Scan Textbook Pages to a PDF with Your Phone
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The short answer
Printed pages have fine text, so photograph each page close and flat, and choose the Grey scan filter. It brightens the paper and keeps the thin strokes and light photos that pure black and white can break up. Check one page at full zoom before doing the whole chapter.
Your files stay on your device. This tool runs entirely in your browser and nothing is uploaded to a server.
How to: Scan Textbook Pages to a PDF with Your Phone
- 1Hold the phone straight above the open book and press the page flat.
- 2Add the photos in page order.
- 3Keep the Grey scan filter and see that small print and pictures look clear.
- 4Create the PDF, and use the Image-to-Text tool if you also need the words.
At a glance
- Filter
- Grey, which keeps fine print and photos
- Tip
- Photograph close and flat to avoid curved lines
- Copyright
- Scan only what you may copy for study
Frequently asked questions
Why are the lines near the spine curved?
The page bends there and the camera sees it that way. Press the book flat, or photograph each page with one hand holding it down.
Is it okay to scan a whole textbook?
Copying a whole book can break copyright. Scan the pages you are allowed to use for personal study, such as your own notes, handouts or sections permitted by your library.