PDF to scanned PDF gives a digitally made document the look of a paper copy that went through a scanner: a slight tilt, soft grain, off-white paper and greyscale or photocopy tones. It is useful when an office insists on a “scanned copy” of a form you filled in on the computer, without printing anything.
How to convert PDF to scanned PDF
- Choose your PDF.
- Pick a style: Light, Realistic or Old photocopy. The preview of page 1 updates as you go.
- Open “Adjust effects” for fine control: tilt, grain, blur, contrast, brightness, faded edges, dust and an edge shadow.
- Choose the resolution (150, 200 or 300 DPI). Tick “Limit file size” if a portal needs, say, under 500 KB.
- Press “Make scanned PDF” and download the result. Every page keeps its original size.
Tips for best results
- To make a PDF look scanned for most offices, Realistic at 200 DPI is right. Use Light when the document must stay easy to read, for example tables with small text.
- Each page gets its own slight tilt and shading, so a long document does not look like the same page repeated. Untick “Vary pages” for identical settings on every page.
- Upload limits are often strict. Tick the size limit here, or compress PDF to 100KB afterwards for the tightest portals.
- To send several files as one scan, merge PDF files first, then convert the combined file once.
What each style does
| Light | Colour kept, off-white paper, faint grain and a tilt up to 0.4° |
|---|---|
| Realistic | Greyscale, grain, slight blur, faded edges, dust specks and an edge shadow; tilt up to 0.8° |
| Old photocopy | Black and white, yellowish paper, heavy grain and contrast; tilt up to 1.2° |
| Resolution | 150 DPI small files · 200 DPI typical office scan · 300 DPI sharp prints |
| Output | Same page count and page sizes as your PDF; pages become images like a real scan |
Frequently asked questions
Why would I want a PDF to look scanned?
Some offices, banks and institutes only accept a “scanned copy”, even of forms that you filled in on a computer or documents that were digitally signed. Converting gives them what they expect without printing and scanning, which saves paper and a trip to a cyber café.
Can I still select or search the text afterwards?
No. As with a real scan, every page becomes an image. Keep your original PDF if you need the text, or copy it out first with PDF to Text.
Will the page size change?
No. Each output page has exactly the size of the original page, whether A4, Letter or landscape, and the page count stays the same.
How big will the file be?
Roughly 60–200 KB per page at 200 DPI, depending on the style and the content. The size is shown before you download, and the size limit option brings it under any number you enter.
Is it OK to make documents look scanned?
Yes for your own genuine documents, where only the format is the issue. Do not use it to pass off a changed or fake document as an original; that is forgery, whatever tool is used.
Is my PDF uploaded?
No. Rendering, the scan effect and rebuilding the PDF all happen in your browser, so confidential papers never leave your device.
Related tools
- Image to Scanned PDFTurn phone photos of documents into a scanned-looking PDF.
- Compress PDF to 100KBShrink a PDF to under 100KB for online forms.
- Merge PDFCombine several PDF files into one, in any order.
- Compress PDFReduce PDF size losslessly or to any target in KB or MB.
- PDF to JPGSave PDF pages as JPG or PNG images, up to 300 DPI.
- Sign PDFDraw or upload your signature and place it on a PDF.