Acrobat -- Convert Comments To Redactions

Direct purchase using PayPal ($40 only per license)!
Update (26/04/2018): The demo version will now also convert Square comments, so you can redact non-textual objects as well.

Update (06/02/2014): A free DEMO version of this script is now available here. This version will convert the last 3 highlight comments in the file to Redactions, and then apply them.

One of the best features of Acrobat Pro is the Redaction tool. It provides the only safe way of removing information from a PDF file. However, this feature is unfortunately missing from Acrobat Standard.
But did you know that it's technically possible to create AND apply redactions in Acrobat Standard? There's just no direct access to this hidden feature through the application's menus. Until now, that is!

Using this new tool I've developed you can bring this feature into your Acrobat Standard and convert your regular comments into Redaction markups, and then apply them, all with a single click!
You can select between converting all the comments in the file, just the highlights, or just the currently selected ones.

So instead of spending a lot of money on an upgrade, make the most of the application you have and add this handy tool to it!

Let's have a look at an example (the screenshots below were taken in Acrobat Pro, but the same applies for Acrobat Standard). I've marked up the parts of this page I want to remove. Notice I created comments of various kinds: a square comment (in red at the top), some highlights (in yellow), and a strike-through (in red at the bottom).

(click to enlarge)

I selected to convert all the comments, and the results are:

(click to enlarge)

Now I've clicked on Yes, and the redaction markups are applied. The selected data and graphics are gone!

(click to enlarge)

IMPORTANT: Applying the redaction markups is NOT REVERSIBLE! The only way to get back the redacted information after doing so is to close the file without saving it.

ALSO IMPORTANT: This script is only compatible with Acrobat 9 or higher.


If you have any questions about this tool, you can contact me directly.