn on top.

Is my PDF uploaded to a server?

No. The file is opened and processed by your browser with WebAssembly and JavaScript; nothing is sent to Mutqan Soft or anyone else. Close the tab and the file is gone. Downloading the result needs a free account — no subscription, no payment.

Can I use it on a password-protected PDF?

Yes, if you know the password: the file list asks for it once and every operation then works on the decrypted pages. The output is saved without a password unless you protect it again.

Technical notes

A filled rectangle is appended to the page content after the existing streams. The result page states that the underlying content still exists in the file and links to Redact PDF for real removal.

References