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Hide Sensitive Information in an Image

Snagit has several tools that allow you to remove, replace, or hide parts of a screenshot that should not be shared.

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In this tutorial:

Remove Sensitive Information with the Selection Tool

Select an area to remove from an image, such as personally identifiable information or options/functionality not available to a customer of your product.

Select to delete example
  1. Click the Selection tool in the Snagit Editor toolbar.
    Selection tool

    Note: If the tool is not visible in the toolbar, click the More dropdown.

  2. In the Tool Properties panel select a background fill option:
    • Transparent: Reveals the canvas behind the selected area.
    • Auto-Fill: Automatically fills the selected area based on the content surrounding the selection.
  3. Click and drag over the information you want to remove.
  4. Press Delete.

For more information, see the Selection Tool.

Replace Sensitive Information with the Move or Selection Tool

If your image includes actual names, addresses, or other sensitive or personally identifiable information, replace it with made-up information with the Move tool or Selection tool.

Replace text example

To replace text with the Move tool:

  1. Click the Move tool in the Snagit Editor toolbar.
    Move tool

    Note: If the tool is not visible in the toolbar, click the More dropdown.

  2. In the Tool Properties, enable Smart Move. Snagit automatically detects elements in the image.
  3. Double-click the text. An editable text box appears.
  4. Type the replacement text and press Enter.

To replace text with the Selection tool:

  1. Click the Selection tool in the Snagit Editor toolbar.
    Selection tool

    Note: If the tool is not visible in the toolbar, click the More dropdown.

  2. Click and drag to select the text on the canvas.
    Select text example
  3. Right-click the selection or Ctrl+click (Mac) and select Edit Text.
  4. Click the text box to edit the text.

For more information, see the Move Tool and Grab & Edit Text.

Hide Sensitive Information with the Blur Tool

Blur or pixelate part of an image, such as a profile picture or license plate, to quickly hide identifiable details.

Blur example
  1. Click the Blur tool in the Snagit Editor toolbar.
    Blur tool

    Note: If the tool is not visible in the toolbar, click the More dropdown.

  2. In the Tool Properties, select the blur Shape (Mac only) and Type.
    Blue shape options Blue type options
  3. Click and drag on the canvas to draw the blur.
  4. Drag the slider to adjust the intensity.

For more information, see the Blur Tool.

Note: Some third-party tools can reverse pixelation. Secure confidential information by covering with the Shape tool rather than the Blur tool.

Cover Sensitive Information with the Shape Tool

Cover elements in an image to redact or hide them from view. This is useful to indicate that you have removed information, such as content from an actual database, form, or document.

Cover with shape example
  1. Click the Shape tool in the Snagit Editor toolbar.
    Shape tool

    Note: If the tool is not visible in the toolbar, click the More dropdown.

  2. Select a Shape from the Tool Properties. For a redacted look, select the black rectangle Quick Style.
  3. Click and drag over the information that you want to hide.

For more information, see the Shape Tool.

Cover All Elements with the Simplify Tool

Sometimes it is more efficient to cover all elements in an image at once, and then reveal the few items you want to display.

Redact with Simplify tool example
  1. Click the Simplify tool in the Snagit Editor toolbar.
    Simplify tool

    Note: If the tool is not visible in the toolbar, click the More dropdown.

  2. In the Tool Properties, enable Auto Simplify.
  3. Snagit overlays text and visual elements in the image with shapes using the color palette.
  4. To reveal a specific area of the image, click a shape you want to remove and press Delete.

For more information, see the Simplify Tool.

Note: To maintain protection of the sensitive information, flatten the image or share it as a PNG, JPG, or other image file type. For more information see Best Practices for Saving Your Snagit Files.

Note: This tutorial is for Snagit version 2024. Previous versions may look or function differently.

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