Restore a scanned PDF
Clean up crooked, grey or speckled scan pages and download a restored copy, keeping the original in case you prefer it.
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What it does
Restore scanned PDF, explained
Restore scanned PDF improves the scan image itself: it straightens tilted pages, removes speckles and background noise, and raises contrast so faint text reads clearly. An optional AI upscale sharpens low-resolution pages.
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Use it on phone photos of documents, old photocopies, faxes and pages scanned at low resolution, before you print, send or archive them, or before OCR, which recognizes clean pages more reliably.
The restored pages come back as a new PDF to download, and your original file is never changed. If you also sharpen with AI, the result opens as a document in the editor with the earlier version kept in its history. Restoration changes pixels only; it doesn't add searchable text. Run OCR PDF or AI OCR afterwards for that.
Straightening, denoising and contrast run in PDFBetter's processing container and count as one office & advanced conversion. AI upscaling is optional and costs 2 AI credits per page; when you turn it on, page images are sent to fal, our image-processing provider.
How to do it
Restore a scanned PDF in 4 steps
1A scan: only pixels
2Recognize the text
3Text you can search and select
- 1
Upload the scan
PDF, JPG, PNG or TIFF. Pick the pages that need work.
- 2
Choose cleanup
Cleanup straightens, denoises and adjusts contrast. Turn on AI upscaling for low-resolution pages.
- 3
Restore
The cleanup runs on our servers and returns a restored PDF. Your original file isn't changed.
- 4
Download or sharpen
Download the restored PDF, or sharpen it with AI (2 AI credits per page) and open the result in the editor.
Example
Before and after
A phone photo of a signed lease page, tilted a few degrees, with a grey cast and a shadow along one edge.
A straight page with a white background and darker text that prints cleanly; the original photo is left untouched.
Settings & formats
What you can control
- Straighten
- Detects and corrects page tilt.
- Denoise
- Removes speckles, dust and background texture.
- Contrast
- Darkens faint text and lightens grey backgrounds.
- AI upscale
- Sharpens low-resolution pages using an image model at fal.
Input
Output
Good to know before you start
- AI upscaling can sharpen strokes in ways that change how a smudged digit or letter reads; check numbers against the original.
- Missing or cut-off content can't be recovered, and heavy denoising can thin out light pencil or faint signatures.
- Restoration doesn't add a text layer; run OCR afterwards to make the page searchable.
If something goes wrong
If something goes wrong
- A signature looks lighter after restoring
- Denoising can treat faint strokes like noise. Run it again with “Remove specks” turned off, or leave that page out with the page range.
- The page was rotated the wrong way
- Restoration straightens small tilts. Fix sideways or upside-down pages with Rotate PDF first.
Restore scanned PDF: questions people ask
Is my original scan kept?
Yes. Restoring creates a new PDF and never changes your file. With AI sharpening, the earlier version also stays in the document's history.
Is this the same as OCR?
No. Restoration improves the image; OCR recognizes text. Restore first, then run OCR PDF or AI OCR.
What is sent to an AI provider?
Only when AI upscaling is on: page images go to fal for upscaling. Straightening, denoising and contrast run in PDFBetter's own processing container.
How much does it cost?
The cleanup counts as one office & advanced conversion against your plan's monthly allowance. AI sharpening adds 2 AI credits per page.
Can it remove a coffee stain or handwriting?
It can lighten stains and background marks, but it isn't a tool for removing content. Use Erase or Redact for that.