How to Convert a Scanned Document to PDF

Whether you’re trying to organize your files, share important paperwork online, or you’re just sick of paper piles, converting your scanned documents into PDFs makes them easier to store, use, and share.

In this article, we’ll walk through a few simple ways to convert your scanned files to PDF using both free tools and paid software. No tech degree required—just a few clicks and you’re good to go.

Why Choose PDF?

When it comes to saving and sharing scanned documents, PDF is one of the easiest and most reliable formats you can use. It’s been around since the early 1990s and has become the go-to standard for good reason.

PDFs work on just about any device, and they keep your formatting exactly the way you want it, no matter what platform or operating system someone’s using. That’s actually where the name comes from (PDF stands for Portable Document Format). They can also be compressed without sacrificing quality, which makes them smaller to store and faster to download.

If you’re working with sensitive information, the PDF format includes security features like password protection, encryption, and digital signatures to help you keep your data secure.

You can also edit PDFs, add in images or links, and customize them as needed. All of this makes PDF a solid choice, whether you’re scanning documents for personal use or managing files for work.

Choosing the Right Tools

There are tons of tools out there that can help you convert scanned documents to PDF, so the best one for you really depends on what you need to do. If you’re just looking to scan and save the occasional document here or there, one of the free tools below should me more than enough to get the job done. If you’re handling a larger volume of documents or need extra features like OCR, batch processing, or tighter security, it might be worth investing in a paid option.

Here’s a quick breakdown of both free and paid tools to help you find the right fit.

Free vs Paid Software

Great for personal use or small businesses with basic scanning and conversion needs. Most of these come with simple features like scan-to-PDF, light editing, and file merging.

NAPS2 (Not Another PDF Scanner 2): A lightweight, open-source tool with a clean interface and support for both TWAIN and WIA drivers, which means it works with most scanners. You can set up scanning profiles, reorder pages, and apply OCR if needed. It’s great if you want something fast and customizable without bloat.
PDF24 Creator: A full-featured PDF utility that goes beyond basic scanning. It lets you merge, split, compress, and even annotate PDFs. It also includes a virtual printer, so you can convert almost any file to PDF simply by “printing” to PDF. Its perfect for users looking for a little more without a steep price tag.
Scan2PDF: Super straightforward and focused entirely on one task, turning paper documents into PDF format fast. There aren’t many extra features, but if all you want to do is scan and save, it gets the job done without any unnecessary distractions.
PaperScan Free Edition: Offers a little more control during scanning, including image enhancement tools like de-skew, rotation, and color adjustment. It’s useful if your scans tend to need a little cleanup before saving.

Paid software is a better fit for businesses or power users who need more control over their documents. These tools often include features like batch processing, advanced OCR, better security options, and tighter integration with other apps. If you’re managing large volumes of files or need to keep everything searchable and secure, a paid option may be worth the investment.

Adobe Acrobat Pro: One of the most well-known PDF tools out there, Acrobat Pro does it all—OCR, advanced editing, batch processing, form creation, digital signatures, and more. It’s especially useful if your team collaborates on documents or if you work in a regulated industry where document security and audit trails matter.
ABBYY FineReader: Best known for its highly accurate OCR, FineReader is ideal for converting scanned documents into fully searchable and editable PDFs. It supports a wide range of languages and has strong tools for comparing document versions and automating data extraction. A solid pick for legal, academic, or enterprise-level work.
Kofax Power PDF: Offers many of the same features as Acrobat but with a one-time purchase instead of a subscription. It includes form building, secure file sharing, editing, and conversion tools. It’s a good fit for professionals or businesses that want powerful features without suffering through yet another software subscription.
Nitro Pro: Known for being user-friendly, Nitro Pro makes PDF editing and document conversion feel more intuitive. It supports electronic signatures, batch OCR, and integrates well with cloud services. Great for teams that want to streamline their document workflows without a steep learning curve.

Do You Need OCR?

