Mobile Device Tips: How to Scan Documents with a Smartphone

Lesson 7: How to Scan Documents with a Smartphone

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Scanning documents with a smartphone

illustration of a smartphone scanning a document

Accept y'all ever needed a digital version of a paper document? For example, if y'all need to get a certificate to someone quickly, you lot might be able to electronic mail a digital copy instead of sending it through the post or faxing information technology. Digital copies are too a great mode to back up important documents in case the originals get lost or damaged.

You may already take experience creating digital copies with a desktop scanner, which is similar to a photocopier. However, many smartphones and tablets tin actually capture high-quality scans of paper documents with their built-in cameras, which makes the process faster and more than user-friendly than a traditional scanner. In this lesson, we'll talk about some apps you can use for iOS and Android mobile devices.

Scanning using the Notes app (iOS)

Notes is a costless, pre-installed, mobile app for iOS devices that lets you scan your documents using your mobile device's camera.

To begin, y'all'll need to open the Notes app on your home screen.
Side by side, tap the New note icon.
From the toolbar above the keyboard, tap the plus sign circumvolve icon.
From the card, tap Browse Documents.
Use your mobile device'southward camera to browse the document by taking a photograph of it.
You lot tin can decide whether you want to Retake it or keep information technology by borer Done. And then, tap Save to have the scan appear on the note.
The document is at present part of your Scanned Documents. In order to share only the document, tap information technology to open it.
Next, tap the share icon in the top-right of the screen to accept a bill of fare appear.
From the menu, you can send the scanned certificate using your apps, impress it out, or create a PDF.

Downloading a scanner app

Another mode to browse a document with your smartphone is by downloading a separate mobile app to your device. These apps can convert text documents into PDF files. In that location are many applications to cull from, but they all work in the same basic style. Some of the nearly popular scanner apps include Tiny Scanner (Android and iOS) and Scanner Pro (iOS), but you can likewise search your device's app shop to discover even more than options.

downloading a scanner app

To browse a document with your phone:

Place the document you want to scan on a apartment surface, like a desk-bound or table.
Open the scanner app on your telephone, then follow the instructions that appear. The exact process will depend on your app, but you'll ordinarily be required to identify the device straight above the document, and then use the device's camera to take a photo.
The document will be saved every bit an image or PDF file on your device. Yous could then email the file to someone else, upload information technology to your figurer, or simply save it on the device for your records.

Mobile device scanning tips

Scanning documents on a mobile device is quick and easy, merely the results aren't e'er as consequent equally you might go with a desktop scanner. Hither are a couple of tips to amend the overall quality of your mobile scans:

Employ bright, direct lighting on your certificate. Shadows and indirect light may crusade certain parts of the document to be unreadable later on scanning.
Hold the device direct to a higher place the certificate to avoid distorting the browse. In the image below, the telephone is not directly above the certificate, so the app is requesting that we motility it before scanning.