How to batch delete content in specified rectangular areas of multiple PDFs? Clear images, text, and watermarks by coordinates

When multiple PDF files have repeated person images, text, header marks, watermarks, or other unwanted elements in the same position, editing page by page manually is not only time-consuming but also prone to omissions. This article explains how to use HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to determine a rectangular range based on left distance, top distance, region width, and region height on the page, import multiple PDFs at once, and batch delete all content within the region. The article also describes the page range, length unit, output location settings, and key points for verification before and after processing, and is suitable for materials, exam papers, contract attachments, and archived documents with consistent layouts.

When organizing PDF files into batches, you often encounter this problem: dozens or even hundreds of files have the same location where you need to remove portrait images, promotional information, fixed watermarks, old logos, annotation content, or irrelevant text. If you use an ordinary PDF editor to open each file one by one, then select and delete objects page by page, the process becomes very repetitive. Once a PDF has many pages, you may also miss deletions, select the wrong page, or accidentally alter the main text.

For PDFs with identical or similar layouts, you can define the location that needs to be cleaned as a rectangular area, and then let the office software apply unified processing to multiple files. The following uses the "Delete content in a specified PDF area" feature in HeSoft Doc Batch Tool as an example to explain how to batch delete images, text, and other page content within a fixed rectangular range across many PDF files. The key points of this method are to first confirm the area location, then set the page range and rectangle parameters, and finally output the processed results uniformly, so as to reduce repetitive work.

Applicable scenarios: which PDFs are suitable for batch deletion by rectangular area

This processing method is especially suitable for PDF files with consistent page sizes and fixed target content positions. For example, every page on the left side of the same set of materials has a decorative portrait image, training textbooks have an old institutional logo in a fixed area, scanned files have uniform black edges at the page edges, exam papers have answer areas that need to be hidden, or a batch of archived files has text and images that are no longer needed at the same coordinates.

Common application scenarios include:

• Batch delete portrait images, QR codes, icons, or promotional images at fixed positions on multiple PDF pages;
• Remove fixed text, watermarks, and marks in the upper left corner, upper right corner, page margins, or middle of PDF pages;
• Delete answer areas or hint areas at consistent positions in exam papers, handouts, and training materials;
• Clean up stray edges, binding holes, stains, or invalid images around scanned PDFs;
• Perform regional content cleanup on contract attachments, reports, e-books, and other PDFs with unified layouts;
• Process only odd pages, even pages, the first few pages, the last few pages, or a custom page range.

It should be noted that this feature performs deletion based on page coordinates and rectangle size, rather than identifying objects by text keywords or image names. Therefore, the more consistent the page size and layout of the files to be processed, the easier it usually is to keep the batch results consistent. If the target content positions vary significantly across files, it is recommended to classify them first, or create separate processing tasks for different layouts.

Effect preview: what changes before and after processing

Before processing: the left side of the page contains a portrait image that needs to be removed

Page 12 of the sample PDF contains a portrait image on the left side, while the right side contains the main text box and decorative lines that need to be retained. The red arrow is used to indicate the location of the object to be deleted. The page title, main text, page number, and other content should not be affected.

If many PDFs use the same page template, the position of the portrait image in each file is also basically the same, so there is no need to manually select the image file by file. You can define a rectangular area based on the position of the portrait image and apply the same deletion rules to all imported PDFs.

After processing: the portrait image within the rectangular area has been removed

After batch processing is completed, the portrait image originally on the left side of the page has disappeared, while the main text on the right, page title, page number, and layout content outside the rectangle remain. A before-and-after comparison clearly shows that this method is suitable for removing objects within a fixed coordinate range.

In actual use, the deletion result depends on the configured area position, width, height, and page range. To avoid the rectangle covering the main text that needs to be retained, it is recommended to first test with a small number of copies, and spot-check the first page, middle page, and last page separately.

Operation steps: batch delete all content in a specified area of multiple PDFs

Step 1: Enter the PDF specified-area deletion feature

Open HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , enter "PDF Tools" in the left feature category, and then select the "Content Processing" category above. Find "Delete content in a specified PDF area" in the feature list. The interface description shows that this feature is used to batch delete all content within a specified rectangular area in PDF files.

The purpose of this step is to enter the correct batch processing task. It is necessary to distinguish between "Delete images in PDF" and "Delete content in a specified PDF area": the former focuses more on image objects, while the feature used here is based on rectangle position and can be used to process various types of page content in that area, making it more suitable when the target area contains images, text, or other elements at the same time.

Step 2: Add multiple PDF files to be processed at once

After entering the task page, add files in the "Select records to process" stage. The interface provides two entry points: "Add files" and "Import files from folder". If you only need to process a few specified PDFs, you can add them one by one; if a large number of PDFs are stored together in the same directory, importing from a folder is more convenient.

After the files are imported, the list will display information such as name, path, extension, creation time, and modification time. In the screenshot, 1.pdf, 2.pdf, 3.pdf, and 4.pdf have already been added, for a total of four records. At this point, you should focus on checking three things: whether the number of files is complete, whether the paths are correct, and whether any PDFs that do not need to be processed have been mixed into the list. If you find a mistakenly added file, you can remove it from the task using the delete operation on the right side of the corresponding record; if you need to reselect, you can also clear the list and import again.

After confirming that the list is correct, click "Next" to enter the processing option settings. The value of batch import is that the same set of area rules only needs to be configured once, and the software can then apply them to multiple PDFs in the list in turn, without having to repeatedly create the same task.

