With iOS or iPad OS you always have a portable document scanner at hand. Ideal for giving ‘real life’ papers a new digital life. For example as a reminder in a note or attachment in an e-mail. Your iPhone as a photo scanner, ideal!
In the past, you needed a flatbed scanner or something similar to scan an A4 (or smaller) and attach it to an e-mail. Cameras in smartphones and tablets now have a high enough resolution to take razor-sharp photos of documents. The disadvantage is that you always have to make sure that the document to be photographed is exactly right under the camera to prevent annoying distortions. With the new ‘photo scanner’ integrated in iOS, that’s not even necessary anymore. Perspective correction is thus arranged in an instant. You can use the handy tool in the Notes app, among other things. Start this app and – for convenience – tap the button for a new note at the top right of the screen. Then tap the camera button and choose from the menu that appears Scan documents.
The first option allows you to scan photos.
Straightening
Leave the option in the camera window that opens Automatically active (= yellow). Place the document to be scanned in the picture. Provide a slightly contrasting background; a white sheet of paper on a white desk is less useful. You can, but then you will have to use the manual mode. The photo scanner places a yellow selection box over the document. Everthing allright? Then click on the shutter button. There is your document! If you haven’t photographed the document completely neatly in the correct perspective, you will now see a preview with a selection that the app thinks is okay. Usually that’s quite right. You can also drag the selection frame a bit more precisely. Ready? Then tap Preserve scan and then Save. The scan will now appear in your note. You can rotate by tapping on the image and then on the rotary knob above it.
As a mail attachment
You will now also find the same photo scan module in the mail app of iOS and iPadOS, where it even got its own button. Mailing ‘paper’ attachments from the real world is easier than ever! Finally, a tip: if you are going to photo scan it is best not to use the flash. This prevents light spots on the end result. The photo scanner automatically corrects colors, so with yellowish artificial light you end up with a white background as a result.