Scanning Tips: Getting Accurate Scans

If your scans are coming out inaccurate or incomplete, run through this list — it resolves the large majority of scanning-quality issues.

Check your settings first

• Language — set to the language of the text you're scanning.
• Scanning hand — set to the hand you actually scan with. Note: with the left-hand setting you scan from right to left regardless of text direction, holding the scanner as if upside down.
• Scan type — make sure TEXT is selected.

Five technique tips

1. Hold the scanner at a 30–60 degree angle to the page.
2. Center the line between the two edges of the transparent tip when you start. The scanner keeps following the line it first detected — the one in the middle of the tip.
3. To catch the first and last words, start a little before the text begins and finish a little after the line ends.
4. Scan in a fluid, fairly quick motion.
5. Don't press hard — excessive pressure hurts accuracy.

Best results take a little practice — that's normal.

Practice mode

The app has a built-in practice screen: open the settings menu in the app and choose the Practice tab. Scan a few lines there to see exactly what the scanner is reading. If you contact support about accuracy, a screenshot of your practice-screen results helps us diagnose the issue quickly.

A note on handwriting

Scanmarker is built to scan lines of printed text. It can attempt handwriting, but results depend heavily on how regular and clear the handwriting is — irregular or curved letters are hard for any OCR to recognize reliably, so we don't recommend the product for handwriting recognition.

Still getting poor results after trying all of the above? Submit a request with a screenshot of your practice-screen results and we'll help.