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Folio · PDF Reader
True PDF redaction that actually removes the text.
Drawing a black rectangle over text in a regular PDF editor is a classic security disaster — anyone can still select, copy or search the text underneath. When you apply redactions in Folio, every redacted page is flattened and rasterized with the opaque black boxes burned in on top, permanently destroying the underlying text and vector data.
Free with a SEMDIV account: full true-redaction export included.
How it works
- 1
Mark areas to redact
Select the Redact tool in Folio and drag over sensitive text, numbers or signatures.
- 2
Review redaction marks
Check every marked region across your pages before committing.
- 3
Export sanitized PDF
Folio flattens redacted pages into burned-in bitmaps so hidden data cannot be extracted.
What you can do with Folio
Irreversible bitmap burn-in
Redacted pages are rendered to high-DPI images with black boxes burned over both PDF content and annotations.
Zero underlying text leakage
Copy-paste, screen readers and PDF text parsers cannot recover redacted strings.
Custom overlay labels
Optionally stamp exemption codes (e.g., “REDACTED”, “FOIA (b)(6)”) across blacked-out boxes.
No server upload
Sanitize sensitive legal, medical or HR documents locally before sharing them externally.
Combine with page deletion
Remove entire confidential exhibits or pages in the same workflow.
Search-and-redact workflow
Use full-text search to locate every occurrence of a name or account number.
More Folio workflows
PDF Editor →
Folio opens any PDF instantly and gives you precision tools to highlight, comment, sign and redact. The PDF itself stays in your browser on your device; your edits follow your workspace.
Sign PDF Online →
Skip printing, scanning and expensive e-signature subscriptions. Folio lets you fill out PDF form fields, add checkmarks and dates, and place a crisp drawn or typed signature — while keeping the confidential PDF on your own device.
Merge & Organize PDF →
Clean up messy multi-page PDFs before you send them. Folio lets you append additional PDF files, rotate sideways scans, crop margins, delete blank pages, or split out a clean page range — all locally in your browser.
Questions about Folio
Can someone copy or unhide text under a Folio redaction?
No. On pages with applied redactions, Folio replaces the vector text stream with a flattened page image that has the black redaction boxes burned in on top.
Are my unredacted files uploaded to a server?
Never. Redaction happens 100% locally in your browser before the file ever leaves your computer.