> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.canvascope.org/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Scan paper documents

> Use your iPad's camera to turn worksheets, handouts, and notes into a PDF you can mark up and search.

The scanner turns paper into a PDF in your library. Lectra finds the edges of the page, straightens it, and can capture it for you as soon as you hold steady. After you save, you can write on the scan like any other document, and Lectra reads its text so you can search it.

## Before you begin

* Your iPad needs a camera.
* The first time you scan, iPadOS asks for permission to use the camera. Tap **Allow**.

## Scan a document

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the scanner">
    In your library, open the folder where the scan should go. Tap **New**, then tap **Scan**. With a keyboard, press <kbd>⇧</kbd> <kbd>⌘</kbd> <kbd>N</kbd>.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Point the camera at the page">
    Hold your iPad over the page. When Lectra finds the page, it outlines it. Follow the hint at the top of the screen, such as **Point at a document** or **Hold steady**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Capture the page">
    With **Auto** on, Lectra captures the page by itself after you hold steady for about a second. The hint says **Hold — capturing**, then **Captured**. With **Auto** off, tap the shutter button when the hint says **Ready — tap to capture**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Scan more pages">
    Move to the next page and repeat. The stack in the corner shows how many pages you have.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review the scan">
    Tap the page stack to open **Review Scan**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save the PDF">
    Tap **Save PDF**. The scan opens in the editor, ready to mark up.
  </Step>
</Steps>

The new document is named with the date and time of the scan, for example "Scan 2026-10-16 14.05", and is saved in the folder you were viewing. To rename it, tap its title in the editor, then tap **Rename**.

### Camera controls

| Control | What it does |
| - | - |
| **Auto** | Captures each page automatically when you hold steady. Lectra remembers your choice. |
| Shutter (**Capture page**) | Captures the page by hand. It works once Lectra has found a page. |
| **Flash** | Turns the iPad's light on or off. |
| **Close** | Leaves the scanner. |

On iPads with a LiDAR scanner, you also see a **LiDAR** badge, and the hint can say **Move closer** or **Move farther away** to help you get the whole page in view.

<Warning>
  Closing the scanner before you tap **Save PDF** discards the pages you captured. Lectra doesn't ask first.
</Warning>

## Review and adjust pages

In **Review Scan**, you can:

* Choose how the pages look under **Look**: **Color**, **Grayscale**, or **B\&W**. The choice applies to every page.
* Delete a page: tap its trash button (**Delete Page**), or swipe left on it.
* Reorder pages: tap **Edit**, then drag pages into order.
* Add more pages: tap **Scan More** to go back to the camera. The pages you already have stay.

The **Save PDF** button shows the page count, for example **Save PDF · 3 pages**.

<Note>
  You can't retake, crop, or rotate a single page in review. To redo a page, delete it and tap **Scan More**.
</Note>

## Other ways to start a scan

* Touch and hold the Lectra app icon, then tap **Scan Document**.
* Ask Siri: "Scan a document in Lectra" or "Scan into Lectra".
* Add the **Scan Document** control to Control Center, or the **Quick Actions** widget to your Home Screen.

## Search your scans

Scanned pages are pictures, so at first they have no text. After you open a scan, Lectra reads the text on its pages on your iPad. When it finishes, you can find the scan's words in library search, in **Search This PDF**, and in iPad Spotlight. Shared PDFs of the scan also carry the recognized text, so other apps can search it.

Reading happens in the background while Lectra is open, and can take a little while for long scans. To learn more, see [Search](/lectra/search#how-lectra-reads-handwriting-and-scans).

## Add a scan to an existing document

The scanner always creates a new document. To add scanned pages to a document you already have:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Save the scan to Files">
    Open the scan, tap **Share**, choose **PDF**, tap **Share**, then tap **Save to Files**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Insert the pages">
    Open the other document, open the pages panel, tap **Insert**, then tap **From Files…** and choose the scan. The pages go after the current page.
  </Step>
</Steps>

If you no longer need the separate scan, delete it from your library. To learn more, see [Manage pages](/lectra/annotate#manage-pages).

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Camera access needed">
    Lectra doesn't have permission to use the camera. Tap **Open Settings**, then turn on **Camera** for Lectra.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Camera unavailable">
    This iPad has no camera that Lectra can use, so scanning isn't available on it.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Lectra doesn't find the page">
    Put the page on a surface that contrasts with it, such as white paper on a dark table. Turn on **Flash** in dim light, and keep the whole page in view.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="My scan isn't searchable yet">
    Open the scan in the editor and leave Lectra open for a moment so it can finish reading the pages.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>


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