Quick start
Start using PDF Redaction Studio Desktop: sign in, open PDFs from Explorer, Finder or your Linux file manager, process them in the background and save the redacted copy.
Start the app and sign in
Open PDF Redaction Studio from the Start menu, Applications or your application menu. Sign in with your pdf-redaction.com account. Google and Microsoft sign-in open in your web browser and return to the app when you're done.
Add PDFs
Drag PDFs onto the drop area on the Dashboard, or click Open New Document. You can also open PDFs straight from your computer, see below.
Documents appear in My Local Documents and are processed one after another in the background. The document library works exactly as in Studio.
Review in the editor
Click Open on a document. Review the findings and add your own redactions in the redaction editor.
Save the redacted PDF
Click Save PDF in the editor, or Save redacted PDF on the document's row. The file is saved to your Downloads folder.
Open PDFs from your computer
| System | How |
|---|---|
| Windows | Right-click a PDF in File Explorer and choose Redact PDF. On Windows 11, it is under Show more options |
| macOS | Right-click a PDF in Finder and choose Open With → Pdf Redaction Studio, or drop it on the app's Dock icon |
Linux (.deb) | Right-click a PDF and choose Open With → PDF Redaction Studio |
The PDF is added to the Default project and opens in the editor. If the app isn't running, it starts first. If you aren't signed in, the file opens after you sign in. Only one copy of the app runs at a time; PDFs you open later go to the window that's already open.
Notifications and support chat
The app shows unread support-chat messages as a badge: a number on the macOS Dock and Linux launcher, a red dot on the Windows taskbar. The bell in the top bar lists notifications about your account, such as credits added to your workspace.
Next steps
Install
Install PDF Redaction Studio Desktop from the Microsoft Store, Snap Store or GitHub Releases, allow it in macOS Gatekeeper, update it and uninstall it.
Troubleshooting
Fixes for PDF Redaction Studio Desktop: macOS won't open the app, sign-in doesn't return to the app, Redact PDF menu missing, and where to find the log files.