blacking out text in Word

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
G

Guest

Hi - how can I black out text in a document so I can have a public version
that doesn't show the sensitive text? Can I do this electronically or do I
have to manually black it out with a marker in the prnted version? I am
using Word 2000.

Charlie
 
Charlie said:
Hi - how can I black out text in a document so I can have a public
version that doesn't show the sensitive text? Can I do this
electronically or do I have to manually black it out with a marker in
the prnted version? I am using Word 2000.
Click to expand...

Hi Charlie,

This process is known as "redaction". Microsoft has posted a redaction tool
add-in, but it works only with Word 2003
(http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA012193991033.aspx).

In Word 2000, you can try using the highlighter tool on the toolbar, and
selecting black as the highlight color.

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.
 
Note, though, that the Word document will still contain all of the text. So,
don't give the public the electronic version!
--
Charles Kenyon

Word New User FAQ & Web Directory: http://addbalance.com/word

Intermediate User's Guide to Microsoft Word (supplemented version of
Microsoft's Legal Users' Guide) http://addbalance.com/usersguide


--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
This message is posted to a newsgroup. Please post replies
and questions to the newsgroup so that others can learn
from my ignorance and your wisdom.
 
I printed out a Word document with the text blacked out, scanned the
printout, and saved it as a pdf, thinking that would keep the blacked out
text from being searched. But subsequently, someone told me that there are
OCR applications that are capable of removing the "highlight" from the text,
even in a scanned pdf. I don't see how this is possible, unless Word's black
highlighting feature is a slightly different shade from the text, this
difference comes through in the printout, and the OCR software is sensitive
enough to pick up that difference. Can anyone tell me whether that is
possible? Do I need to worry about this pdf that has been sent?
 
If you have scanned a printed document with the text blacked out then there
was no text in the printout for OCR software to uncover. As far as OCR
software is concerned it would be a black graphic.

--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
 
If a PDF were created from text in which black shading had been applied or a
black graphic placed over the text, then yes, the text would still be there
and could be found with a search, but if it has been scanned, it will not be
visible to OCR or search.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org
 
Back
Top