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Simulate a Scanned PDF

Create the appearance of a scanned document using slight rotation, dark edges, paper tint and noise. A comparison preview lets you inspect the original and processed page.

PDF workspace

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Simulate a Scan
📌 How it works:
1️⃣ Convert all PDF pages to a simulated scan that looks like scanner output.
2️⃣ Each page is given a slight random rotation, with dark edges, plus a paper background and random noise.
3️⃣ All pages in the same file use the same rotation angle, so changing the angle adjusts every page together.
4️⃣ Compare results live on the right. Drag the red vertical line to compare the original and simulated scan.
⚠️ Processing creates image-only pages, so text cannot be selected or searched.
Click or drop a local PDF
Apply a Scan Effect and Create a PDF
Rotation Angle+0.5°
Dark Edge Width10px
Dark Edge Color
a paper background
Background Intensity15%
Noise Density20%
Output Resolution
📄 Comparison (left: original | right: scan effect). Drag the red line to change the preview area.
140%-
💡 Drag the red vertical line to compare the original and simulated scan

How to use this tool

  1. Open a PDF and adjust the rotation angle and dark-edge appearance.
  2. Choose the paper background color, background intensity and noise density.
  3. Drag the red comparison line to inspect the original and simulated scan.
  4. Click Create Scanned PDF and Save.

Frequently asked questions

Does every page receive a different rotation angle?

No. Pages in the same file use a shared angle. Adjusting the rotation setting updates all pages together.

Will the output still contain selectable text?

No. The effect creates image-based PDF pages. Text becomes part of the rendered page and cannot be selected or searched.

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