Step 3: Select the page range on which deletion should be performed

In the "Set processing options" stage, first determine the processing range. The interface shows options such as "All pages", "First few pages", "Last few pages", "Odd pages", "Even pages", and "Custom".

If the target content appears on every page, you can select "All pages"; if you only need to clean pages near the cover, you can select the first few pages; when a fixed area at the end of the page needs to be processed, you can use the last few pages; in double-sided layout materials, the left and right page templates may differ, in which case you can run tasks separately for odd pages and even pages; when only a few specified pages need to be cleaned, you should use a custom range.

The page range directly determines which pages will be modified. Do not select all pages by default when only some pages need to be processed, otherwise normal content at the same coordinates may also be deleted.

Step 4: Set the unit and coordinate parameters of the rectangular area

The software indicates that the rectangular area starts from the upper left corner of the page. When setting the area, you need to fill in four key parameters: distance from the left side of the page, distance from the top of the page, area width, and area height. Together they determine the rectangle position to be deleted.

• Distance from the left side of the page: indicates the distance between the left edge of the rectangle and the left edge of the PDF page;
• Distance from the top of the page: indicates the distance between the top edge of the rectangle and the top of the page;
• Area width: determines how far the deletion range extends to the right;
• Area height: determines how far the deletion range extends downward.

The interface provides length units such as centimeters, inches, points, and percentages. In the screenshot example, "Percentage" is selected, with distance from the left side of the page set to 20, distance from the top of the page set to 40, area width set to 20, and area height set to 60. When using percentages, the page width and height can be understood as relative references. For example, a left distance of 20 means the rectangle starts at about 20% of the page width, and a top distance of 40 means it starts at about 40% of the page height.

Percentages are suitable for files with consistent page proportions but possibly slightly different actual paper sizes; centimeters, inches, or points are more suitable when the page size is fixed and you already know the exact position. The parameters should not be copied directly from the example; they should be measured and adjusted according to your own PDF layout. The rectangle must be able to cover the target content while avoiding the main text, page numbers, and other objects that need to be retained as much as possible.

Step 5: Set the save location and start batch processing

After completing the area settings, click "Next" and proceed to the save location setting according to the workflow. For easier comparison and recovery, it is recommended to output the processed files to a new folder, and do not mix them with the original files before verifying the results. Then continue to the "Start processing" stage and execute the batch task.

During processing, try not to move, rename, or occupy the source PDF files. After the task is finished, open the result files in the output directory, check whether the specified rectangular area has been cleared, and confirm that the title, main text, page number, lines, and images outside the range remain normal.

How to improve the accuracy of rectangular area settings

Area parameters are the core of the entire task. When using it for the first time, you can first select a representative PDF copy, set the range slightly smaller, and run a test. If the target object still remains, gradually increase the width and height, or fine-tune the left and top distances. Compared with defining an overly large area all at once, this method is more conducive to protecting surrounding content.

For long documents such as those with 180 pages, do not check only one page. It is recommended to check at least the first page, a typical page with the target content, a middle page, and the last page. If different chapters change templates, the position of the target element may change, and the page range should be split and processed separately.

If odd and even pages use mirrored layouts, the target elements may be located on the left and right sides of the pages respectively. In this case, you can first set one set of coordinates for odd pages and process them, then set another set of coordinates for even pages, rather than using an overly large rectangle to cover both sides at the same time.

Common questions and precautions

Can the deletion area remove only images without affecting text in the same area?

The purpose of this feature is to delete all content within the specified rectangular area, not to filter only one type of object. If text that needs to be retained also exists within the rectangle, you should shrink or move the area; if the requirement is clearly to batch delete images, you can evaluate based on the actual situation whether the "Delete images in PDF" feature in the tool list is more suitable.

Why are the deletion positions inconsistent across different PDFs?

The common reason is that the page size, cropping boundary, or template layout is not unified. It is recommended to first group the files by page specifications and layouts, and then set parameters separately. For files with different sizes but consistent layout proportions, you can prioritize testing the percentage unit.

Can image content in scanned PDFs be processed?

This feature processes content according to the page rectangular area rather than relying on keyword search. Whether the desired result can be achieved still depends on the actual PDF structure and test results. Especially before operating on scanned documents, keep the source files and check whether there is information near the area boundary that needs to be retained.

Can deleted content be restored after processing?

Do not base batch processing on the only original file. A safer approach is to keep the source PDF and save the results to a separate directory. If the parameters are set incorrectly, you can adjust the area and execute again from the source files, rather than continuing to modify the already processed version.

How should the rectangle be set when its edges pass through objects?

When images, text blocks, or lines cross the rectangle boundary, the final result may be affected by the internal object structure of the PDF. It is recommended to make the rectangle completely cover the content to be deleted and keep a certain distance from the content to be retained; if the two are closely adjacent, verify with a single file first.

Summary

The key to batch deleting content in a specified rectangular area of PDFs is to convert the recurring target position into unified coordinate rules. Using HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , you can import multiple PDFs at once, select all pages, odd/even pages, or custom page numbers, and then determine the deletion range through left distance, top distance, area width, and area height. Compared with opening PDFs one by one for manual editing, this office software batch processing method can significantly reduce repetitive clicking and make it easier to maintain consistent processing standards.

In actual operation, it is recommended to back up the original files first and start testing from one PDF copy; after confirming that the area position, page range, and output results are correct, import all files to execute the batch task. After processing is completed, perform spot checks, and you can more reliably complete the cleanup of fixed areas in large numbers of PDFs.