What the file still contains

Why a black box isn’t redaction, whether online PDF tools are safe, and how to make a file signable. Then open the tool.

• Why a black box over PDF text isn't redaction

  Drawing a black rectangle on a PDF leaves the text underneath, selectable by anyone. Here is why, how to test any tool in thirty seconds, and what actually removes it.

  Redact PDF→

• Are online PDF tools safe?

  When a PDF tool says it runs in your browser, what it usually means is that your file is uploaded to a server and then deleted. Here is how to check, and what Penstead does instead.

  Edit PDF→

• How to make a PDF signable

  You cannot just email a blank form and ask someone to sign it. Here is what a signable document actually is, why the flat ones are not, and how to make one that works.

  Request signatures→