What PDF formats does BlurPen support?

BlurPen supports standard PDF files up to 50 MB. It renders each page using PDF.js and allows you to blur, pixelate, or redact any region before exporting a clean PDF.

Can I redact a personal identification document like a passport or driver's license?

Yes. BlurPen supports scanned identity documents including passports, driver's licenses, birth certificates, and visas. The Ellipse tool is useful for obscuring photos, while the Rectangle tool covers document numbers, dates of birth, and addresses.

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Q: Can I redact a bank statement or financial document?

Yes. BlurPen works on any PDF, including bank statements, credit card statements, investment portfolio statements, and tax returns such as T4 slips. Use the Rectangle tool to cover account numbers, balances, and other sensitive figures before sharing the document.

Q: Can I redact a legal document like a contract or NDA?

Yes. BlurPen is commonly used to redact employment contracts, non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), vendor agreements, lease and rental agreements, and estate planning documents such as wills and power of attorney forms. The Rectangle tool works well for covering names, addresses, and signature blocks.

BlurPen is the only free browser-based tool that lets you blur, pixelate, or redact sensitive regions in PDF files — with zero uploads, zero account, and zero cost. Your PDF never leaves your device.

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How PDF redaction works in BlurPen

BlurPen uses PDF.js (Mozilla's open-source PDF engine) to render each page of your document directly in your browser — no server involved. You then paint blur or pixelation over sensitive regions using the brush, rectangle, or ellipse tools. When you're ready, pdf-lib re-assembles all edited pages into a clean, exportable PDF, again entirely in your browser.

The result: a redacted PDF downloaded straight to your hard drive, with no file ever transmitted to BlurPen's servers or any third party — not even for a millisecond.

Step-by-step guide

Open BlurPen — visit blurpen.com in any modern browser. No download, no extension, no account required.
Upload your PDF — drag and drop it onto the upload zone, or click to browse. Files up to 50 MB are supported.
Navigate to the right page — use the Previous / Next buttons (or arrow keys) to reach the page with sensitive information.
Select your tool — use the Rectangle tool (R) for text blocks and form fields, the Ellipse tool (E) for faces, or the Brush (B) for freeform areas.
Choose blur or pixelation — toggle between Gaussian blur and pixelation using the effect switcher (or press G). For sensitive data, pixelation at High or Max intensity is recommended.
Repeat on other pages — navigate through the PDF and apply redactions to each page that needs it.
Save your PDF — click "Save as PDF" in the toolbar dropdown. Your redacted PDF downloads immediately to your device.

What types of PDFs do people redact?

BlurPen is used across four broad categories of documents. In each case the goal is the same: share what you need to share, and protect what you need to protect.

⚖️ Legal Documents

Legal documents often need to be shared with counterparties, courts, or advisors with certain clauses, names, or deal terms concealed. BlurPen handles the full range:

Contracts & agreements — employment contracts, non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), and vendor agreements
Property documents — lease and rental agreements, deeds, and property titles
Estate planning — wills, power of attorney, and trust documents

💳 Financial Records

Financial documents contain account numbers, balances, and personal data that must be protected even when proving income or providing proof of transaction. Common uses:

Bank & account statements — bank statements, credit card statements, and investment portfolio reports
Tax documents — T4 slips, tax returns, and notice of assessment forms
Proof of transaction — invoices, purchase orders, and payment receipts

🪪 Official & Personal Records

Identity documents shared digitally are a primary target for fraud. Redacting key fields — document numbers, dates of birth, signatures — before sending is good practice for any of these:

Certificates — birth certificates, death certificates, and marriage licenses
Identification — scanned passports, driver's licenses, and visa documents
Academic & professional — diplomas, university transcripts, and professional résumés

🏢 Business & Informational Documents

Organizations regularly share policy documents, reports, and forms with redacted employee names, salary data, or client identifiers. BlurPen is useful for:

Policies & manuals — employee handbooks, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and compliance documents
Reports — annual reports, whitepapers, and project briefs
Forms — job applications, patient intake forms, and registration documents

Need more detail? Read our full guide: How to Redact a PDF Without Adobe Acrobat →

Frequently asked questions

Is it safe to redact a PDF with BlurPen?

Yes. BlurPen processes your PDF entirely in your browser using PDF.js and the HTML5 Canvas API. Your file is never uploaded to any server. Only you can see its contents.

Do I need to create an account?

No. BlurPen requires no account, no email, and no sign-up of any kind. Open the page, upload your file, and start redacting.

Does BlurPen work on scanned PDFs?

Yes. Because BlurPen works visually on the rendered page image rather than the underlying text layer, it works equally well on scanned and text-based PDFs. It renders each page as a canvas image and applies blur on top.

What can I export?

BlurPen exports redacted images as PNG or JPG, and redacted PDFs as a clean multi-page PDF. All exports are generated client-side — no round-trip to any server.

What if my PDF has 50+ pages?

BlurPen will warn you that large PDFs may be slower to process, but will continue to work. Each page is rendered on demand as you navigate to it, so memory usage stays manageable. Files up to 50 MB are supported.

Can I redact a bank statement or financial document?

Yes. BlurPen works on any PDF, including bank statements, credit card statements, investment portfolio reports, and tax returns such as T4 slips. Use the Rectangle tool to cover account numbers, balances, and other sensitive figures before sharing or publishing the document.

Can I redact a legal document like a contract or NDA?

Yes. BlurPen is commonly used to redact employment contracts, non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), vendor agreements, lease and rental agreements, and estate planning documents such as wills and power of attorney forms. The Rectangle tool works well for covering names, salary figures, addresses, and signature blocks.

Can I redact a passport, driver's license, or other ID document?

Yes. BlurPen supports scanned identity documents including passports, driver's licences, birth certificates, and visa documents. The Ellipse tool is useful for obscuring photos, while the Rectangle tool covers document numbers, dates of birth, and addresses. Set intensity to High or Max for identity documents.

Can I use BlurPen to redact a business report or employee handbook?

Yes. Organizations use BlurPen to share annual reports, whitepapers, and project briefs with certain sections concealed, or to redact employee names and salaries from employee handbooks and SOPs before sharing with third parties. The multi-page PDF workflow lets you redact each page independently in a single session.