Free browser tool · files stay on your device
Convert PDF to scanned PDF — make a digital PDF look scanned
Drop a PDF, keep the Scanned look effect this page preselects, and export: LensUp renders every page to an image, adds a slight tilt, paper grain and softened contrast, and writes a new PDF — all on your device.
No sign-up, no watermark. Page images replace the text layer, so the file is larger and the text is no longer selectable.
Tap a page to crop, rotate or fix perspective. Drag ⠿ to reorder.
Export options
ID card: places the first two pages as front & back at ID-1 size on one A4 sheet. Use Edit to crop or align the four corners.
PNG is lossless, so target sizes do not apply.
Uses original photos. Larger files and slower export. Available with No limit or PNG.
Optional. Keeps the image ratio and never exceeds the page.
Everything runs in your browser — your files are never uploaded.
How do I convert PDF to scanned PDF?
Open the PDF here, leave the Scanned look effect selected, and press Export. Each page is rendered to an image, tilted a fraction of a degree, softened and given paper grain, then all pages are rebuilt into one PDF. JPG and PNG pages work the same way. Nothing is uploaded — the whole job runs in your browser.
Searches like “make PDF look scanned”, “PDF to scanned document”, “PDF to scanned PDF converter” or “PDF to scanned copy” all describe the same job: a clean, typed PDF that should look like it went through an office scanner. This page is that tool, not a review of one.
It is the inverse of what LensUp usually does. The scanner takes a phone photo and returns a clean sheet; this page takes a clean sheet and returns what a scanner would have produced.
How it works
- Open the PDFChoose or drop a PDF, JPG or PNG. Multi-page PDFs open as separate pages you can reorder or remove.
- Keep the scanned lookThe Scanned look effect is preselected. Switch to Black & white for a photocopy look, or Grayscale if you want no grain.
- Export the scanned PDFPress Export. Set a size target such as 200 KB first if a portal enforces one; the real size is always shown.
When a PDF that looks scanned is the honest answer
Some upload portals only accept image PDFs — a “scanned copy” in their words — and reject a text PDF with the same content. Others sit next to an archive of real scans, where one crisp vector page stands out. And a flattened page cannot be edited with a PDF editor, which is sometimes exactly the point.
In all three cases the content is unchanged and truthful; only the presentation matches what the receiver expects.
Black and white, grayscale or the full scanned look
The scanned look keeps a warm paper tone, soft contrast and light grain — closest to a desktop scanner. Black & white gives the harder photocopy look many offices produce. Grayscale keeps the page flat with no grain at all; pick it when the receiver runs OCR on what you send.
Whichever you choose, the page size stays the same: nothing is cropped or straightened, and the tilt is a fraction of a degree inside the page.
File size and text
Page images are heavier than a text PDF. A ten-page contract that was 200 KB as text may be a few megabytes as images; use the size target if a form sets a ceiling. Text is no longer selectable or searchable — if the receiver needs to search it, send the original alongside.
What this does not do
The scanned look changes how a page looks, nothing else. It does not sign a document, add a date, certify a copy or make a file “original”. If a form asks for a signed and scanned copy, that requirement is about the signature — sign the page, then scan or photograph it with the LensUp scanner.
Frequently asked questions
Is it free, and is my PDF uploaded?
Free, with no watermark and no sign-up. The PDF never leaves your device: rendering, the scanned look and the export all run in your browser.
Can I make a PDF look scanned in black and white?
Yes — choose Black & white in the scan effect row. Grayscale keeps the page flat without grain, and Color keeps the original colors.
Does the scanned PDF keep selectable text?
No. Every page becomes an image, like a real scan, so the text cannot be selected or searched and the file is larger. Keep the original PDF if you need the text.
Can I use a Word file or an image?
JPG, PNG, WebP, HEIC and TIFF work directly. For Word, export the document to PDF first, then open it here.
Does a scanned look make a document valid or signed?
No. It changes only the appearance. A requirement for a signed and scanned copy is about the signature; add it on paper or with a stamp image, then scan the page.