How to uniformly remove fixed-position content from multiple PDFs? Tutorial on batch deletion of rectangular areas

When multiple PDFs use the same template, old images, character materials, text descriptions, or decorative elements may repeatedly appear at fixed positions on pages. Modifying them one by one is inefficient and can easily lead to omissions due to inconsistent operations. This article uses HeSoft Doc Batch Tool as an example to explain how to enter the PDF content processing function, batch import files, select all pages or custom page numbers, set a rectangular area using the top-left corner of the page as the coordinate origin, and finally save and execute the task to uniformly clear content at fixed positions in multiple PDFs.

Many office documents do not appear alone, but are generated in batches from the same template. For example, each volume in course materials contains the same character illustrations, fixed areas in project reports contain outdated descriptions, and certain locations in product manuals retain graphics that need to be replaced. When dealing with dozens of PDFs, if you rely on an ordinary reader to open them one by one, select and delete page by page, the processing time will increase rapidly as the number of files grows.

A more efficient approach is to treat the page as a coordinate area: first determine the rectangular position of the unwanted content, and then apply the same rule to multiple PDFs. HeSoft Doc Batch Tool is an office software focused on batch file operations, and its "Delete content in specified areas of PDF" feature can uniformly clear fixed-position content according to page ranges and rectangular parameters. The following describes the complete operation method and issues that need attention when setting parameters.

Applicable scenarios: which PDFs are suitable for batch rectangle-based area deletion

Deleting by rectangular area is not searching for a specific term, nor identifying only one type of image, but rather using page position as the basis for processing. Therefore, the more standardized the target PDFs are and the more consistent the page layout is, the easier it is to control the results of batch operations.

• In the same set of electronic textbooks, every page or specified chapter pages all contain character illustrations in the same position.
• Multiple promotional materials use an old template and need to remove fixed visual elements on the left or right side of the pages.
• Batch-exported reports contain redundant text, icons, or content boxes in the same position.
• Before archiving, fixed markers on some pages need to be cleaned up, while titles, body text, and page numbers must be preserved.
• The types of objects to be processed are not exactly the same, but they are all concentrated within the same rectangular range.

If the target content positions vary significantly across files, or if the PDFs contain a mix of landscape, portrait, and different paper sizes, it is not recommended to process all files with one set of parameters without testing. A safer approach is to first group them by template, size, or orientation.

Effect preview: page comparison before and after deleting fixed areas

Before processing: the target area contains a character image

In the sample page, the top contains a chapter title, the right side contains a green body text box, and the left side contains a character image. The goal of this processing is to clear the range occupied by the character image without changing the right-side text content, the top title, or the bottom page number.

This layout has obvious fixed-area characteristics: the character images are concentrated slightly to the left of the page center. As long as other PDFs also use the same layout, the rectangular range can cover the image.

After processing: the character image is deleted, and surrounding content is retained

After processing is completed, the original character image position appears blank, while the right-side text box, title, and page number remain. The red arrow in the screenshot is outside the set area, so it does not disappear along with the character image. This result directly reflects the importance of area boundaries: if the range is too small, residue may remain; if the range is too large, it may touch content that needs to be retained.

In actual work, such before-and-after comparison can be used as an acceptance standard. In addition to confirming whether the target object has disappeared, you should also check whether the text, lines, borders, and images around the rectangle remain intact.

Operation step 1: find the feature for deleting specified PDF areas

After starting HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , select "PDF Tools" on the left, and then enter the "Content Processing" category at the top. The page will display several PDF content-related features. Find and click "Delete content in specified areas of PDF".

The description for this entry clearly states that it is used to batch delete all content within specified rectangular areas in PDF files. There are two key points here: first, it supports batch files; second, it operates by rectangular area. Before selecting it, you should confirm that your need is to clean fixed-position content, rather than deleting entire pages or deleting only one type of object.

Operation step 2: import multiple PDFs at once

After entering the feature page, the top of the workflow shows four stages: "Select records to process", "Set processing options", "Set save location", and "Start processing". The task of the first stage is to build the file list.

You can click "Add files" to select one or more PDFs, or click "Import files from folder" to batch add files from a directory. The example interface has already added 4 records, and the list shows the file name, path, extension, creation time, and modification time.

After importing, it is recommended to complete the following checks:

1. Verify that the total number of records matches the planned number of files to process.
2. Check the file paths to avoid adding test files, original backups, or unrelated materials to the task.
3. Confirm that the extension is pdf and that the file names can help identify the results later.
4. If a record should not be processed, remove it from the list using the delete icon on the right side of that record.
5. If the entire list is selected incorrectly, use "Clear" and then import again.

After confirming the file list, click "Next". Importing multiple PDFs at once avoids repeatedly entering the feature and repeatedly setting parameters, which is the most direct embodiment of the batch processing value of office software.

Operation step 3: limit the pages whose content needs to be deleted

After entering "Set processing options", first set the processing range. The interface provides options such as all pages, the first few pages, the last few pages, odd pages, even pages, and custom.

