Enhance Scanned PDF

Scan enhancement is intended for PDFs whose pages come from scanned or photographed documents. Image processing can adjust characteristics such as contrast, sharpness, and noise to make some page content easier to see.

The result depends heavily on the source. A mildly faded scan may respond differently from a page with severe blur, shadows, clipping, or very low resolution.

Different documents need different amounts of processing. A stronger setting is not automatically better for every page.

Heavy enhancement can make some text or edges more pronounced, but it can also emphasize noise or change the appearance of fine details. Compare the result with the source before deciding which version to keep.

The tool works with rendered page imagery rather than repairing the original physical document. The enhanced pages are used to produce the resulting PDF.

For that reason, enhancement cannot recreate letters, signatures, photographs, stamps, or other details that were never captured clearly in the source.

Enhancing a scan changes its visible image. OCR attempts to recognize characters and turn what it sees into usable text.

If your goal is to copy or reuse words from scanned pages, OCR may be the next step after improving a difficult scan. Even then, recognized text should be reviewed for errors.

An enhanced PDF is a processed derivative of the source. Keep the original when the scan has evidentiary, archival, contractual, financial, or other importance.

Compare important details against the original before relying on the enhanced version or using it as the basis for further processing.