2020-04-12
Sometimes you need to scan a document (say, some sheet music)...
...but you don’t have a professional scanner.
Here’s how to get professional results using just your mobile device!
1. Download a scanning app to your mobile device.
Over the past two weeks, I’ve tried six different apps. Some had intrusive ads; some added annoying watermarks; one was not trustworthy.
But I’ve found one that works extremely well. It’s easy to use: simply hold your device over the document, and push the button! The app photographs the document, idenitifies the edges, crops the images, performs a perspective adjustment, and then uploads the document to a free cloud account.
Which app is this?
Adobe Scan.
Yes, for only the second time ever, I’m going to recommend an Adobe product!
You can get it FREE from their website here:
https://acrobat.adobe.com/au/en/mobile/scanner-app.html
The direct links are here:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.adobe.scan.android&hl=en_AU
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/adobe-scan-digital-pdf-scanner/id1199564834
I’ve found that the best settings are:
- Turn AUTO-CAPTURE = OFF (or else the app tries to take photos of everything!)
- Turn FLASH = ON (not AUTO)
- “Let me adjust borders after each scan” = ON
These settings have given me the best results and the easiest operation.
2. To make the apps life easier (and your scans better), get a piece of black cardboard.
True!
Sit some black cardboard under the document you want to scan. This makes it much easier for the app to identify the document edges and get correct contrast.
And, it prevents amusing (but perhaps unprofessional!) additions of fingers holding edges, or shoes as you photograph your document on the floor!
3. If you wish, you can edit the document
Simply use Adobe Acrobat Reader. It’s often included with Android devices.
You can get it FREE from their website here:
https://acrobat.adobe.com/au/en/mobile/scanner-app.html
The direct links are here:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.adobe.reader
https://apps.apple.com/au/app/adobe-reader/id469337564
4. Email the link
You don’t need to attach anything, as the document is already uploaded to the cloud!
How easy is that!
And the results make you look very professional (added bonus!)
You can use any email host you want.
I like Protonmail. It’s free, easy to use, doesn’t truncate emails, doesn’t spam you, and doesn’t spy on you.
You can get it for FREE here:
Here’s my highly professional setup (on a cheap fold-up plastic table from Bunnings!)
Have fun, keep safe, be positive, and enjoy some music!
Yours,
Stephen Walter
(C) Blue Mountains Piano School
