Tips for scanning PDF documents using Acrobat XI

Tips for scanning PDF documents using Acrobat XI

Donna Baker – September 5, 2013

1. Check out these tips to create the best scans for using OCR (Optical Character Recognition) in Acrobat.
2. Set the scanner resolution between 300dpi and 600dpi. Too low won't capture properly; too high wastes storage space.
3. Use the Black and White setting. Grayscale or color scans show a non-white background.
4. Check the contrast and brightness settings. Make text as dark as possible and the background as light as possible.
5. Don't use fancy fonts. The letters are hard to capture.
6. Don't use text over bright or dark graphics. There's not enough contrast between the letters and the background.
7. Place the page square on the scanner bed. Straight rows of letters are easier to capture.
8. Crop the page or use a cover sheet. Otherwise, areas beyond the page show as large dark objects.
9. Keep pages flat on the scanner bed. Distorted text can't be captured.