Check image quality, recognised text, dates, amounts and every page before saving a scanned document.
Taking a photograph and making a record you can find later are different tasks. A useful scan starts with a readable image and ends with a checked title, date and amount. OCR helps, but its output needs review.
Before scanning
- Flatten the page. Folded edges and creases can make small text hard to read.
- Check the lighting. Reduce shadows and reflections. Retake the image if glare covers important lines.
- Capture the whole page. Do not crop corners, dates or totals. Include every page of a multi-page document.
After scanning
- Compare the recognised text with the image. Zero and the letter O, date separators and decimal marks can be confused.
- Check what each date means. Issue dates, payment due dates and warranty end dates are not interchangeable.
- Verify the amount. Distinguish subtotals from the final total. Not every amount is a recurring monthly expense.
- Choose a searchable title. Include the document type and a short product or service name.
Availability depends on device support and permissions. Use manual entry instead. Recognised text does not prove that every field has been filled correctly.
Open the saved record for a final check
Reopen it from the document list. Check the title, amount and dates, and make sure every attachment is complete and readable.
Do not share private documents
Describe a support problem rather than sending your entire document. If a screenshot is necessary, hide identity, address, account and payment information. Records are stored on the device; you choose where exported backups are kept.
Keep originals when required
A scan does not necessarily replace the original document. Retention requirements depend on your purpose and circumstances.
After scanning a bill, verify its amount and due date. The filled-in monthly bill example shows how to keep fixed and variable payments separate.