Scan to PDF
Turn paper into a clean PDF with your camera — capture, arrange and download, all on your device.
Scan a document
Use your camera, or add photos · nothing leaves your device
Private by design. This tool runs entirely in your browser — your file is processed on your device and is never uploaded to us. How this works
Scan to PDF uses your device’s camera to turn paper documents into a PDF — no scanner, no app. Capture a page, capture the next, reorder them if needed, and download a single tidy PDF. On a phone it uses the back camera; on a laptop it uses the webcam, and you can always add existing photos instead.
Everything happens in your browser: the camera feed and the images never leave your device, nothing is uploaded, and there’s no sign-up or watermark. An optional enhance mode converts pages to crisp grayscale for a cleaner, more readable scan.
How it works
Your browser opens the camera locally (with your permission) and captures each page to an image on your device. When you build the PDF, each page is placed on its own A4 page, scaled to fit, and written into a single file with pdf-lib — entirely on your machine. The camera stream is never recorded or sent anywhere, and stops the moment you leave the page.
How to Scan to PDF
Start the camera
Tap Start camera and allow access. On a phone the back camera is used; on a laptop, the webcam. No camera? Use Add photos instead.
Capture your pages
Line up each page and tap Capture page. Repeat for as many pages as you need — reorder or remove any in the list.
Build & download
Tap Build PDF to get a single PDF of all your pages, created on your device.
Scan multiple pages into one PDF
Capture as many pages as you like — each one is added to a list of thumbnails. Put them in the right order with the up and down arrows, drop any that didn’t come out, and they’re combined into a single, multi-page PDF when you build it. It’s the fast way to turn a paper contract, a set of receipts or a handwritten note into one file.
Cleaner scans with enhance mode
Tick Enhance to convert each capture to high-contrast grayscale. It makes text pop, tames uneven lighting and shadows, and produces a smaller, more “scanned”-looking page — ideal for documents you’ll print or send. Leave it off to keep full colour for photos, IDs or anything where colour matters.
Your camera stays on your device
Unlike most online scanners, Ream never uploads anything. The camera feed is opened by your browser, the captures live only on your device, and the PDF is built locally. There is nothing for us to store or see, and the camera is released as soon as you stop it or leave the page — a genuinely private way to scan sensitive paperwork.
Tips for a good scan
- Use flat, even lighting and avoid shadows falling across the page.
- Fill the frame with the document and hold steady before capturing.
- A scan is a photo, so the text isn’t selectable — run OCR afterwards to make it searchable.
- Lots of colour pages making a big file? Compress it, or use enhance (grayscale) mode.
- Already have photos rather than a camera? Images to PDF does the same from files.
Why choose Ream
No scanner needed
Your phone or webcam becomes a document scanner — capture straight to PDF.
Truly private
The camera feed and images never leave your device; nothing is uploaded or stored.
Multi-page & ordered
Capture many pages, reorder them, and combine into one clean PDF.
Free on every device
No sign-up, no watermark, works in any modern browser on phone or desktop.
Frequently asked questions
How do I scan a document to PDF with my phone?
Open Scan to PDF, tap Start camera, capture each page, then tap Build PDF to download a single PDF — all in your browser.
Do I need to install an app?
No. It runs in your mobile or desktop browser using your camera — nothing to install.
Are my scans uploaded anywhere?
No. The camera feed and captured images stay on your device; the PDF is built locally and nothing is stored.
Can I scan multiple pages into one PDF?
Yes — capture as many pages as you like, reorder them, and they’re combined into one multi-page PDF.
The camera won’t open — what can I do?
Allow camera permission when prompted, and make sure you’re on https. If your device has no camera, use Add photos to build the PDF from image files instead.
Is the scanned text searchable?
Not by itself — a scan is an image. Run the finished PDF through OCR to add a searchable text layer.
Is it free?
Yes — free, no account, and no watermark on your PDF.