The page range should be selected according to the document structure:

• All pages: suitable when target content exists in the same position on every page.
• First few pages: suitable when the target elements appear only on the cover, table of contents, or opening pages.
• Last few pages: suitable for cleaning positions such as the back cover or the last pages of an appendix.
• Odd pages or even pages: suitable for documents where left and right page templates alternate and target content appears only on one type of page.
• Custom: suitable for tasks where target content exists only on specific page numbers and the processing range needs to be further narrowed.

Do not process all pages by default just for convenience. If some pages contain important body text at the same coordinates, limiting the page range can significantly reduce the risk of accidental deletion.

Operation step 4: define the deletion range with four parameters

After setting the page range, you need to select a length unit. The interface supports centimeters, inches, points, and percentages, and indicates that the rectangular area uses the upper-left corner of the page as its starting point. In other words, the target area is determined by two starting distances and two size parameters.

The sample in the screenshot selects percentage, with a distance of 20.00 from the left side of the page, 40.00 from the top of the page, a region width of 20.00, and a region height of 60.00. You can understand the upper-left corner of the page as the coordinate origin: first move right by the left distance, then move down by the top distance, thereby obtaining the upper-left corner of the rectangle; then expand rightward according to the width and downward according to the height.

The four input fields serve the following purposes:

1. Distance from left side of page: controls the horizontal starting point of the deletion area. As the value increases, the rectangle moves rightward as a whole.
2. Distance from top of page: controls the vertical starting point. As the value increases, the rectangle moves downward as a whole.
3. Region width: controls the horizontal coverage range, used to fully enclose the left and right boundaries of the target content.
4. Region height: controls the vertical coverage range, used to cover the target content from top to bottom.

Percentages are suitable for tasks with consistent page proportions, because they locate content by relative size; centimeters, inches, and points are suitable for documents whose exact dimensions are already known. After selecting a unit, all position and size parameters should be understood according to that unit and should not be mixed.

Operation step 5: test first, then save and execute in batch

After setting the area, click "Next", continue to complete "Set save location", and then enter "Start processing". From a risk-control perspective, it is recommended not to process all official files directly the first time, but to first add one representative PDF copy and check whether the area is accurate.

After the sample test passes, import the remaining files with the same layout using the same parameters. The result files should be saved separately from the original files, so that they can be compared before and after processing, and to prevent unchecked results from being mistaken for original materials.

After completing the batch task, spot-check multiple files rather than viewing only the first one. In particular, check documents with different page counts, documents with different odd-even page layouts, and pages where the target object is close to the edge of body text.

How to determine whether the rectangular range is set too large or too small

Signs that the area is set too small

The target image may be only partially deleted, and edges, shadows, lines, or scattered text may still remain on the page. In this case, determine which side of the rectangle the residue is located on, and then adjust the left distance, top distance, width, or height. For example, residue on the right side usually requires increasing the region width; residue at the top may require reducing the value of the distance from the top of the page and checking the region height accordingly.

Signs that the area is set too large

Although the image is deleted, adjacent body text, borders, or other decorations are also missing, indicating that the rectangle covers content that should be retained. You should reduce the region width or height, or move the starting point of the rectangle so that the boundary is closer to the target object.

Inconsistent results across different files

If the same parameters are accurate in some files but offset in others, it is usually because the page size, orientation, or template version differs. In this case, it is not advisable to continue expanding the area to accommodate all files, as that is more likely to cause accidental deletion. The correct approach is to split different layouts into multiple tasks.

Common questions and notes

Can it delete only images while preserving text in the same area?

The feature name and interface description emphasize deleting all content within the specified rectangular area, rather than filtering by object type. If text that needs to be preserved also exists in the same area, you should narrow the range again, or evaluate whether this method is suitable.

Can scanned PDFs be processed by area?

Scanned PDFs usually exist entirely as page images. The actual processing result between the rectangular area and the full-page image should first be verified with a sample, and cannot be inferred directly from the behavior of ordinary text-based PDFs.

Why is it recommended to keep the original files?

Area deletion is a substantive modification of page content. If the coordinates, page numbers, or units are set incorrectly, the result may not meet requirements. Keeping the original files allows you to readjust the parameters and process them again at any time.

Are percentages always better than centimeters?

Not necessarily. Percentages and absolute units are suitable for different situations. If the page proportions are consistent but sizes may differ, percentages can be tested first; if the page size is fixed and accurate positions are already known, centimeters, inches, or points may be more intuitive.

Why was the red arrow not deleted together?

From the result image, the arrow is outside the current rectangular range, so it remains. This shows that the processing result is constrained by the area boundary, and also reminds users that the rectangle must completely cover the object that truly needs to be removed.

Summary

When uniformly clearing fixed-position content from multiple PDFs, the most time-consuming part should not be repeated deletion file by file, but rather getting the coordinates accurate once. HeSoft Doc Batch Tool concentrates repeated operations into one task through batch file import, page range selection, rectangular position setting, save location configuration, and unified execution.

In actual operation, it is recommended to follow the order of "analyze the layout, select a sample, set the rectangle, check the results, and execute in batch". Now you can prepare a PDF copy, enter "Delete content in specified areas of PDF", and measure the target position according to the upper-left corner of the page; after confirming that the sample is correct, add all PDFs with the same layout for batch cleanup.