How to scan any document with an iPhone

Every document type has its own failure mode — glare on a laminated ID, a curved book spine, thermal receipt paper that fades, a contract stapled at the corner. These 32 guides cover what to do about each one, using PDF Scanner on an iPhone.

• How to Scan a Bank Statement with Your iPhone

  Use Document mode, flatten the envelope folds, and capture every page including the reverse sides in order. Statements are dense small type on...

• How to Scan a Birth Certificate with Your iPhone

  Use Document mode, flatten the certificate under a book for a few minutes first, and light it from the side so the raised seal casts a visible...

• How to Scan a Book Page with Your iPhone

  Open PDF Scanner, switch to Book mode, press the page as flat as the binding allows, and capture one page at a time under even light. Crop the...

• How to Scan a Business Card with Your iPhone

  Switch to Business card mode, put the card on a contrasting matte surface, and let edge detection frame it. Glossy laminate and spot-UV printing...

• How to Scan a Contract with Your iPhone

  Remove the staple, capture every page in order in Document mode, and export the whole set as a single PDF. The two things that ruin a scanned...

• How to Scan a Diploma with Your iPhone

  Take the diploma out of its frame if you can, lay it flat, and back the phone up far enough that the entire sheet plus a small margin fits in frame...

• How to Scan a Driver's License with Your iPhone

  Use ID Card mode, lay the license on a dark surface with light coming from the side, and capture the front and then the back as two pages of one...

• How to Scan an Expense Report with Your iPhone

  Scan the report form first, then each receipt in the order it is listed, and export the whole set as a single PDF. The hard part is not the form —...

• How to Scan Handwritten Notes with Your iPhone

  Open PDF Scanner in Document mode, lay the notes on a contrasting surface, and let edge detection capture the page. Raise contrast to bring pencil...

• How to Scan an ID Card with Your iPhone

  Switch to ID Card mode, capture the front, then flip the card and capture the back as a second page — both sides usually need to be in the same...

• How to Scan an Insurance Card with Your iPhone

  Switch to ID Card mode, capture the front, then the back as a second page — the back carries the claims address and provider phone numbers that a...

• How to Scan an Invoice with Your iPhone

  Use Document mode, remove the staple so pages lie flat, and capture each page in order — they export together as one PDF. Watch the two things that...

• How to Scan a Lease Agreement with Your iPhone

  Remove the staple, capture every page and every addendum in order, and export the whole lease as one PDF. Leases initial the bottom of each page,...

• How to Scan a Letter with Your iPhone

  Unfold the letter, flatten the creases as much as you can, and capture it with PDF Scanner in Document mode on a dark surface — then square it with...

• How to Scan a Marriage Certificate with Your iPhone

  Lay the certificate flat, light it from one side so the embossed seal and any ribbon show up, and capture the whole sheet including the decorative...

• How to Scan Medical Records with Your iPhone

  Remove the staples, capture the pages in order in Document mode, and export the whole set as one PDF rather than a folder of loose images. Lab...

• How to Scan a Passport with Your iPhone

  Open the scanner, switch to Passport mode, and hold the photo page flat under even light — the app finds the edges and captures automatically. Crop...

• How to Scan a Pay Stub with Your iPhone

  Use Document mode, tear along the perforation cleanly, and capture the stub straight down on a contrasting matte surface. Pay stubs are small,...

• How to Scan a Printed Photo with Your iPhone

  Take the print out of the album or frame, lay it on a dark matte surface, capture it with PDF Scanner in Document mode, then crop to the image edge...

• How to Scan a Purchase Order with Your iPhone

  Use Document mode and capture the PO straight down so the line-item grid stays square. The awkward part is usually the copy you are holding —...

• How to Scan a Receipt with Your iPhone

  Open the scanner in Document mode, lay the receipt flat on a dark matte surface, and let edge detection capture it. Thermal receipts print grey on...

• How to Scan a Recipe with Your iPhone

  Lay the recipe flat on a dark surface, capture it with PDF Scanner in Document mode, adjust contrast so the print separates from aged paper, and...

• How to Scan a Residence Permit with Your iPhone

  Use ID Card mode, put the card on a dark surface with light coming from the side, and capture the front and back as two pages of a single PDF....

• How to Scan a School Transcript with Your iPhone

  Scan every page in order in Document mode and export them as one PDF, since a transcript is only meaningful as a complete set. Transcripts are...

• How to Sign and Scan an Agreement with Your iPhone

  If the agreement is still unsigned, scan the pages first, then draw your signature with the Signature tool, fill the date with Text insert, and...

• How to Scan a Social Security Card with Your iPhone

  Use ID Card mode, place the card on a dark surface under soft indirect light, and capture it straight on so all nine digits and the signature line...

• How to Scan a Tax Form with Your iPhone

  Use Document mode, flatten the form completely, and capture straight down so every printed box stays rectangular. Carbon and dot-matrix copies...

• How to Scan a Utility Bill with Your iPhone

  Use Document mode, flatten the envelope folds, and make sure the name-and-address block, the issue date, and the supplier's name are all sharp —...

• How to Scan a Vaccination Record with Your iPhone

  Flatten the card or open the booklet fully, capture in Document mode under even light, and scan every page that has an entry on it — a school or...

• How to Scan Visa Application Documents with Your iPhone

  Scan each supporting document as its own PDF rather than dumping everything into one giant file — consulates and visa centres usually list the...

• How to Scan a Warranty Card with Your iPhone

  Scan the warranty card and the purchase receipt in the same session so they export as a single PDF — a warranty claim almost always needs both. Use...

• How to Scan a Whiteboard with Your iPhone

  Stand off to one side of the glare, frame all four corners of the board, and capture with PDF Scanner in Document mode — then use perspective fix...