You do not need a scanner
Most people have a good camera in their pocket. With a few simple habits, a photo of a paper can look almost like a real scan: straight edges, even light and clear text. Velfile's Scan Document takes care of the straightening and the clean-up, and it works in your browser, so you do not have to install anything.
Take a good photo first
The tool can fix a slanted photo, but it cannot add detail that the camera did not capture. A few minutes of care here gives a much better result.
- Put the paper on a flat, dark surface. The corners are easier to see and the paper does not curl.
- Use bright, even light. Avoid shadows from your hand or phone, and turn off the flash if it makes a glare.
- Hold the phone straight above the paper and keep it steady. Fill the frame, but keep all four corners in view.
- Tap the screen to focus on the text before you take the photo.
Scan it with Velfile
- Open Scan Document and choose your photo, or drop it on the box.
- Drag the four yellow dots onto the corners of the paper. The tool straightens the page for you. Use Rotate 90° if the photo is sideways.
- Pick a look. Color keeps the colors, Gray and Black and white are best for text.
- Save the result as an image, or press Download PDF to send or print it.
Which look should you use
For plain text pages, such as a letter or a form, Black and white makes the paper white and the writing dark, and it gives a small file. Use Color for ID cards, stamps, signatures in blue ink and anything with a photo or colored print. Gray sits in between and is good for pages with light pencil or faded print.
Scanning many pages
Scan each page and download it as a PDF. Then join the files in the right order with Merge PDF. If the final file is too big to send, shrink it with Compress PDF. Our guide on putting a job application into one PDF shows a full example.
A note about private papers
Scans often contain an ID card, a family card or a bank letter. Velfile processes the photo in your browser, on your own device, and does not send it to a server. Still, be careful with where you send the final file, and remove it from shared folders when you no longer need it.
If the scan looks blurry
Retake the photo in better light, closer to the page, with the phone held steady. If only part of the photo is needed, crop it first with Crop image so the paper fills more of the frame.
A real example
You need to send a signed letter, and the printer is not nearby. Place the letter on a dark table near a window, hold the phone straight above it and take the photo. Open Scan Document, drag the four dots onto the corners, choose Black and white, and download the PDF. The page is straight, the paper looks white and the file is small enough to attach to an email. If the letter has a colored stamp that must stay visible, choose Color instead.
Common mistakes
- Taking the photo in dim light. Text becomes noisy, and no setting can bring back the lost detail.
- Cutting off a corner. Keep all four corners in the photo, or the page cannot be straightened well.
- Using Black and white for an ID card. Photos, stamps and colored ink look better in Color.
- Sending a heavy file. A color scan can be large. Compress the PDF if the receiver has a size limit.
Questions people ask
Do I need to install an app?
No. Scan Document works in your phone browser.
Is my photo uploaded anywhere?
No. The photo is processed in your browser on your device and is not sent to a server.
Can I scan more than one page?
Yes. Scan each page and download it as a PDF, then join the files with Merge PDF.
Why is my scan blurry?
A scan cannot add detail that the photo did not capture. Retake the photo in better light, closer to the page, and hold the phone steady.