Can a Scanned Document Be Converted to PDF

Scanned documents are scanned using a scanner and the scanner saves the contents of the paper in the form of file. This file is an image which contains information about all the letters, figures, images or any other thing present on that particular paper. Scanned files are usually not editable and we cannot add any information to them.

Have you ever tried to convert scanned document to pdf online? When we need to do tasks that require a lot of our time and attention, it may be the case that we don’t really have the required time to accomplish these very specific tasks. In those cases, turning to technological advances for help is becoming increasingly convenient. For example, when it comes to converting hard-copy documents into digital ones, more and more people turn to the Internet in order to get help.

Yes you can convert scanned document to pdf. And we have created this article to explain how you can convert scanned document to pdf free and online. We will also provide you the best free online converter of scanned documents to pdf.

Converting scanned documents to pdf online is one of the best tools for digital scanning, which provides excellent scan quality. By using the OCR technique, it can convert scanned documents to searchable PDF fast and easily.

Scan a paper document to PDF

You can create a PDF file directly from a paper document, using your scanner and Acrobat. On Windows, Acrobat supports TWAIN scanner drivers and Windows Image Acquisition (WIA) drivers. On Mac OS, Acrobat supports TWAIN and Image Capture (ICA).

In Windows, you can either use the Autodetect Color Mode and let Acrobat determine the paper document’s content type, or use other presets (Black & White Document, Grayscale Document, Color Image, and Color Document) based on your judgment. You can configure the scanning presets or use the Custom Scan option to scan with the settings of your choice.Note:

Preset scanning is available only for scanner drivers that support Hide Scanner’s Native Interface mode. The scanning presets are not available on Mac OS.

In Windows, if a WIA driver is installed for your scanner, you can use the Scan button on your scanner to create a PDF. Press the Scan button, and then in Windows, choose Adobe Acrobat from the list of registered applications. Then, in the Acrobat scan interface, select a scanner and a document preset or Custom Scan.

To scan a paper document to PDF using Acrobat, go to Tools > Create PDF. The Create a PDF from any format interface is displayed. Choose Scanner to see the options available.

On Windows:

On Mac:

Scan a paper document to PDF using Autodetect Color Mode (Windows)

1. Choose Tools > Create PDF > Scanner > Autodetect Color Mode. Note:If you want to append the document, which you’ll scan, to an existing file, do the following:
   1. Choose the Append to Existing File check box.
   2. If you’ve the files open in Acrobat, select an appropriate file from the drop-down list, or click Browse and then select an appropriate file.

1. If you want to scan multiple files into a PDF, click the Settings  icon. The Custom Scan interface is displayed. Select the Prompt to scan more pages check box.
2. Click Scan.
3. If prompted to scan more pages, select Scan More Pages, Scan Reverse Sides, or Scan Is Complete, and click OK.

Scan a paper document to PDF using a preset (Windows)

1. Choose Tools > Create PDF > Scanner > [document preset]. Note:If you want to append the document, which you’ll scan, to an existing file, do the following:
   1. Choose the Append to Existing File check box.
   2. If you’ve the files open in Acrobat, select an appropriate file from the drop-down list, or click Browse and then select an appropriate file.
    If you want to scan multiple files into a PDF, click the Settings  icon. The Custom Scan interface is displayed. Select the Prompt to scan more pages check box.
2. Click Scan.
3. If prompted to scan more pages, select Scan More Pages, Scan Reverse Sides, or Scan Is Complete, and click OK.

Scan a paper document to PDF without presets

1. Choose Tools > Create PDF > Scanner > Default Settings or My Custom Settings. Note:If you want to append the document, which you’ll scan, to an existing file, do the following:
   1. Choose the Append to Existing File check box.
   2. If you’ve the files open in Acrobat, select an appropriate file from the drop-down list, or click Browse and then select an appropriate file.
2. If you want to change the settings, click the Settings  icon . The Custom Scan interface is displayed. Select scanning options as needed.If you want to scan multiple files into a PDF, select the Prompt to scan more pages check box. Note:If you specify that you want to use the Show scanner’s user interface instead of the Acrobat user interface, other windows or dialog boxes appear. Consult the scanner documentation information on available options. In Mac OS, the scanner user interface is always shown.
3. Click Scan.
4. If prompted to scan more pages, select Scan More Pages, Scan Reverse Sides, or Scan Is Complete, and click OK.

Enhance or optimize a scanned PDF

1. Open a PDF created from a scanned document.
2. Choose Tools > Scan & OCR > Enhance > Scanned Document.
3. Select options in the Secondary toolbar – click the Settings  icon and choose appropriate options in the Enhance Scanned PDF dialog box, and click OK. 

Any scanned document can be converted into different formats, including PDF. PDF is a great format for capturing and sending electronic documents in the intended layout because it presents the same way across all devices. By converting a scanned document to PDF you can add more value to your important scanned documents. This article will help you learn how to convert scanned documents to PDF with Wondershare PDFelement – PDF Editor. This makes it easier to make modifications to a scanned document and save it into many output formats such as editable PDF, Word, Excel, PPT, EPUB, and more.

