BASALT · JOURNAL
How to redact a PDF without changing its page count
Some reviews depend on page references: a contract cites page 12, a filing has exhibit labels, or a production protocol requires the original page count. You can redact content while preserving the document’s pagination when the recipient needs that context.
Keep pages; remove content
Mark sensitive text, image regions, OCR content, and form values while leaving the page itself in place. Do not delete a page merely because one paragraph is confidential. If a whole page must be withheld, use the required placeholder or notation rather than silently changing the sequence.
Preserve headers and references
Check Bates numbers, exhibit labels, bookmarks, and cross-references after redaction. A mark should not obscure a page identifier or make a cited clause unreadable. Review page size and orientation when exporting.
Verify page structure
Compare page count, page order, and labels with the source. Search for removed values and inspect attachments, comments, and hidden layers. Keep a controlled original so the redacted copy can be compared without altering the record.
Frequently asked questions
Does permanent redaction remove a page?
No. A proper content redaction removes the selected data while retaining the page and its layout.
What if an entire page is confidential?
Follow the recipient’s protocol for a placeholder page or withheld-page notation, and preserve the original separately.
Can redaction cover Bates numbers?
It should not unless the protocol specifically requires it. Protect the identifiers needed to reference the production.
Doing it in Basalt
Basalt removes selected text and pixels while preserving page structure, then verifies page count and redaction permanence on-device. Download Basalt.
Redaction that proves itself
Basalt destroys the content you mark, then re-opens the file it wrote and proves the content is gone before it saves anything. Your documents never leave your Mac.