How to remove background text?

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redsky8
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How to remove background text?

Post by redsky8 »

I would like to save a PDF but remove the hidden text layers. I don't want people making changes to my document later (at least not easily). Can I save the PDF such that the image is preserved but all other data (such as text) is removed? If so, how? Thanks in advance.
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Tracker Supp-Stefan
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Re: How to remove background text?

Post by Tracker Supp-Stefan »

Hello redsky8,

If you need to permanently remove content from a file - please try the redaction tool:
https://www.pdf-xchange.com/knowle ... -Redaction
It will allow you to permanently remove parts of a page while keeping others intact.
Please note that even you won't be able to recover this content - so do make sure that you save the redacted out files under a different name!

Cheers,
Stefan
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redsky8
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Re: How to remove background text?

Post by redsky8 »

Hi Stefan,

I want to remove the ability to select and copy the foreground text, but I want to keep the foreground text intact. How do I do this? Redacting seems to delete everything, including the foreground text.

Doug
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TrackerSupp-Daniel
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Re: How to remove background text?

Post by TrackerSupp-Daniel »

I would recommend applying security to the document, that will ensure you are the only one who can make edits to it
https://www.pdf-xchange.com/knowle ... dits-to-it
This KB article details the process nicely

Hope it helps!
Dan McIntyre - Support Technician
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redsky8
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Re: How to remove background text?

Post by redsky8 »

Okay. I will. Just out of curiosity though, is there a way to "flatten" the document into purely an image (and getting rid of any textual content)?
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TrackerSupp-Daniel
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Re: How to remove background text?

Post by TrackerSupp-Daniel »

indeed there is, you would want to use the Export function under File>Export
Then select to image file.
Enjoy!
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redsky8
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Re: How to remove background text?

Post by redsky8 »

What I mean is to retain the PDF file format (not export it into an image file format), but just getting rid of the text layer. I ask this because even if I apply document security, when I send it via Gmail, the Gmail PDF reader does not seem to honor the full security policy of the file (e.g., you can copy the PDF's text even if you specified that this is restricted in the security policy). Try it out if you don't believe me.

I could always print the file, scan it back in, and neglect to run OCR on the file. That would work. But I was hoping for something easier, where I could just remove the text layer.
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TrackerSupp-Daniel
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Re: How to remove background text?

Post by TrackerSupp-Daniel »

While doing that did you ensure that the restrict editing and printing checkbox is checked and the enable copying is unchecked?
In my test XChange Editor, Adobe, Google Drive, and Gmail editors all respected those settings.

Otherwise I suppose you could try printing the PDf as a PDF.... this usually has unforeseen consequences as it is not intended to be done like this, I find that usually form field textboxes can be copied, but regular text is not selectable except as graphic elements. Again, not recommended, but this might be one of those rare cases where this is a valid use.
Please note that this method can lead to document corruption if done repeatedly, which is why we do not recommend it, if you choose to go with this method, ensure that you keep a spare of the original document backed up somewhere away from what you usually use incase you ever need to recover it.
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Willy Van Nuffel
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Re: How to remove background text?

Post by Willy Van Nuffel »

It is still not 100% clear to me what you (redsky8) exactly like to do.

Removing the text layer will leave you with an empty document, except if it goes about something like a scanned document with a (transparent) text layer.

1) If you like to remove the text, then you can best activate the "Content" pane, via (Classic Toolbars) Edit > Other panes.
Via that Content pane, you have the possibility to see the real content of every page and delete whatever element, text or object that you like to remove definitively.

2) An other work around is to print the document to a new PDF via File > Print > PDF-XChange Printer and activate the check box "Print as image".
If you are looking for a 'free' (gratis) PDF printer, then you can try the "PDF-XChange Lite Free" from here (be sure to select the FREE version):
https://www.pdf-xchange.com/produc ... hange-lite

Best regards to all.
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redsky8
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Re: How to remove background text?

Post by redsky8 »

Ohh, I guess I was talking about an invisible text layer behind an image. Sorry if that was confusing. I'm not totally familiar with the PDF format inside and out, so I might be using incorrect terms.

Anyway, the Print as Image option worked great. Thanks!

Also the Google Mail PDF viewer does not seem to respect this documentation policy:
Image
I can still select text and copy it.
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Re: How to remove background text?

Post by Patrick-Tracker Supp »

Hello redsky8,
Thank you for trying that. Glad the printing option worked. Using these settings in the security policy, I do see that PDF viewers including Chrome's see the text, and even allows you to select it.

Image

However, you should find that it is not possible to copy it. The Editor will even ding at you when you try to e.g. CTRL+C. You can find the PDF I used to test here: https://www.pdf-xchange.com/files/f ... ecured.pdf

In so far as I can see, this file is totally secure. If you can copy the text out of this document please let us know, and provide details so that we can investigate.

HTH!
If posting files to this forum, you must archive the files to a ZIP, RAR or 7z file or they will not be uploaded.
Thank you.

Cheers,

Patrick Charest
Tracker Support North America
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redsky8
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Re: How to remove background text?

Post by redsky8 »

Hi Patrick,

I have reproduced this problem where Google Mail does not seem to honor the document permissions. See this video for steps. Contact me if you have follow up questions: doug.girard@gmail.com
https://youtu.be/Upc34qfPlZk

Thanks for looking into this,
Doug
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Re: How to remove background text?

Post by Tracker Supp-Stefan »

Hi Doug,

Unfortunately the general PDF security was designed in such a way that it relies on the application opening the file to comply with the restrictions and permit or not some operations in the file. Seems like Google's Mail pdf Viewer is not fully compliant with the specification.
There are third party tools like e.g. FileOpen which both we and Adobe support, that will offer a higher level of security, however - if the file can be displayed - text can be extracted from it. Whether you will e.g. take screenshots of your screen (something that a program can not prevent) and then OCR those images, or copy the text by typing it in a text redaction tool... there are ways if someone is determined to copy that information and has "view" access to it.

Regards,
Stefan
bitcohen
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Re: How to remove background text?

Post by bitcohen »

Hi all!
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.
Thanks. bitcohen
Last edited by bitcohen on Thu Feb 15, 2018 6:58 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: How to remove background text?

Post by Tracker Supp-Stefan »

Hello bitcohen,

You can remove the redaction objects if you want (with the Edit content tool) - and the removed content will not show below.
Alternatively - you can make changes to the redaction tool itself before applying a redaction - so that it ends up as a white rectangle rather than a black one - and then adding new content on top will be much easier:
redaction_colour.png
Cheers,
Stefan
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