How to Convert a Scanned Document to PDF

Learn how to convert and edit a scanned document as a PDF file. Follow the steps below after you’ve ensured you downloaded and installed OCR.

Step 1. Import Scanned Document into PDFelement

Run PDFelement on your computer. The file can be opened directly with PDFelement by clicking on the “Open files” button.

Step 2. Convert Scanned Document to PDF

Using the OCR function, the program will automatically detect the scanned file and then prompt you to use OCR. Click on the “Perform OCR” button from the top information bar and select the language of the document. You can then click “OK”. While OCR is being performed, don’t try to perform any other activities.

Step 3. Edit Content in Your PDF (Optional)

After the OCR is complete, you can further edit your document if necessary. PDFelement offers a variety of editing and annotation tools. To modify the text in your document, you can go to the “Edit” tab and click the “Edit” icon and choose edit mode. Then click on the text which you want to edit and make the change.

Step 4. Save Your File as PDF

If you’re satisfied with the changes you’ve made, you can now save the scanned document as a PDF. Use the “Save” icon in the upper menu bar or you can go to “File > Save as”. You will be able to choose where to save the file and the file name.

PDFelement offers fast recognition of text, images, and numbers, and effectively keeps document layout intact. It also supports a wide range of OCR languages, enabling you to get an editable file with high accuracy.

Convert Previously Scanned Images to PDF

Step 1

Download and install a free print to PDF program, such as PrimoPDF. This will allow you to print images to PDF without having to convert all of your scans to JPEG format first.

Step 2

Move all the pages of your scanned document to a specific folder. Make sure that the file names are in order; for example, page one is named “001.PNG,” page two, “002.PNG,” and so on. This will ensure that the pages are in order when you print your document.

Step 3

Right click on the first picture in the folder and select “Print” to bring up the Photo Printing Wizard. Click “Next.” Select all the pictures in the folder, then click “Next” again.

Step 4

Select “Full Page Fax Print (Centered and Rotated)” so that your text does not get distorted; click “Next.”

Step 5

Under “Printer,” select “PrimoPDF,” then click “Next” and finally “Finish.”

Step 6

Change the file name and destination folder by clicking “…” on the PrimoPDF window that pops up. Make sure that the format is set to “ebook” or PrimoPDF will not create a PDF with multiple pages. Click “OK” to save your file as a PDF.

How to Convert a Scanned Document to PDF – HiPDF

There is another method to convert scanned documents into PDF. HiPDF is one of the best online PDF converters, it can not only convert PDF to Microsoft Office format but also encrypt PDF, compress PDF, crop PDF, etc. Now, follow the steps below to learn how to convert scanned documents to PDF.

Step 1. Upload Scanned Document

When you open the HiPDF website, click the “Convert” option on the top toolbar, and select “Image to PDF.” After selecting the “Image to PDF” option, you will open a new web page that allows you to upload the scanned document. Click the “Select File” button and then open the scanned document. In addition, you can upload files by dragging them to the web page.

Step 2. Convert scanned document to PDF

After uploading the scanned document, click the “CONVERT” button. In only a few seconds, the scanned document will be converted to a PDF file and you can click “DOWNLOAD” to save your file.

How to Convert a Scanned Document to PDF – PDF Converter Pro

Wondershare PDF Converter Pro is another powerful PDF converter which can not only help you convert scanned document to PDF but can also help you convert PDF to other Microsoft Office format. Here, you will be guided on the easiest way to convert scanned documents to PDF.

Step 1. Add scanned document

Launch Wondershare PDF Converter Pro, go to the “OCR” tab, then click the “Add” button to add a scanned document into this PDF converter.

Step 2. Convert scanned document to PDF

After uploading your scanned document, choose “PDF” under the “Format” drop-down menu, then go to “OCR Setting” to choose the language you need to recognize. Click the “SUBMIT” icon then click the “Convert” button, the OCR process will be finished in seconds. Then you will get the converted PDF file.

Tips for How to Convert Scanned Document to PDF using OCR

• There are more than twenty languages that you can select from. This will ensure that you won’t have issues with the recognition of special characters in your document.
• If you have a larger document with hundreds of pages, you can customize the page range as you wish.
• After you access the OCR feature, you are able to select multiple options such as how your document should be displayed, the zoom view for your document, and the default font for a text box.
• You can convert your files from multiple formats such as image, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, EPUB, HTML, into PDF and vice versa, from PDF to many other formats.

Conclusion

In the past, you may have used a scanner to convert documents into downloadable files on your computer, but with today’s larger screen devices, many documents are easier to view in their full format. As a result, converting your documents into PDF is becoming an increasingly popular choice.

Scanned documents to PDF converter is a captivating and easy-to-use file converter which enables users to convert scanned document to PDF document directly. So you can create and open PDF files on your Windows PC or laptop. It supports converting from several image formats, such as TIFF, JPEG, BMP, GIF, PNG, etc.