![]() Instructions for redacting in Acrobat Pro require that the text or images are marked for redaction and that the redaction is then applied. Alternatives to Adobe Acrobat for Windows users include the Nitro Productivity Suite ($159 per license) and Kofax Power PDF Advanced f/k/a Nuance ($179 per license), How to Redact in Adobe AcrobatĪdobe Acrobat Pro DC ($15 per user per month for Mac or PC) and Adobe Acrobat Pro 2017 ($449 per license for Mac or PC) are the products currently supported by Adobe that provide deep functionality and are the de facto standard in many law offices. ![]() Corel WordPerfect Office Professional has built-in redaction features. For Mac users, there is Kofax Power PDF Standard for Mac or PDFelement. If you need to redact a document in its native format of Microsoft Word or Excel there are products like Payne’s Redact Assistant ($60 for a single license). In addition to Adobe Acrobat, there are many applications available that will securely redact a digital document. The best method is to use software to redact a digital file, as it is easier and completely effective if it is done correctly. It is inadvisable to use any of the above methods considering that they require excessive amounts of time, generate a paper trail and there are plenty of options to redact a file that in all likelihood was generated digitally originally. While this works, image files are larger files and may be problematic for file size limitations in efiling systems, nor are they searchable. It is also possible to draw the black boxes over text in a word processing document or PDF, print the document, and scan it to create a new digital image file. Not all pens are made equal so it is important to be aware that documents marked up by hand can reveal information if the proper type of ink is not used. There are also special redaction markers so that you can print a document and hand draw the black boxes and scan it back to a digital file. Then apply opaque tape to the redacted sections and scan the document. There are old school methods of redaction, such as making a copy of a document, printing each page single-sided, placing the page on a surface and using a blade to literally cut out the text. The text must be digitally or physically removed to be redacted. Because of how a PDF is designed it has “layers”, which means that the text underneath the boxes is still there. Or simply drew black boxes over text in a PDF document and saved it. How does this happen? It is likely that someone drew a black text box over the words they wanted to redact in a Word document and then either converted or printed the document to PDF. Failure to take these steps and use a product designed for redaction can result in a file that looks redacted but isn’t. For good measure, metadata should also be removed from the document. In most software that provides a redaction function, redaction is a multi-step process and requires that the text or images are marked for redaction, then the redaction is applied, and then the document is saved as a new document so the original is not over-written. In regard to the most recent headline involving failed redaction in a court filing submitted by Jones Day, notable legal technology author Bob Ambrogi wrote a funny, but scathing, piece outlining how redaction can go wrong. Headlines over the years have called attention to failed redaction efforts, which can result in the exposure of potential malfeasance or result in disciplinary action. So, how do you apply redaction correctly? What’s the Problem? Voila, due to improper redaction all the information is readily available. Select all the text, copy it, and paste it into a new document. For instance, click here to view a “redacted” document. ![]() An improperly redacted document does not protect sensitive information, which is revealed with little effort. In other instances, such as an FOIA request, information is redacted to protect personal privacy or national security. In court filings, the purpose of redaction is to protect sensitive information, such as social security numbers or the names of minors. When a document is redacted it often piques the interest of people because the natural question is “what am I not seeing?”.
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