Make PDF Look Scanned — Guides and Settings

Practical guides to making a PDF look scanned: which scan-effect settings look real, how to turn a PDF or an image into a scanned PDF, and how to convert color pages to black and white. Every guide uses the free Make PDF look scanned tool, which processes files locally in your browser.

• How to Make a PDF Look Scanned: 6 Methods That Pass a Close LookHow to make a PDF look like it was scanned: 6 tested methods — browser tool, Chrome extension, print dialog, image editor, phone photo, print-and-scan.
• Make a Document Look Scanned in 2 Minutes — Word, Google Docs or a PhotoMake a document look scanned without a scanner: turn Word files, Google Docs and phone photos into a realistic scan with noise, skew and paper tone. Free.
• PDF to Scanned PDF: How to Convert, Flatten and Keep It ReadableConvert a PDF to a scanned PDF: flatten text into page images, pick DPI and grayscale, keep the file small and make it look scanned. Step-by-step and free.
• What Is a Scanned PDF? How to Tell It Apart From a Digital PDF in 10 SecondsWhat a scanned PDF is, how it differs from a digital PDF and a scanned copy, how to tell them apart in 10 seconds, and when you need OCR or a scan look.
• Image to Scanned PDF: Turn a JPG, PNG or Phone Photo Into a Real-Looking ScanTurn an image into a scanned PDF: crop and whiten a phone photo, add a realistic scan effect and save JPG or PNG pages as one PDF. Free, in your browser.
• How to Convert a Color PDF to Black and White: 5 Free Ways That WorkHow to convert a color PDF to black and white on Windows, Mac and online: print to PDF, Preview Quartz filter, browser tool. Grayscale vs pure B&W explained.
• Scan Effect Explained: What Makes a Document Look Scanned (and the Settings for 5 Looks)The scan effect explained: noise, skew, blur, paper tone, edge shadows, grayscale — what makes a file look scanned, plus ready settings for 5 looks.