OCR, or Optical Character Recognition, helps you turn the text contained in your scanned images into actual searchable and editable text. Whether or not you need it really depends on what you plan to do with your PDFs after they’re created.

Here’s when OCR comes in handy:

If you want to edit the text in a scanned document instead of just looking at it.
If you need to search through lots of PDFs and find specific words or phrases quickly.
If you’re pulling data from forms or invoices, OCR can help you extract that information without retyping it.

And here’s when you probably don’t need it:

If you’re just archiving documents and don’t plan to search or edit them.
If the file is mostly images, like a scanned photo album or a visual report, and you don’t need to interact with the text.

So, if your main goal is simply to save and store your documents, you can skip OCR. But if you’re looking for better searchability or need to work with the text, it’s worth looking for software that includes OCR.

Step-by-Step: How to Convert To PDF

Converting paper documents into PDFs is usually pretty simple, especially with the right software. In the sections below, we’ll walk through the steps for using a few different software options, both free and paid, so you can scan your documents and save them as PDFs. Whether you’re working with just a few pages or scanning files in bulk, these instructions will help you get the job done quickly.

Using Adobe Photoshop (Paid Software)

Open the Image in Photoshop:
- Start by opening Adobe Photoshop.
- Click on File in the menu bar, then select Open...
- Browse to the location of the image you want to convert and open it.
Make Necessary Edits (Optional):
- Before converting your file, you can edit the image as needed. This might include cropping, adjusting colors, or even applying filters.
- Once you are satisfied with the image, proceed to the next step.
Convert to PDF:
- Go to File in the menu bar.
- Choose Save As... or Save a Copy... (depending on your Photoshop version).
- In the Save As dialog box, select the location where you want to save the file.
- In the Format dropdown menu, select Photoshop PDF.
Configure PDF Settings:
- Once you select Photoshop PDF, a new dialog box will appear with a few PDF options.
- You can choose from various presets depending on your needs. For instance, High Quality Print is suitable for printing, while Smallest File Size is better for online use.
- Adjust the settings as necessary. If you’re not sure, the default settings are usually a good starting point for most.
Save the PDF:
- Click Save after adjusting your settings.
- You might see another dialog box with more options. Review these and make changes if needed. For simple conversions, the default settings are typically fine.
- Click Save PDF.
Review the PDF:
- After saving, it’s a good idea to open the PDF to ensure it looks as expected.
- You can open it in a PDF viewer like Adobe Acrobat or your web browser.

Using Adobe Acrobat Pro DC (Trial)

Open Adobe Acrobat:
- If you don’t have Acrobat, you can download a trial from Adobe’s official website and choose the version that fits your needs.
Create a New PDF:
- In Adobe Acrobat, go to the File menu in the top-left corner.
- Select Create and then choose PDF from File.... This will open a file selection dialog.
Select Your Image:
- In the dialog box, navigate to the folder where your image is stored.
- Select the image file you wish to convert. Acrobat supports various image formats like JPG, PNG, BMP, GIF, and TIFF.
- Click Open to import the image into Acrobat.
Image to PDF Conversion:
- Once you select the image, Acrobat will automatically convert it into a PDF.
- The conversion process usually takes just a few seconds.
Edit the PDF (Optional):
- After conversion, you can use Acrobat’s editing tools to make changes to the PDF if necessary. This could include adding text, annotations, or combining multiple images into one PDF.
- To edit, use the tools available in the right-hand pane or under the Tools tab.
Save the PDF:
- Once you’re satisfied with the document, go to File > Save As.
- Choose a destination for your PDF and enter a file name.
- Click Save.
Review the PDF:
- After saving, it’s a good practice to open the PDF to ensure everything looks as expected.
- You can view it in Acrobat or any other PDF reader.

