Redact Text in Images and Scanned PDFs
Most redaction tools cannot process scanned documents or image-based PDFs. AI-Redact uses OCR technology to read text in any image, then applies the same AI-powered detection to find and permanently remove sensitive information — names, account numbers, addresses, and more.
The Challenge of Redacting Image-Based Documents
- Scanned documents and image-based PDFs contain text that most redaction tools cannot process. Standard PDF editors cannot select, search, or redact text that exists only as pixels in an image layer.
- Manually editing images to cover text is imprecise and time-consuming. Using a paint tool to draw over text in a scanned contract or medical form is error-prone — you can miss text, leave partial characters visible, or accidentally obscure non-sensitive information.
- Screenshots shared in support tickets, bug reports, or documentation often contain visible email addresses, API keys, database connection strings, or personal information that needs to be removed before sharing.
- Photographs of physical documents — ID cards, insurance forms, handwritten notes — are increasingly used in digital workflows but cannot be processed by text-based redaction tools.
- Many organizations still receive paper documents that are scanned into their systems. These scanned files contain sensitive data that is just as exploitable as digital text, but far harder to redact at scale.
How AI-Redact Handles Images and Scans
- AI-Redact uses advanced OCR (Optical Character Recognition) to extract text from images and scanned documents before applying the same AI-powered PII detection used on native PDFs.
- The OCR engine accurately reads printed text, typed text in screenshots, and common handwriting styles — converting pixel-based content into searchable, redactable text data.
- Once text is extracted via OCR, AI-Redact identifies sensitive information using the same machine learning models that process native PDFs — names, addresses, account numbers, SSNs, and more.
- Redaction is applied directly to the image layer, permanently replacing detected text regions with solid redaction marks. The original text cannot be recovered from the output file.
- Batch processing on the Pro tier lets you upload multiple scanned documents or image files and process them all with consistent OCR and redaction settings.
Process
How Image and Scan Redaction Works
Upload Image or Scanned PDF
Upload a scanned PDF, photographed document, or screenshot. AI-Redact accepts image-based PDFs of any page count (up to 4 pages on the free tier).
OCR Extracts All Text
Advanced OCR technology reads every word in the image — including printed text, typed text, and common handwriting. The extracted text is analyzed without altering the original document layout.
AI Identifies Sensitive Information
The same AI engine that processes native PDFs analyzes the OCR-extracted text to identify names, addresses, phone numbers, financial data, medical identifiers, and other PII.
Download Redacted File
Download your permanently redacted file with all sensitive text regions replaced by solid redaction marks. The output preserves the original document layout and non-sensitive content.
Capabilities
OCR-Powered Redaction Features
From scanned contracts to phone camera snapshots, AI-Redact extracts and redacts text in any image-based document with the same thoroughness applied to native PDFs.
High-Accuracy OCR Engine
AI-Redact uses a state-of-the-art OCR engine that accurately reads printed text in scanned documents, even when dealing with low resolution, slight skew, or minor image artifacts common in real-world scans.
Scanned PDF Processing
Many PDFs are actually scanned images wrapped in a PDF container. AI-Redact detects image-only PDFs automatically and applies OCR before redaction — no special handling or settings required on your part.
Photograph and Camera Scan Support
Documents photographed with a phone camera — ID cards, receipts, insurance forms, handwritten notes — are processed with the same OCR pipeline. Perspective distortion and variable lighting are handled by the preprocessing engine.
Screenshot Redaction
Redact email addresses, API keys, usernames, connection strings, and personal data from screenshots before sharing them in documentation, support tickets, presentations, or bug reports.
Multi-Language OCR
The OCR engine supports text recognition across multiple languages and scripts, including Latin, Cyrillic, and CJK character sets. Detect and redact PII regardless of the document language.
Batch Image Processing
Pro users can upload multiple scanned documents or image-based files and process them as a batch. Consistent OCR quality and redaction rules are applied across every file in the set.
FAQ
Image Redaction FAQ
Redact Scanned Documents and Images
Upload your scanned PDF, photographed document, or screenshot. OCR extracts the text, AI detects the sensitive data, and you get a permanently redacted file in seconds.