Your phone camera can produce document scans that financial institutions accept without complaint, but only if you set the shot up properly. A bad photo means uploading again, and if a poor copy reaches an institution before anyone notices, it can mean weeks lost while they ask for a replacement.
Ten minutes of care here saves real time later.
What Has to Be Readable
Whoever reviews the document, whether that's our automated validation or an estate department at a bank, needs to make out:
The official seal, where the state uses one
Full legal names
Dates
Signatures
All four corners, which shows nothing was cropped away
If any of that is unreadable, the document gets rejected.
The Five Things That Matter Most
1. Lighting
This is the single biggest factor. Indirect daylight near a window is ideal. Bright, even room light works too.
Avoid direct sunlight, which creates glare and hard shadows, and avoid a single overhead bulb, which casts your own shadow across the page. Position yourself so the light comes from behind or beside you, and check that no part of the document is in shade.
2. A dark background
Documents are usually white or off-white. Put one on a white countertop and the camera struggles to find the edges and focus. A dark folder, placemat, or tabletop gives the contrast the camera needs.
Avoid patterned or shiny surfaces.
3. Flash off
Flash reflects off paper and blows out a white patch, often right over the text you need. Turn it off, even in a dim room. On iPhone, also turn off Live Photo, which can introduce blur.
4. Straight overhead
Hold the phone directly above the document and parallel to it, roughly 12 to 18 inches up for a standard page. Tilting produces a trapezoid shape that can push text out of frame.
Rest your elbows on the table for stability, and use the volume button rather than tapping the screen.
5. Tap to focus
Tap the document on your screen and wait for focus to lock before you shoot. Then take three or four, zoom in on each, and keep the sharpest.
Capturing a Raised Seal
Embossed seals are the hardest part, because a raised impression on white paper barely registers in flat light. Angled light is what makes it visible. Let the light come from one side so the embossing casts a small shadow, and take several shots at slightly different angles.
If your state issues certificates on plain paper with a printed seal, this doesn't apply. Both formats are valid.
Common Problems
Too dark. Move nearer a window or turn on more lights, then retake. You can also tap the screen and drag the exposure slider up.
Blurry. Tap to focus, steady your elbows, and make sure the document isn't shifting.
Glare. Flash off, out of direct sun, and off any shiny surface.
Corner cut off. Move the phone back a few inches and confirm all four corners are visible before shooting.
Rotated wrong. Rotate it in your Photos or Gallery app before uploading, or upload anyway and we can usually fix it.
File too big. Keep it under 10MB. On iPhone, sharing to Print and then saving the preview as a PDF shrinks it considerably. On Android, resize the image or use a scanner app.
Folds and wrinkles. Press the document under books for half an hour first.
Multi-page Documents
Photograph each page with the same care and keep the lighting consistent. Upload them as separate files or combine them into one PDF. If a document prints on both sides, capture both.
If Your Phone Isn't Getting There
Use a scanner app. Google Drive, Adobe Scan, and Microsoft Office Lens all optimize for documents automatically and handle edge detection and contrast for you.
Use a real scanner. 300 DPI or higher. Office supply stores scan for roughly a dollar a page if you don't have one.
Ask someone. A newer phone or a second pair of hands often solves it in a minute.
Email it to us. Send your best attempt to [email protected] with your loved one's full name in the subject line.
Before You Upload
All four corners visible, nothing cropped
Every page included
Text readable when you zoom in
Seal and signatures visible
No shadow, no glare, no blur
Right side up and straight
A PDF or common image format, including HEIC, under 10MB
Need Help?
If you've tried several times and can't get a copy you're happy with, send us your best attempt rather than staying stuck. Often it's good enough and you just can't tell.
Chat with us in the app, call (385) 707-0082, or email [email protected]. We reply to email within one business day.