Scanning Curled, Crumpled and Folded Pages Flat

Paper that's been in a bag, a drawer or a roll rarely lies flat. Curls and creases create shadows and bend the text, and the results look messy. A few simple steps improve them dramatically.

Flatten first

• Press under weight. Place the page between clean sheets of paper, under a heavy book, for a few hours or overnight.
• Reverse the curl. Gently roll the page against its curl, then release. Do this carefully to avoid creasing.
• Iron on low heat (only for plain paper). Use the lowest setting, with a thin cloth between the iron and the paper. Never iron thermal receipts, photographs or inkjet prints that might smear.
• Let damp paper dry completely before attempting anything else. Wet paper is fragile.

Hold it flat while scanning

• Use a clean sheet of glass or clear acrylic placed lightly over the page, if you have one. It flattens without folding.
• Weight the edges with small, clean objects, such as coins or coasters, keeping them out of the frame.
• Tape corners with low-tack tape onto a board for fragile pages, when appropriate.

Reduce shadows in folds

Creases catch light and cast small shadows. Light from two directions softens them. Avoid a single strong lamp at a low angle, which exaggerates every ridge.

Choose the right enhancement

An enhancement mode that lifts shadows and evens the background can fade fold lines. Try it, but check that no text is lost and that stamps or signatures still look natural.

Pages folded in thirds

Letters and forms are often folded. After flattening, scan the page so that the creases run across the page evenly. If text falls exactly along a crease, take a second scan with the page shifted slightly and choose the clearest.

Very crumpled paper

If a page is badly crumpled, avoid forcing it flat and tearing it. Smooth it gently with your hands from the centre outwards, then apply weight over time. For valuable or delicate documents, consult a conservator.

Book pages and stapled sets

Remove staples only if necessary and safe. Otherwise, scan stapled pages by lifting and flipping each sheet, holding the staple side flat.

Check the edges

Warped pages often distort the borders. Make sure the scan's crop includes all four corners and any edge information, such as page numbers or stamps.

When perfection isn't needed

For personal reference, a slightly imperfect scan may be fine. For official submissions, aim for the cleanest result you can get.

Checklist

1. Flattened where possible.
2. Held flat with light pressure.
3. Even light from more than one side.
4. Enhancement checked for lost detail.
5. All corners visible.

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