Redact not working in Preview...highlighted text not staying highlighted

Question

Redact not working in Preview...highlighted text not staying highlighted

In Preview, I go to the menu select "Tools". From the drop down menu I select "Redact" (which is confirmed with a tick or check symbol). I then select / highlight the text I want to redact...but as I run my I-beam curser over the text, the text starts to highlight ...but doesn't stay highlighted? So I can't redact it?

I'm running Sonoma version 14.3.1 (23D60) and Preview Version 11.0 (1056.3.2).

Any help would be appreciated please.

MacBook Pro (M1, 2020)

Posted on Mar 12, 2024 9:06 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

AllJobsOnline Author

Level 1

4 points

Mar 12, 2024 12:11 PM in response to VikingOSX

Thank you.

Used the Inspector and it says the following:

Encrypted "Yes. The document is unlocked with the user password"

So, it seems, I may need a password to access the document and redact it.

Thanks again for your help, looks like you've cracked it!

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Answer 2

VikingOSX

Level 10

123,764 points

Mar 12, 2024 11:28 AM in response to AllJobsOnline

Preview has its Inspector (cmd+i) and on that Inspector's toolbar, there is a lock symbol. Click that to see the state of permissions on the PDF. But, as I suggested earlier, there may be internal features of that PDF and how it was created that may be confusing Preview, and if that is the case, there is no fix.

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Answer 3

VikingOSX

Level 10

123,764 points

Mar 12, 2024 9:29 AM in response to AllJobsOnline

In a PDF that has no other user restrictions on changing its content, or is a scanned PDF that has not been OCR'd — this is what you should see for text that you have selected for redaction. It does not vanish once selected, save, and viewed again.

Tested: Sonoma 14.4.

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Answer 4

VikingOSX

Level 10

123,764 points

Mar 12, 2024 10:42 AM in response to AllJobsOnline

With a trackpad, there is only one way to select text for redaction and when working, does not release the redaction selection afterward. So, unless there is some permission on that PDF to prevent change, I have no idea why it is failing for you.

It works for me as expected with Preview in Sonoma 14.4 (M2 Mac Mini Pro) and Ventura 13.6.5 (MacBook Pro M1 Pro).

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Answer 5

Mar 12, 2024 9:49 AM in response to VikingOSX

Hi VikingOSX,

Thank you for your prompt response.

I've used Preview in the past (with an earlier OS) and selected text and it redacted the text just as you've kindly displayed in your answer. However, this time the highlight doesn't remain...the moment I release my finger from the touchpad on my MacBook Air (M1 2020) the transparent coloured highlight dissapears/vanishes and the text remains untouched...

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Answer 6

Mar 12, 2024 10:48 AM in response to VikingOSX

Hi,

Thanks again for your swift response.

I agree, it quite weird, which was why I thought I'd ask here for an answer. The other odd thing is that, when I release from the trackpad and the highlight disappears, I go back to the tools drop down to check the status of the redact selection...and it's still showing a check/tick confirmation...so...can only conclude the problem causing highlight to fail lies somewhere within the process of highlighting the selected text...

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Answer 7

VikingOSX

Level 10

123,764 points

Mar 12, 2024 10:52 AM in response to AllJobsOnline

AllJobsOnline wrote:

Hi,

Thanks again for your swift response.

I agree, it quite weird, which was why I thought I'd ask here for an answer. The other odd thing is that, when I release from the trackpad and the highlight disappears, I go back to the tools drop down to check the status of the redact selection...and it's still showing a check/tick confirmation...so...can only conclude the problem causing highlight to fail lies somewhere within the process of highlighting the selected text...

Or the specific PDF has permission or other issues… that interfere with Preview's handling of the PDF content. Unfortunately, Adobe's Acrobat PDF Reader does not offer free redaction as it has far better PDF handling capabilities in some circumstances.

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Answer 8

Mar 12, 2024 11:02 AM in response to VikingOSX

I've tried checking for properties associated with the PDF but unfortunately in seems there's no such facility to do so with Preview.

Hopefully, someone else will be able to provide a solution.

Thank you for your help and taking the time to do so though, it's appreciated.

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Answer 9

VikingOSX

Level 10

123,764 points

Mar 12, 2024 12:45 PM in response to AllJobsOnline

That encrypted password may be your administrator password unless it originated from someone else that placed a password on the encryption.

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