Redacted font: free fonts that turn text into black bars
Five free, open-licensed fonts that draw text as solid bars, blocks or scribbles. Type below to preview your own text in each one, then download the font or copy its CSS.
What is a redacted font?
A redacted font draws shapes instead of readable letters. Designers use them as placeholder text in wireframes and mockups: the layout keeps the rhythm of real words and lines, but nobody gets distracted reading Lorem Ipsum. They are also popular for posters, album art and anything that wants a classified-document look.
How to use a redacted font
- Word, Pages, Keynote, Figma: download the font from Google Fonts, install it, and pick it from the font menu like any other.
- On a website: add the font from Google Fonts or host the file yourself, then use the CSS from the Copy CSS button on any card above.
- In chat apps and social media: fonts don't carry over, so use the redacted text generator instead. It turns text into █████ characters you can paste anywhere.
A redacted font does not hide your text
This is the part people miss. A font only changes how text looks. The original letters are still in the document, so anyone can select the "bars", copy them into another app and read every word. Screen readers read them aloud, search finds them, and changing the font undoes the effect instantly.
To actually hide something:
- In text, replace the words with block characters using the redacted text generator. The output contains no trace of the original.
- In a screenshot or photo, draw a black box into the pixels with the Redacted editor. It runs in your browser and nothing is uploaded.
- For ready-made black bars to drop into slides and designs, use the black bar PNGs.
FAQ
Are these redacted fonts free for commercial use?
Yes. All five are released under the SIL Open Font License 1.1, which allows personal and commercial use, embedding in websites and apps, and bundling with your own work. The one thing you cannot do is sell the font files on their own.
Can someone read text that is set in a redacted font?
Yes. The font only changes how the letters are drawn. The real text is still in the file, so anyone can copy it, paste it somewhere else, or switch the font back. Use these fonts for mockups and design, never to hide real information.
How do I use a redacted font on Discord, Instagram or WhatsApp?
You can't, because those apps don't let you pick a font. Use block characters instead: the redacted text generator turns your text into █ bars that look the same in every app and contain none of the original letters.
How do I install a redacted font?
Click Get the font next to the one you like, download the family from Google Fonts, and open the downloaded file to install it. It then shows up in Word, Pages, Keynote, Figma and other apps that use your system fonts.
What is the difference between Redacted and Redacted Script?
Both were made by Christian Naths for wireframes. Redacted draws the whole line as one solid block, while Redacted Script draws a scribble for each word that looks like handwriting you can't read. Redacted Script also comes in Light and Bold weights.
Redacted and Redacted Script by Christian Naths; Flow Block, Flow Circular and Flow Rounded by Dan Ross. All licensed under the SIL Open Font License 1.1 (Flow license).