Blur or redact private information in photos and screenshots

What Redactor is for

Redactor is useful when you want to share an image but hide private or distracting details first. It works well for screenshots, documentation images, support examples, photos, marketplace listings, and quick privacy cleanup.

• Blur or pixelate names, addresses, account numbers, faces, license plates, or private details.
• Add black boxes for strong redaction.
• Add highlights or text labels for simple markup.
• Crop an image to keep only the part you want to share.
• Use spotlight to emphasize one area while softening the surrounding context.
• Optionally strip EXIF metadata when saving.
• Export a new PNG, JPEG, or WebP copy.

How to blur or redact private information in Grafiq

1. Open Redactor.
   In Grafiq, open More → Redactor (Blur & Markup).
2. Open your image.
   Click Open… and choose the photo or screenshot you want to clean up.
3. Choose the right redaction tool.
   For strong privacy, use Brush Pixel, Rect Pixel, or Black Box. For softer hiding, use Brush Blur or Rect Blur.
4. Adjust the strength or size.
   Use Pixel block to control pixelation strength. Use Blur to control blur strength. Use the brush/line size control to make the tool larger or smaller.
5. Cover the sensitive area.
   Paint over the private information or draw a rectangle around it. Use zoom if you need more precision.
6. Add optional markup.
   Use Text, Highlight, or Black Box if you want to add labels or call attention to an area.
7. Apply staged overlay items if needed.
   If Stage Annotations is on, text, black boxes, and highlights stay movable until you click Apply Overlay. Click Apply Overlay when they are positioned correctly.
8. Strip metadata if desired.
   Enable Strip EXIF if you want the saved copy to omit embedded metadata such as camera details, GPS location, timestamps, author fields, or other image metadata.
9. Save a clean copy.
   Click Save As… and export the redacted image as PNG, JPEG, or WebP.

Which redaction tool should you use?

• Pixelation: Best for names, addresses, IDs, account numbers, faces, license plates, and information you want strongly hidden.
• Black Box: Best when you want the clearest, most obvious cover-up.
• Blur: Good for softening background details or hiding less critical information.
• Crop: Best when you can remove the private area entirely by trimming the image.
• Spotlight: Best when you want to emphasize one region while blurring the surrounding area.
• Highlight: Best for drawing attention, not for hiding private information.
• Text: Best for labels, notes, callouts, or simple screenshot annotation.

Stage Annotations vs. baked edits

Some Redactor tools are movable until you apply them. Others immediately change the image pixels.

• Movable before applying: Text, Black Box, and Highlight when Stage Annotations is enabled.
• Immediate pixel edits: Brush Blur, Brush Pixel, Rect Blur, Rect Pixel, Crop, and Spotlight.
• Apply Overlay: Bakes staged text, boxes, and highlights into the image.
• Clear Overlay: Removes staged overlay items before they are applied.

Tips for safer sharing

• Use pixelation or black boxes for sensitive information instead of light blur.
• Zoom in and inspect the redacted area before saving.
• Use Strip EXIF when sharing photos publicly.
• Save a new copy and keep the original if you may need it later.
• Check the exported image before posting or emailing it.

What to watch out for

• Soft blur may still leave shapes or text partially recognizable. Use pixelation or black boxes for stronger hiding.
• Highlight is not a redaction tool. It draws attention; it does not hide information.
• Some edits are destructive once applied, so use Undo while working and save a new copy.
• Removing EXIF can also remove orientation or color-profile-related metadata. If a JPEG looks different in another app, try exporting as PNG.