Handling paperwork online
Photographing a document with your phone
What you will be able to do In 5 minutes, you'll know how to photograph a document that's sharp, whole, and readable, ready to be sent.
A document sent as a photo is accepted or rejected based on a few simple rules, always the same ones: the whole document must be visible, flat, with no corner cut off. The photo must be sharp and well lit, with no glare or shadow hiding any information. Lastly, the file sent must have a reasonable format and size, generally a few megabytes in a format like JPG, PNG, or PDF. A photo that ticks these boxes almost always gets through on the first try. We're going to practice on a screen we drew ourselves. Nothing here is real, so no document is actually sent.
Simulated screen
I practice
This screen was drawn by us. Nothing is sent, nothing is installed, and no real brand is shown.
The situationYou're asked for a recent proof of address, and you don't have a scanner at home.
The interactive exercise needs JavaScript. The written step by step, just below, says exactly the same thing.
The written step by step
The same steps, in words, to read or print. This sheet works even without the exercise.
The whole document
Your turn Look at the preview of your photo. Tap what you do, knowing that a corner of the document is cut off.
You step back a little and retake the photo, until all 4 corners of the document are visible in the image.
No glare
Your turn A glare of light hides a corner of the text on this new photo. Tap what you do.
You change the angle, or move near natural, indirect light, until the glare disappears.
Nice and sharp
Your turn The document is whole and well lit, but the writing is blurry on this photo. Tap what you do.
You keep the phone perfectly still while taking the photo, so the writing stays sharp and readable.
A reasonable file
Your turn Two files of the same photo are ready. Tap the one you send.
You send the lightest file, in a common format like JPG, PNG, or PDF: it almost always gets through.
One last look
Your turn This last photo ticks every box. Tap what you do with it.
A whole, sharp, well-lit, and light photo is ready to be sent as it is, with no retouching.
The sheet to keep
- The document must be whole in the image, flat, all 4 corners visible.
- Natural, indirect light avoids glare; direct flash often causes it on glossy paper.
- Keeping the phone perfectly still is what makes it sharp: zooming in afterwards never fixes blur.
- The file sent generally fits in a few megabytes, in a common format like JPG, PNG, or PDF.
- A filter or a retouch can make an official document less readable: the raw, faithful version is the right one.
- Before sending, you reread your own photo as if discovering the document for the first time.
The reflexes in this skill
I stop before I click
Urgency is the sign of a trap. A message that counts down the hours is trying to stop you from thinking. Putting your phone down for two minutes costs nothing, and it is almost always enough.
I make a copy of what matters
Photos, documents, contacts: anything that exists in only one place can disappear along with the device. A copy somewhere else turns a breakdown into a minor inconvenience.
Two questions to check
Nothing is graded, and nothing is saved anywhere except in your own browser.
Your photo of a document shows a glare of light on a corner of the text. What do you do?
See the answer
I change the angle or the light and retake the photo
A glare can hide information that matters, such as a date. Direct flash often creates more glare on glossy paper; better to change the angle or the light.
Two photos of the same document are ready: one is 3 MB in JPG, the other is 42 MB in the phone's raw format. Which one do you send?
See the answer
The lighter one, in a common format like JPG
Services generally accept files of a few megabytes, in a common format. A very heavy file or an uncommon format risks being rejected or blocking the upload.
I've done it
Check this box once you can do this skill on your own.
Your progress stays in your own browser.