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RedactSnap

How to redact a signature

By RedactSnap ·

A signature on a shared document can be copied and pasted onto something else, and most people who receive a document don't need it. Cover it with a solid box before you share a signed letter, contract, check or form, unless the recipient needs to see that it was signed.

When to hide a signature

  • Posting a document publicly, such as a letter, contract or invoice on social media or a forum.
  • Sharing a reference letter, lease or agreement as background, where the recipient doesn't need proof of signing.
  • Sending a photo of a check, a form or an ID card.
  • Keep it when the signature is the point: a signed contract sent to the other party, or a document a court or bank needs to verify.

Redact a signature step by step

Smart Scan doesn't detect signatures, so cover them by hand. The screenshots use a fictitious reference letter.

  1. Step 1: Open redactsnap.com/app and drop in the PDF, scan or photo.

  2. Step 2: With the box tool, drag a box over the whole signature, with a margin around the strokes. Include initials in the margins of other pages.

    A sample letter in RedactSnap with a box drawn over the signature

  3. Step 3: Export and download. The box is burned into the page image, so the signature can't be lifted out from under it.

    The exported letter with the signature covered by a solid box and the signer's printed name left visible

Other places signatures hide

  • E-signature certificates and audit pages at the end of a PDF, which can repeat names, emails and IP addresses.
  • Digital signature fields. Flattening the PDF on export removes them, which also means the exported copy is no longer verifiably signed.
  • Initials on every page of a contract.
  • The back of a check or a card.

Try it on your own file

The tool opens PDFs, PNGs and JPGs in your browser. The file is not uploaded.

Redact a PDF or image

Frequently asked questions

Should I redact my signature before posting a document online?

Usually, yes. Nobody reading a public post needs it, and a clear image of a signature is easy to copy.

Is it OK to blur a signature?

Use a solid box. Blur and pixelation keep some of the original shapes, and a box removes them.

Will redacting the signature invalidate the document?

The redacted copy is no longer a signed original, so don't send it where a signed copy is required. Keep the original unchanged.

Is my document uploaded?

No. It is opened and redacted in your browser, and no copy is sent to a server.