Scanner Effect

Make a digitally generated PDF look as though it was printed and scanned. The effect applies the small imperfections a real scan carries: a slight skew, softened edges, a little noise and an off-white cast. It exists because plenty of processes still expect a scanned-looking document rather than a pristine export, and printing a file only to scan it straight back in is a waste of time and paper.

How to make a PDF look scanned

  1. Upload the PDF you want to age.
  2. Adjust the effect settings to taste.
  3. Apply and download the result.

Frequently asked questions

Will the text still be selectable?

No. The pages are rendered to images to apply the effect, so the document becomes a picture of itself. Run OCR PDF afterwards if it needs to be searchable.

Does this make the file bigger?

Usually, yes - image pages weigh more than text ones. Compress PDF afterwards if the size matters.

The effect looks too strong.

Ease off the skew and noise settings. A convincing scan is subtle; heavy settings look artificial rather than realistic.

Other PDF editing tools

Files are uploaded over an encrypted connection and processed on CoonTool's own server, not in your browser. The working copy is deleted automatically once the job is done, and in any case within 24 hours. Nothing is stored permanently and no account is required.