How to Scan Documents to PDF with Your Phone Camera

To scan a document with your phone, photograph each page flat, in good light, then combine the photos into one PDF with the JPG to PDF tool. A steady phone and even light matter more than any app.

You can do this with just your camera and your browser. Some phones also have a built-in scan feature that makes the first photos tidier, and the steps below work either way.

What you need

• Your phone with its camera
• The paper pages, on a plain, dark or contrasting table
• Good, even light, such as daylight from a window
• A few minutes

Steps to scan a document to PDF

1. Put the page flat on a table. Flatten any folds. If the paper curls, place a clean book on one edge while you shoot.
2. Hold the phone straight above the page, parallel to it, so the edges look square. Fill the frame with the page, and tap the screen to focus on the text.
3. Take the photo. Zoom in on your screen and check that the small text is sharp. Retake it if it is blurry or has a shadow across it.
4. Repeat for every page, in order. Keep the same distance and light each time, so the pages look alike.
5. Open the JPG to PDF tool and choose all the photos. Check the order in the list, and fix it with the arrow buttons.
6. Choose A4 as the page size, Automatic direction and a Small margin. Set PDF size to Balanced for a light file.
7. Tap Create PDF, then download it. Open the result and look at each page once before you send it.

Built-in scan features on phones

Many phones already have a document scanner. For example, the Notes app on an iPhone has a Scan Documents option, and the Google Drive app on many Android phones has a Scan button. They find the page edges, straighten the page and can save a PDF directly.

If you use one of them, you may already have a PDF. You can still use PaperPDF afterwards to merge several scans into one file, compress a large scan, rotate a sideways page or add page numbers. Everything works on your device, so your documents are not uploaded.

How to take good scan photos

• Light. Even light from the side or above gives the best result. Avoid a bright lamp that makes a glare spot, and avoid the shadow of your arm or phone.
• Background. A plain table that contrasts with the paper makes the edges clear.
• Angle. Keep the phone parallel to the page. A tilted phone makes the page look like a trapezoid and the text hard to read.
• Distance. Fill the frame, but leave a small border so no text is cut off.
• Stability. Rest your elbows on the table, or use the timer, so the photo is not blurred.
• Colour or black and white. Colour is fine for most things. If a document is only black text on white paper, a plain, well-lit photo makes a smaller PDF than one with a coloured background.

Fixing problems after scanning

• A page is sideways or upside down. Use Rotate PDF on the finished file. Our guide on fixing a sideways scan shows how.
• There is too much table around the page. Crop each photo with Crop Image before you make the PDF.
• The PDF is too big. Use Compress PDF with a target size. See our guide on compressing a PDF to under 200 KB.
• You need the text, not just a picture. Use Image to Text to read the text from the scan. The result is only as good as the photo, so always check it.

Keep it honest

A phone scan is a photo of a page. It is usually fine for forms, receipts and records. Some offices ask for an original document or a certified copy, so check what yours accepts. Do not change the content of a scan in a way that could mislead anyone.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a scanner app?

No. A plain camera photo for each page, combined with the JPG to PDF tool, gives you a normal PDF. A scanner feature on your phone can make the page edges tidier, but it is optional.

How do I make the PDF smaller?

Photograph in even light without extra detail in the background, then set PDF size to Balanced or Smallest. If the file is still too big, compress it with the Compress PDF tool.

Can I scan many pages into one PDF?

Yes. Photograph all the pages in order, choose them together in the tool, check the order and create one PDF. You can also merge several PDFs later with the Merge PDF tool.

Are my documents uploaded anywhere?

No. The photos are turned into a PDF inside your browser, on your device. Nothing is sent to our servers.

Why is my scan hard to read?

Usually because of blur, shadow or a tilted phone. Retake the photo in better light, hold the phone steady and parallel to the page, and tap to focus before you shoot.