Guides for scanned-looking PDFs

Make a PDF look scanned in under a minute: online tool, print and scan, phone app, ImageMagick or GIMP. Step-by-step instructions and the settings that look real.

Add a realistic scanner effect to any PDF online. Recommended values for rotation, noise, blur, contrast, paper tint and resolution, by document type. Free, private, in your browser.

Convert a normal PDF into a scanned PDF online in 3 steps. What “scanned PDF” means, output options (PDF, JPG, PNG), file size, privacy and when you need it. 1 free PDF per day.

Make a JPG or PNG look like a scanned document online: grayscale, tilt, grain and paper tone. Export as image or PDF, free, without uploading the file.

Give a PDF the look of an old scan, a photocopy or a fax: the exact noise, contrast, paper tint and rotation values to use, and how to keep it readable.

PDF2Scan, Look Scanned, 10015.io, i2PDF, ImageMagick, GIMP and print-and-scan compared: price, privacy, effects, batch, output formats and which one to pick.

PDF2Scan and Look Scanned both make PDFs look scanned in your browser. Compare price, input and output formats, batch, merging, color and privacy to pick the right one.

No scanner? Three ways to get a scanned document: your phone, a library or copy shop, or a scanned look applied to the digital file in your browser. When to use each.

Make a signed contract or form look scanned while keeping clauses, dates and signatures readable. Recommended settings, color for blue ink and a checklist before you export.

Give invoices and receipts a scanned-paper look while keeping totals, tax IDs, tables and barcodes readable. Settings, resolution and a pre-export checklist.

A scanned PDF stores pictures of pages; a digital PDF stores real text. How to tell them apart in 10 seconds, when each is required, and how to convert in both directions.