How to Blur a PDF with 3 Effective Methods in 2024

Professionals have to share several PDF files with each other while collaborating on projects. These PDFs can contain personal information like bank account details or private numbers. In such cases, you need to blur PDF text to hide such private data from other team members before sharing a particular document. PDF redactor tools can fulfill this need with their ability to black out certain text.

In this article, we will introduce the best PDF blur tools to help you get a proper idea of their features. After going through this article, you will be able to understand the workings of all these tools.

Method 1. How to Blur Text in PDF with UPDF

UPDF is a one-stop PDF tool with innovative and advanced features, including blurring PDF documents. Users can use this specific feature to hide sensitive information in their documents. With the help of this PDF redactor, you can select any text in your PDF to apply the blur effect. Moreover, you have the option to use the "Search & Redact" feature to blur PDF text from everywhere in the file. Try it now.

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In addition, users also get to play around with the blur properties to customize the operation according to their needs. In these settings, you have the option to change the fill and border color of the blurring effect. Users can also turn on the "Overlay Text" feature to add new text on top of the blurred content.

Simplified Step-by-Step Guide to Blur in PDF with UPDF

Now that you have a good understanding of this PDF blur tool, it is time to familiarize yourself with its workings. The following simple steps will help you blur text in PDF with the help of UPDF:

Step 1: Access the Redaction Tool on UPDF

First and foremost, you have to download UPDF on your device to make use of its blur PDF feature. Once the downloading is complete, upload your PDF on the UPDF interface to kick-start the process.

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Open your PDF file in UPDF. Click the "Redact" icon on the left side of your screen to enter the redaction mode.

Step 2: Blur Text in PDF

• After entering the redaction mode of this tool, hit the "Mark for Redaction" button to apply the blur effect on your PDF text.
• Now, you have to select the text you want to blur.
• Right-click and select the ”Apply Redactions“ icon.

Note: Before marking all the text, you can also change the blur properties by clicking on the "Properties" tab. Here, you have the option to adjust the fill, border, and overlay text settings for better customization.

Extra Tip: Blur a Specific Word Everywhere in the Document at Once

If you want to blur any specific word or phrase everywhere in your PDF, click on the "Find Text & Redact" tab to do so. Afterward, write the text you want to hide from the whole document, and a list will appear containing all lines with this specific word. Now, select the text and press the "Redact" button to complete the operation.

To protect and blur your document's sensitive information in the most reliable way, we recommend downloading the UPDF AI-powered PDF toolkit by clicking the "Free Download" button below. This tool will help you secure your document information in various ways with ease.

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Part 2. How to Blur in PDF with Adobe Acrobat

Adobe Acrobat allows users to blur PDF documents with the help of its multi-layered "Redact" feature. Users even have the option to blur the whole page using this blur PDF tool. Additionally, you can make use of its "Redact a PDF" feature to blur a specific word from the whole PDF document. Let's analyze the best way to utilize this PDF redactor tool.

Step 1: After launching Adobe Acrobat on your device, click the "See All Tools" button to access the list of tools available. Here, hit the "Redact a PDF" tool in the "Protect" section and upload your PDF document to start blurring the desired text.

Step 2: On uploading the documents, select the "Redact text and images" button. Continue to select the text where you wish to apply this effect.

Step 3: Additionally, you can press the "Set Properties" button to access the redaction tool properties window. Change the color of the fill and border of blur effect to apply customized settings. Additionally, you can even add overlay text with the help of this tool.

Disadvantages of Using Adobe Acrobat to Blur PDF:

• Adobe Acrobat is quite an expensive tool if you are only looking to blur PDF content. You can find cheaper options on the market to get the job done.
• The interface of this PDF blur tool is a bit complex, requiring a learning curve to fully utilize it.

Part 3. How to Blur PDF Online?

If you are looking to blur PDFs online, Xodo by apryse is the best option available in the market. With its simple interface, anyone can take advantage of this tool to blur text in PDF. Moreover, you can also add overlay text and change the style to further customize the PDF content. The following method will help you perform this operation using the Xodo online tool.

Step 1: First, open the website on your browser and access the "Redact PDF" tool from the "Tools" drop-down menu. Afterward, click on the "Select File" button to upload your PDF document on the servers of this tool.

Step 2: As you upload the file, select the "Mark for Redaction" icon on the top to add a blur effect. Select the text you wish to blur, and it will be applied to it. You can also undo or erase the blur effect with the same tool.

Disadvantages of Using Online Tools to Blur PDF:

• Online tools such as Xodo pose security concerns when uploading private PDFs on their servers.
• You can face file size limitation issues while uploading PDF on PDF blur online tools.
• It only allows you to deal with one file per 15 minutes. It forces you to upgrade to the premium version unpleasantly.

Part 4. Which PDF Blur Tool Should I Use?

Throughout the article, we have tried to explain the workings of different PDF blur tools. The feature information must have helped you select the best one for your needs. If you still have any questions, this comparison table will help you make an informed decision:

After going through this comparison table, you can easily see that UPDF is far superior to other PDF blur tools available in the market. The cost-effective pricing plans and simple interface play a crucial role in increasing the customer base of this tool. Users tend to choose this tool, considering all the factors discussed in the table.

So, download UPDF to get a first-hand experience of all the features of this tool. Once you are satisfied with its functionality, upgrade to the UPDF Pro version to fully enjoy the blur PDF feature of this tool.

You can watch the below to know more methods about how to protect your PDF against unauthorized access offered by UPDF.

Conclusion

All-in-all, the blur PDF feature is a valuable tool to preserve the privacy of your PDF file. Users can use this feature to hide personal information while sharing PDFs with colleagues. All of the PDF blur tools mentioned in this article are good enough to fulfill their use case.

However, if you are looking for the best tool to keep your data safe, UPDF is your best choice. With its multi-dimensional blur PDF document feature, this tool allows you to customize the operation according to your needs. So, click the "Free Download" button below to install this effective tool on your device.

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