How it works
The Scan to PDF tool captures multi-page document scans using your device's camera and assembles them into a single PDF with automatic perspective correction, brightness enhancement, and black-and-white document optimization. Turn your phone camera into a document scanner.
Mobile scanning via camera produces trapezoidal, warped images due to holding the camera at an angle. Real document scanners apply perspective correction and contrast enhancement automatically. This tool applies the same algorithms in the browser.
How to use it: click the Scan button to activate your camera. Point it at a flat document. The tool auto-detects document edges and applies a green overlay when a clean capture is available. Click Capture. The page is perspective-corrected and added to the document queue. Scan additional pages. Arrange pages in order. Click Save as PDF and Download.
Auto-enhancements applied: - Perspective correction: straightens trapezoidal images by detecting document corners - Brightness and contrast: increases legibility of faint ink or uneven lighting - Black-and-white mode: high-contrast B&W rendering for text documents (optional) - Noise reduction: smooths scanner noise from phone camera
Output: the corrected page images are assembled into a single PDF. Each page is embedded as a JPG at 150–200 DPI (configurable) — sufficient for reading and printing, smaller than archival-quality scans.
Privacy: all image processing and PDF assembly run in the browser. Camera access is revoked when the tool is closed.
Frequently Asked Questions
- The tool detects the four corners of the document in the camera frame using edge detection algorithms. It then applies a perspective transform that maps the trapezoidal document outline to a rectangular grid — effectively un-warping the document to look flat-on, as if scanned on a flatbed scanner.
- Even, diffuse light from above gives the best results. Avoid direct sunlight (creates harsh shadows and glare) and single-source side light (uneven exposure). A well-lit indoor environment with ceiling lights and no direct lamp glare is ideal. Place the document on a dark or contrasting surface to help edge detection.
- Yes. After capturing each page, click 'Add Page' to add it to the document queue. Capture all pages in sequence. Once all pages are queued, arrange them in order and click 'Save as PDF'. All pages are assembled into a single PDF.
- Resolution depends on your camera's megapixel count and how close you hold the phone to the document. A typical phone camera held 30cm from an A4 sheet produces approximately 200–250 DPI equivalent resolution — sufficient for reading and digital archiving. For archive-quality scans, use a flatbed scanner.