Scan books to PDF on Android.
Need a chapter, an excerpt, or a few pages from a book? ScannerFlow flattens the curve near the spine, captures page after page into one clean multi-page PDF, and can turn the text into searchable, copyable words with OCR.
Free to download · Android · Free to try
Why scan a book
The two hard parts of scanning a book — solved
Books fight you in two ways: the page curves toward the spine, and a shadow falls down the gutter. ScannerFlow's perspective correction and enhance filters are built exactly for that.
Study & research
Capture the pages you need from a library book so you can read and annotate them later without lugging the whole volume around.
Quote & cite
OCR turns a passage into text you can paste into an essay or notes, with the page kept as proof of the source.
Recipes & manuals
Pull a recipe out of a cookbook or a section from a manual so it's on your phone where you actually need it.
What to capture on a book page
Aim for one page per shot rather than the full open spread — it keeps the text near the spine from curving away. Get the full text block, the page number, and any figures or footnotes in frame, and watch that the inner margin near the gutter isn't cut off.
Step by step
How to scan a book with ScannerFlow
- 1
Press the book as flat as you can
Hold the page open and gently flatten it. The flatter the page, the less the text bends near the spine.
- 2
Scan one page at a time
Frame a single page rather than the whole spread. Hold the phone parallel and let edge detection auto-capture the page.
- 3
Let perspective correction straighten it
ScannerFlow flattens the captured page and applies auto-enhance to even out the gutter shadow for a clean, flat-on look.
- 4
Add the next page, then OCR and save
Turn the page and keep adding to the same PDF. Run OCR to make the text searchable and copyable, then save the chapter as one file.
Why ScannerFlow
Made for the curve, the shadow, and the page count
Flattens the curved page
Perspective correction straightens the bend near the spine so a photographed page reads like a flat-on scan, not a snapshot.
A whole chapter in one PDF
Add page after page to the same document, in order, in a single multi-page file you can read end to end. Multi-page PDF and batch scanning are part of the subscription — handy when a chapter runs long.
OCR to editable text
Turn scanned pages into searchable, copyable text so you can lift a quote or find a passage without retyping it.
Even out the gutter shadow
Auto-enhance balances the brightness across the page, lifting the dark band that usually falls along the spine.
Pro tips
Tips for clean, flat book scans
Light it from both sides
Even, two-sided light kills the gutter shadow far better than a single overhead bulb that casts the page into shade.
One page per capture
Scanning a single page instead of the full spread keeps the inner text from curving away and improves OCR accuracy.
Hold the page down at the edges
Use a thumb at each outer corner (out of frame) to keep the page flat without covering the text.
Keep your shadow out of the shot
Stand to the side rather than directly over the book so your own shadow does not fall across the page.
Book scanning FAQ
How do I stop the page from looking curved near the spine?
Press the book as flat as you can, scan one page at a time rather than the whole spread, and let perspective correction straighten the page. Capturing a single page keeps the text near the spine from bending out of frame.
Can I scan a whole chapter into one PDF?
Yes. Keep adding pages to the same document as you turn them, and every page lands in one multi-page PDF in order — so a full chapter reads as a single file. Multi-page PDF and batch scanning are unlocked with the subscription.
Should I scan facing pages or one page at a time?
Scan one page at a time for the cleanest result. A full facing-page (two-page) spread curves away toward the spine and casts a gutter shadow down the middle, which softens the text. Capturing a single page keeps it flat and parallel to the camera, so perspective correction and OCR both work better. You can still add both pages to the same multi-page PDF — just shoot them separately.
Can I turn book pages into editable text?
Yes. OCR reads the text off each scanned page so you can copy quotes, pull a passage into your notes, or make the whole document searchable instead of leaving it as flat images.
What about the shadow down the middle of the page?
The gutter shadow near the spine is the usual culprit. Light the page evenly from both sides, avoid casting your own shadow, and use auto-enhance to even out the brightness across the page.
Is it free?
ScannerFlow is free to download and free to try. You can scan pages and extract text to see how it works before deciding on a subscription for advanced features.
Scan the pages you need — flat and searchable.
Flatten the spine, capture the chapter, OCR the text. Free to download, free to try.