How to Scan a Document and Make Changes to It

Scanning a document and editing it are two separate steps

When you scan a document, your scanner or phone camera turns the paper into a digital image file — usually a PDF or JPG. That image is a picture of the page, not editable text. To make changes to what's written on it, you need to either convert that image into editable text first, or open the image in an editing program that lets you add notes, highlight, or redact parts of it.

The path you take depends on what you want to do. If you need to change the actual words on the document, you'll use optical character recognition (OCR) software to convert the image into text you can edit. If you just need to mark it up, sign it, or hide sensitive information, you can edit the image file directly in a PDF editor or image program.

Key Takeaways

A scanned document is a picture, not text — you cannot edit the words until you convert it using OCR software.
Most phones have a built-in document scanner in the Camera or Notes app that creates a PDF automatically.
Free programs like Adobe Acrobat Reader, Microsoft Word, and Google Drive can convert scanned images to editable text.
If you only need to mark up or sign a document, you can edit the image directly without converting it to text.
The quality of your scan affects how well OCR software can read it — poor lighting or blurry images will produce errors.

Scanning with your phone or computer scanner

Most phones have a document scanner built into the Camera app or Notes app. On an iPhone, open the Camera app, tap the plus sign, and look for "Document Scanner" or "Scan Documents." On Android, open Google Drive, tap the plus sign, and select "Scan." Both create a PDF automatically and let you adjust the crop and angle before saving.

If you're using a physical scanner connected to your computer, place the document face-down on the glass, open the scanner software (usually called something like "Canon Scan" or "HP Scan"), and click the scan button. The software will ask you where to save the file and what format you want — choose PDF if you plan to edit it later, or JPG if you just need an image copy.

Before you scan, make sure the document is flat and the glass is clean. Poor lighting in the room will make the scan blurry, and OCR software cannot read blurry text. If the document is wrinkled or folded, flatten it first — a heavy book works well for this.

Converting a scanned image to editable text

To turn a scanned image into text you can edit, you need OCR software. The easiest free options are Microsoft Word, Google Drive, and Adobe Acrobat Reader. Each one works slightly differently but produces similar results.

Using Microsoft Word: Open Word, go to File, then Open, and select your scanned PDF or image file. Word will convert it automatically and show you the text. You can now edit, delete, or rearrange the words. The conversion is not always perfect — numbers and handwriting often have errors — so read through it carefully. When you're done, save it as a Word document (.docx) to keep your changes.

Using Google Drive: Upload your scanned file to Google Drive by clicking the New button and selecting File Upload. Right-click the file, choose Open With, and select Google Docs. Google will convert the image to text. Like Word, it's not perfect, so check for errors before you rely on it. You can edit directly in Google Docs and the changes save automatically.

Using Adobe Acrobat Reader: Open your scanned PDF in Adobe Acrobat Reader (the free version). Go to Tools, then Recognize Text, then In This File. Adobe will convert the image to searchable, editable text. This works best with clean, clearly printed documents. Save the file when it's done.

Editing the text after conversion

After OCR conversion, the text is editable but often contains errors. Common mistakes include numbers read as letters (0 read as O, 1 read as l), words split across lines, and spacing problems. Read through the entire document and fix these by hand.

If you converted using Word or Google Docs, you can edit the same way you would any other document — click where you want to make a change, delete text, and type new text. If you converted using Adobe Acrobat Reader, click Tools, then Edit PDF, and you can then select and change text directly in the PDF.

For large documents with many errors, it may be faster to retype the important parts than to fix every mistake. If the document is just for your records and doesn't need to be perfect, leaving minor OCR errors is usually fine.

Marking up a scanned document without converting it

If you don't need to change the actual words — if you just need to sign it, highlight parts, add notes, or hide sensitive information — you can edit the image file directly without converting it to text.

Using Adobe Acrobat Reader: Open your scanned PDF in Adobe Acrobat Reader. Click Tools, then Comment, and you'll see options to highlight, underline, add sticky notes, or draw on the document. You can also click Tools, then Protect, to redact (permanently hide) sensitive text. These changes save to the PDF file.

Using Preview on Mac: Open your scanned image in Preview. Click the Markup toolbar icon (it looks like a toolbox), and you'll see options to draw, highlight, add text boxes, and sign. These changes save automatically.

Using Microsoft Word: Open your scanned PDF in Word. Go to Review, then click Draw if you want to write or draw on it. You can also use the highlighter tool or add comments. Save the file when you're done.

Signing a scanned document

Many scanned documents need your signature. You can sign digitally without printing and scanning again. In Adobe Acrobat Reader, click Tools, then Fill & Sign, then Sign. You can draw your signature with your mouse or trackpad, or upload an image of your signature if you have one saved. Click where you want the signature to appear on the document and it will be added.

In Microsoft Word, go to Insert, then Signature Line, and follow the prompts. You can then sign the document digitally. Google Docs does not have a built-in signature tool, but you can insert an image of your signature by going to Insert, then Image, and uploading a picture of your signed name.

If you're signing a legal document like a contract or power of attorney, check whether the other party accepts digital signatures. Some documents require a wet signature (your actual pen on paper), and some require a certified digital signature from a service like DocuSign or Adobe Sign.

Saving your edited document in the right format

After you've edited your scanned document, save it in a format that matches what you need. If you converted it to text using Word or Google Docs, save it as a Word document (.docx) so you can edit it again later. If you only marked it up or signed it, save it as a PDF so the formatting stays the same when you send it to someone else.

To save in Word, go to File, then Save As, and choose the format from the dropdown menu. To save in Google Docs, go to File, then Download, and choose your format. To save a PDF in Adobe Acrobat Reader, go to File, then Save or Save As.

If you need to send the document to someone else, PDF is usually the safest choice because it looks the same on every computer and phone. If you need them to be able to edit it further, send it as a Word document (.docx) instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my scanned document have so many errors after OCR conversion?

OCR software reads images like a human reads a blurry photocopy — it makes mistakes, especially with poor-quality scans, handwriting, or unusual fonts. Lighting matters: scan in bright, even light and make sure the document is flat and straight. If errors are still heavy, the original document may be too faded, wrinkled, or small to read accurately.

Can I edit a scanned document without converting it to text?

Yes. You can mark it up, highlight it, add notes, redact sensitive parts, and sign it directly in Adobe Acrobat Reader, Preview, or Microsoft Word without converting it. You just cannot change the actual words — for that, you need OCR conversion first.

What's the difference between a PDF and a JPG scan?

A PDF can hold multiple pages in one file and is better for documents you'll print or share. A JPG is a single image file and is better if you only need one page or plan to edit it in an image editor. For OCR conversion, either works, but PDF is more common for official documents.

Do I need to pay for OCR software?

No. Microsoft Word, Google Drive, and Adobe Acrobat Reader all have free OCR built in. Paid OCR software like Adobe Acrobat Pro or ABBYY FineReader offers faster processing and better accuracy with difficult documents, but for most everyday scanning, the free tools work well.

Can I scan a handwritten document and convert it to typed text?

OCR software struggles with handwriting because it's trained on printed fonts. If the handwriting is very clear and large, OCR may catch some words, but most handwritten documents will have too many errors to be worth converting. You're usually better off typing it by hand or taking a photo for your records.

This guide is for general information only and is not medical, financial, legal, or other professional advice. For decisions specific to your situation, consult a qualified professional. See our Editorial Policy.