A document photo can look fine at first and become unreadable when you zoom in. A corner may be missing, a shadow may hide a line, or the phone may have been tilted. Start the next attempt by placing the document on a stable surface. Much of the quality comes from the way you capture it.

Spread light across the page

Put the sheet on a flat, matte surface. Let daylight come from the side. If your hand or phone casts a shadow over the words, change your position. If glossy paper reflects a hotspot, turn off flash and move the light source. Aim for readable text in both the lightest and darkest areas.

Hold the camera parallel to the page

Include all four edges and a little space around them. When opposite edges look close in length, perspective correction has less work to do. Tap the text to focus and steady the phone during capture. If an ultrawide lens bends the edges, step back and try the normal camera.

Preserve the information during correction

A document scanner can correct perspective, but its automatic crop may cut off a footnote or stamp. Check coloured handwriting before applying a black-and-white filter. Open the exported file and zoom into the corners, the smallest text, and the page number.

Open the set as a recipient would

For multiple pages, verify their order and completeness. Use the requested format and remove unrelated personal information where appropriate. If the recipient will use a phone, read the final file on one. Keep the original safely and send the intended version.

Move the light to remove glare

On a glossy certificate you may be able to read half the title while a window reflection covers the rest. Tilting the phone can move the reflection, but it also distorts the corners. Leave the paper flat and change the direction of the light instead. Rotating the page by a quarter turn can help if the table faces a window. Try soft light from the side rather than a single harsh lamp. If your hand or phone casts a shadow over the page, move the light farther away or turn the paper. When the page is evenly lit, check focus near the smallest writing. Take a test frame and zoom in on the corners as well. If the corners are sharp and the centre is soft, retake the picture. Sharpening later will not recover a missing letter. If the paper looks grey, you can try a slightly brighter exposure, while making sure pale pencil notes remain visible. Photograph all pages under the same conditions once the test works.

Inspect the final file as a recipient would

Name the pages of a three-page document in order. On a small screen, zoom in on the bottom line, signature box and page number. Make sure one page has not been sent twice while another is missing. If the recipient requested a PDF, open the completed PDF separately and inspect the pages there. Checking individual images cannot reveal a mix-up introduced during conversion. If only one part of a page is needed, make a separate copy that removes irrelevant personal information. Confirm that the crop or cover-up is present in the exported file. A barcode or QR code may also carry information. If a reader needs it, test it using the delivered copy. Leave it out when it serves no purpose and should not travel with the document. Keep the original captures apart from the delivery file, with a name that lets you recognise which version was sent. Before sending it, ask yourself whether a person with no access to your phone could locate and read every required detail.