Scanning Book and Magazine Pages Without Damaging the Spine

Copying a few pages from a book used to mean a trip to the photocopier and cracking the spine flat. A phone can do it with no pressure on the book at all, but the curve of the page needs some care.

Copyright first

Before scanning, remember that books and magazines are usually protected by copyright. Scanning a few pages for personal study or reference is common, but copying whole books or sharing scans widely may not be permitted. Rules vary by country, so check your local guidelines.

Protect the binding

• Never press a valuable or old book flat. Let it fall open to its natural angle.
• Support the book with a cushion or a second book under the spine to form a gentle V.
• Use your hands or a clean object to hold pages open at the edges, and keep fingers out of the text.

Deal with the curve

Pages near the spine curve, which makes lines of text bend and shadows form in the gutter. Some ways to reduce this:

• Shoot one page at a time, instead of both pages of a spread, if the text is dense.
• Hold the page flat with a clear sheet of glass or acrylic, if you have one, without pressing hard.
• Leave a wider margin around the page so the scanner doesn't crop text near the spine.
• Choose an enhancement mode that lifts shadows and evens out the light.

Choose the right light

Even, diffuse light from a window or a desk lamp beside the book works best. Avoid a lamp directly overhead that casts your phone's shadow across the page.

Glossy magazine pages

Glossy paper reflects light. Tilt the book slightly, change your angle, or move away from windows until the shine disappears from the text.

Colour or black and white?

Magazines and textbooks with photos and diagrams should be scanned in colour. Plain text pages are smaller and often clearer in black and white.

Keep pages in order

When you're capturing a chapter, scan pages in sequence and check page numbers. If you miss one, rescan it and place it in the right spot before exporting.

Name and store

Include the book title, chapter and page range in the file name, for example "Biology-Ch4-pp62-75". Note the source, so you remember where a passage came from.

Textbooks and study

Students often scan diagrams and worked examples to build a revision pack. Keep the pages you actually need, rather than scanning everything, and store them by topic.

Checklist

1. Book supported and not forced flat.
2. Page as flat and square as possible.
3. No shadows or glare on the text.
4. Margins included.
5. Pages in order and named.

Scan book and magazine pages with Document Scanner →