BASALT · JOURNAL
How to scan documents to PDF on Mac
A good scan-to-PDF workflow produces pages that are upright, readable, searchable, and easy to review. The scanner is only the first step; cleanup, OCR, and privacy checks determine whether the result is useful.
Prepare the paper set
Remove clips and sticky notes, check both sides, and keep a written page order for mixed documents. Avoid scanning blank backs unless they are meaningful. Review each page for signatures, IDs, and handwritten notes before distributing the result.
Set quality for the content
Use enough resolution to preserve small type and signatures, but avoid enormous color scans when grayscale is sufficient. Correct rotation and contrast before OCR. After recognition, search for a known word and visually inspect pages with tables or unusual fonts.
Create and verify the PDF
Check page count, order, searchable text, file size, metadata, attachments, and image clarity. If the scan is going to someone else, redact unnecessary personal data before export and keep the original scan protected.
Frequently asked questions
Is every scanned PDF searchable?
No. Searchability requires an OCR text layer or native text. Test it with a known word.
What resolution is best?
Use the lowest setting that preserves the smallest important text and marks. The correct value depends on the source.
Should I scan in color?
Use color when it carries meaning, such as stamps or annotations. Otherwise grayscale may reduce size while keeping text clear.
Doing it in Basalt
Basalt helps combine, OCR, clean up, and review scanned PDFs locally before you share them. Download Basalt.
Redaction that proves itself
Basalt destroys the content you mark, then re-opens the file it wrote and proves the content is gone before it saves anything. Your documents never leave your Mac.