Sometimes the only scanner nearby is a phone. Scan to PDF turns photos of paper pages into one PDF document that's easier to send, file and print than a string of loose images. On a phone, adding files opens the camera so you can capture each page in turn. On a computer, you can upload images from a scanner or copied from a phone. Each photo is placed as it is, without automatic edge detection or perspective correction, so frame each page closely.
How to use Scan to PDF
- Select Choose files. On most phones this opens the camera, so photograph the first page.
- Add more pages the same way. Each new photo is added to the list.
- Drag files in the list to put the pages in reading order.
- Select Create PDF to combine the photos into one PDF, with one image per page.
- If a page is tilted or you need searchable text, continue with Deskew PDF or OCR PDF.
What happens to your photos
- One image per page: Each image becomes one page, in the order of the file list. The picture is placed as it is.
- No automatic clean-up: VelloDoc doesn't find page edges, fix the angle or adjust contrast. So if a photo shows part of the table around the paper, that table will be in the PDF too.
- Very large photos are scaled down to at most 6,000 pixels on their longest side. That's still far more detail than a printed page needs. iPhone HEIC photos work when the server has HEIC support installed.
Getting a clean capture
Most of a phone scan's quality is decided when the photo is taken.
- Flat, evenly lit, no shadow: Lay the page flat on a contrasting surface, light it evenly so your own shadow doesn't fall across it, and hold the phone parallel to the paper so lines of text aren't skewed.
- Fill the frame with the page instead of the desk.
- Where to read more: The guide to cleaner scanned PDFs goes through lighting, angle and resolution in more detail.
Making the scan searchable
- Photos contain pictures of text: A PDF made from photos contains pictures of text instead of text, so you can't search it or copy words from it yet.
- Add a text layer: Run the finished file through OCR PDF to add a searchable text layer, and straighten tilted pages first with Deskew PDF for better recognition.
- Why it matters: What makes a PDF searchable explains why that text layer matters for archives, search and screen readers.
- Clear the empty backs: After scanning, Remove Blank Pages clears the empty backs of sheets and Compress PDF brings photo-heavy scans down to a size that's easy to email.
When people use Scan to PDF
Receipts for an expense claim
Photograph each receipt in turn and send one tidy PDF to your finance team instead of a dozen separate phone photos.
Returning a signed form
Sign a printed form, photograph each page and send the completed document back as a single PDF within minutes.
Keeping handwritten notes
Capture notebook pages or letters and store them as one document that's easy to back up and share.
Limitations to know
Scan to PDF doesn't detect page edges, correct perspective, enhance contrast or recognize text. Photos are used as captured, one per page. HEIC support depends on the server having the decoder installed, and some phones offer only the camera, not the gallery, from this tool.
Scan to PDF: common questions
Do I need to install an app?
No. The tool runs in your phone's web browser. Choosing files opens the camera or file picker provided by the browser, and the photos are uploaded only when you select Create PDF.
Can I use photos already in my gallery?
On many phones this tool opens the camera directly. To build a PDF from photos you have already taken, use Any Image to PDF, which opens the normal file and gallery picker.
Why is my scanned PDF so large?
Phone photos are large, and each one becomes a full-page image. Shrink the result with Compress PDF, or convert it with Grayscale PDF when color isn't needed.
Is the text in the PDF searchable?
Not straight away, because the pages are images. Use OCR PDF afterwards to add a text layer that you can search and copy from.