How to Scan Handwritten Notes to PDF on iPhone

Last updated 2026-10-29

Pencil notes come out faint and a notebook page curves, so a plain photo is hard to read. Paperkeep's document camera straightens each page, the “Enhance” or “B&W” filter darkens the pencil, and everything is saved as one PDF. Turning a notebook into a PDF and passing it on doesn't need Pro.

First, with iOS's built-in tools

  1. The “Scan Documents” option in Notes handles notebook pages well; keep capturing and the pages collect in one note.
  2. Switching the scan filter to black-and-white or grayscale makes pencil a little clearer.
  3. To send it as a PDF, open the scan and tap the share button. For one folder per class, set up note folders yourself.

With Paperkeep

  1. Tap “Scan”, open the notebook and capture one page at a time, then tap “Save” after the last one.
  2. On the “New Scan” screen, choose “B&W” for pencil or “Enhance” to keep highlighter and colored pens, then use “Use … on every page” to match all pages.
  3. Re-fit a clipped page with “Crop” → “Find edges”, and add a missed page with “Add pages” → “Scan more pages”.
  4. In “Arrange Pages”, drag the handle (≡) on the right of each page into place, then tap “Save”.
  5. Make a folder per class with “More” (⋯) → “New Folder”, then file the notes with “Move to Folder”.
Paperkeep app screen

Tips for this document

  • Scan a spiral notebook one page at a time; a two-page spread picks up a shadow along the spine.
  • Handwriting is recognized less reliably than print, so put the class and topic in the title rather than counting on search.
  • Sharing notes with a study group? Free exports carry no watermark, so the PDF goes out as is.

Coming soon to the App Store.

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