Using ABBYY FineReader (Trial)

Open ABBYY FineReader:
- If you don’t have ABBYY FineReader installed, you can download it from ABBYY’s official website.
Open the Image File:
- Click on File in the top menu.
- Choose Open or Open Image.
- Browse to the location of the image file you want to convert and select it. ABBYY FineReader supports various image formats like JPG, PNG, BMP, and TIFF.
Recognize the Text (Optional):
- If your image contains text and you want to use FineReader’s OCR feature, click on the Recognize button. This will convert any text in the image into editable and searchable content in the PDF.
- You can choose the language of the text for better accuracy in recognition.
Edit and Arrange the Document (Optional):
- Before converting, you have the option to edit the document. This might include adjusting layout, correcting OCR errors, or editing the text directly in FineReader.
- You can also rearrange pages or add pages from other files if needed.
Save as PDF:
- Once you are ready to convert, go to File > Save As.
- In the Save As dialog, choose PDF Document as the format.
- Choose your desired PDF settings. FineReader offers various options, like saving as an image-only PDF or a searchable PDF with editable text.
Finalize the Conversion:
- Select the location where you want to save the new PDF.
- Click Save to complete the conversion.
Review Your PDF:
- After conversion, it’s a good idea to open the PDF to ensure it has been converted as expected.
- Check the quality of the OCR if you used that feature.

Using PDF24 Creator (Free)

Install PDF24 Creator:
- If you haven’t already installed PDF24 Creator, download it from the official PDF24 website and follow the installation instructions.
Launch PDF24 Creator:
- Open PDF24 Creator on your computer.
Import Your Image:
- You can import your image file in a couple of ways:
  - Drag and drop the image file directly into the PDF24 Creator interface.
  - Alternatively, click on the File menu, select Import from file..., and then navigate to and open your image file.
Image File in PDF24 Creator:
- Once the image file is imported, it will appear in the PDF24 Creator interface as a new project.
Edit the Image (Optional):
- If you need to make any adjustments to the image before converting it to PDF, you can use the editing tools provided in PDF24 Creator. This might include cropping, rotating, or rearranging the page order if you’re converting multiple images.
Convert to PDF:
- Click on the “Save as PDF” icon or button. This will convert the image to PDF format.
- You can also choose the ‘Merge’ function if you have multiple images and you want to combine them into a single PDF.
Save the PDF:
- A window will pop up asking you to choose a destination to save the PDF file.
- Name your file and choose where you want to save it on your computer.
- Click Save.
Review Your PDF:
- After saving the file, open the PDF to ensure it looks as expected.
- Verify that all the images are correctly formatted and that the quality is satisfactory.

Using Adobe’s Online PDF Converter (Free, Online)

Adobe also offers an online document to pdf converter. To convert an image to a PDF using Adobe’s free online PDF converter, you can follow these steps:

Go to Adobe’s PDF Converter:
- Visit the Adobe PDF conversion webpage at https://www.adobe.com/acrobat/online/convert-pdf.html
Upload Your Image:
- Look for an option to upload or drag and drop your image file. The online tool typically supports various image formats like JPG, PNG, BMP, etc.
Convert the Image:
- After uploading the image, the tool will give you options or settings for the conversion process. Adjust these as needed.
Download the PDF:
- Once the image is converted, you should have the option to download the new PDF file to your computer.
Review the PDF:
- Check the downloaded PDF to ensure the conversion went smoothly and the image quality is preserved..

This online tool is handy for quick conversions without the need for downloading or installing any software.

Outsourcing for Efficiency

For businesses with a substantial volume of documents to convert to PDF, outsourcing this task can be immensely beneficial.

At SecureScan, we specialize in handling large-scale scanning projects efficiently and accurately. Our expertise ensures high-quality results, while our advanced equipment processes documents rapidly, making the entire process cost-effective for your business.

By delegating this task to us, your team can focus on core business activities, confident in the knowledge that your document conversion is in expert hands. We prioritize security and compliance, ensuring your data is handled with the utmost care. Opting for our service not only streamlines your document management process but also enhances your overall operational efficiency.

For more information, contact us or get a free quote for your next scanning project from one of our scanning technicians.