Document scanning tips

To get high-quality results when scanning documents, try these tips:

1. Lay the document flat on a table.
2. Hold the camera flat over the document.  If you have a camera phone, using two hands and turning the camera sideways sometimes helps.
3. Turn the document and adjust the distance of the camera until the document fills the camera screen completely without cutting off the corners of the document.

If you follow these tips, your screen should look like this:

The four corners of the document should almost touch the corners of the screen.  The most common error people make is getting too close to the document, which causes a blurry scan since many camera phones can't focus closer than about 12 inches.

Comments

[Charles Wieland]

I have a Treo 700w with a 1.3 megpixel camera and I have to yet get a useable document out of this scanR. Is anyone else experiencing the same?? I sent an email asking for some help but haven't recieved one back yet.

[Chris Dury]

The Treo 700w is incapable of scanning most documents. Take a look at http://CheckMyCameraPhone.com for test results for the Treo and other phone models.

[New York Document Scanning]

Nice document scanning tips with a camera phone. We have some links to free document conversion software at
http://www.new-york-document-scanning.com/document-conversion.html

[Document Imaging Company]

Interesting application...I wonder if this can also be accomplished with the latest Blackberry?

[Chris]

I don't know if the Blackberry Pearl has a good camera. If anyone has one, please test it and enter the results at http://CheckMyCameraPhone.com