Offset redacting searches for an anchor text string in the document, then places a redacting annotation at a specified offset position relative to the found text. This is useful when the sensitive data itself is not searchable (e.g., handwritten or image-based content) but always appears near a known label.
A form contains the label "Mail to:" followed by an address on the lines below. The address content varies per document, but the label "Mail to:" is always present. With offset redacting, you search for "Mail to:" and place a redacting area below it, covering the address lines.
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Anchor Text | The text string to search for in the document. The redacting area is positioned relative to where this text is found. | (none) |
| Direction | Where to place the redacting area relative to the anchor text: Below, Above, Right, or Left. | Below |
| Offset X | Horizontal offset from the anchor text position, in PDF points (1/72 inch). | 0.0 |
| Offset Y | Vertical offset from the anchor text position, in PDF points. | 0.0 |
| Width | Width of the redacting area in PDF points. | 200.0 |
| Height | Height of the redacting area in PDF points. | 14.0 |
| Case Sensitive | When enabled, the anchor text search distinguishes between uppercase and lowercase. | Off |
| Whole Word | When enabled, the anchor text must appear as a complete word, not part of a longer word. | Off |
| Exemption Code | Select a group and code to embed in the redacting annotation. | (none) |
The direction setting controls where the redacting area is placed relative to the bounding box of the found anchor text:
| Direction | Placement |
|---|---|
| Below | The redacting area starts below the bottom edge of the anchor text, offset by (Offset X, Offset Y). |
| Above | The redacting area is placed above the top edge of the anchor text. |
| Right | The redacting area starts to the right of the anchor text's right edge. |
| Left | The redacting area is placed to the left of the anchor text's left edge. |
Tip
Use the Offset X and Offset Y values to fine-tune placement. For example, when redacting an address below a "Mail to:" label, you might set Offset Y to a small positive value to leave a gap between the label and the redacting area, and increase the Height to cover multiple address lines.
All measurements (Offset X, Offset Y, Width, Height) are specified in PDF points. There are 72 points per inch. For reference:
Note
If the anchor text appears multiple times on a page, a separate redacting area is placed at each occurrence.