How to scan a PDF

Below, we’ll cover different methods to work with scanned PDFs and create new scans from physical documents. These approaches can help you manage, edit and store your files more efficiently.

Method 1: Edit or convert a scanned PDF with Lumin

If you have a physical document and want to turn it into a digital file, Lumin makes it easy to scan and save it as a PDF. This is useful for receipts, contracts, forms or printed documents that you need to store, share or edit online.

Here’s how to use it:

1. Open Lumin’s free Scan to PDF tool and scan the QR code to download the mobile app. 
2. Create an account, then from the home screen select “Scan a document.”
3. Scan your physical document.
4. Tap “Save” on the left side of the camera.
5. Once saved, open it in Lumin to highlight, annotate, sign or share the file.

Note: After scanning, you can also add more pages by clicking “add image” and use Lumin’s OCR tool to make the text searchable and selectable. This is helpful if you need to copy text from the scanned PDF or find specific words in the document.

Method 2: Scan a document to PDF on iPhone

Your iPhone has a built-in document scanner in the Notes app that creates clean, high-quality PDF scans without needing any extra apps. It automatically detects edges, straightens the image and enhances contrast, so the output looks professional.

Here's how to scan a document to PDF on iPhone:

1. Open the Notes app and create a new note.
2. Tap the paperclip icon, then select "Scan Documents."
3. Hold your iPhone over the document. The app will automatically detect and capture the page. You can also tap the shutter button to capture manually.
4. Adjust the corners if needed, then tap "Keep Scan." Repeat for additional pages.
5. When you're done, tap "Save."
6. To save the scan as a PDF, tap the scanned document in your note, then tap the Share button and select "Save to Files."

Note: The Notes app saves multi-page scans as a single PDF file, which makes it great for contracts, forms or multi-page receipts. If you need to edit the scanned PDF after saving, you can upload it to Lumin's OCR tool to make the text searchable and editable.

Method 3: Scan a document to PDF on Android

Most Android devices include a built-in document scanner through the Google Drive app, allowing you to create clear, high-quality PDF scans without installing extra tools. It can automatically detect edges, crop the document and enhance the image for better readability.

Here’s how to scan a document to PDF on Android:

1. Open the Google Drive app on your device.
2. Tap the “+” (plus) button, then select “Scan.”
3. Hold your phone over the document. The app will capture it automatically or you can tap the shutter button manually.
4. Adjust the crop area if needed, then tap “Done” or the checkmark. Repeat for additional pages.
5. Tap “Save,” choose a file name and folder.

Frequently asked questions

Can I scan a document to PDF on my phone?

Yes, both iPhones and Android phones have built-in tools for scanning documents to PDF. On iPhone, use the Notes app's scan feature (see Method 2 above). On Android, Google Drive includes a document scanner you can access by tapping the "+" button and selecting "Scan." Both produce clean PDF files you can share or email directly.

How do I scan and email a document as a PDF?

First, scan the document using one of the methods above. Once you have the PDF saved to your device, open your email app and attach the file. On iPhone, you can share the scanned PDF directly from the Notes app by tapping the Share button and selecting your email app.

How do I edit a scanned PDF?

Most scanned PDFs are image-based, which means you can't select or change the text directly. To make a scanned PDF editable, you'll need to run OCR on it first. Lumin's free OCR tool converts scanned text into selectable content, and the PDF to Word converter lets you make deeper edits in a Word document.

Can I scan multiple pages into one PDF?

Yes. On iPhone and the Notes app lets you scan multiple pages in a single session and saves them all as one PDF. If you've ended up with separate PDF files for each page, you can combine them into one using Lumin's merge PDF tool.

Do more with your scanned PDFs

Scanning is just the first step. With a free Lumin account, you can edit, annotate, convert and sign your PDFs right from your browser. It's fast to set up and completely free to get started.

Related tools and guides:

• OCR PDF tool
• PDF to Word converter
• Merge PDFs