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Recently, I attended a deposition with exhibits that were going to be marked and added to the deposition. One of those exhibits contained color photographs. As is often the case in multi-party litigation, it is difficult to tell how many attorneys will be present, and there were a limited number of color copies available. Instead of trying to find a copy machine, I used a mobile scanning app on my phone to create a color PDF version of the photograph. I emailed that PDF to those who wanted a copy and maintained a copy for my file — all in about 30 seconds.
Mobile device scanning doesn’t take long to learn and helps when you wish you had a copy machine nearby. Follow these tips to get started.
Download a scanning app
On my iPhone, I use PDFpen Scan+ with OCR, PDF text export, made by SmileOnMyMac LLC. However, there are many other mobile scanning applications available. Simply search the application store for your device and find an app that has good user reviews and the following key features.
Look for an app that allows you to perform OCR (optical character recognition) on a document. Instead of just taking a picture of the document, the app can find any text on the image and make the text from the image searchable. Some documents are better candidates for OCR than others and results will vary. But, for a mobile app, PDFpen Scan + does an impressive job.
Other features to look for are: the ability to upload directly to cloud services; auto-naming functions; email PDF export; automatic document-size detection; and automatic picture-taking ability.
Tips for good results
Mobile scanning apps continue to improve and get easier to use. With a little practice, you can become comfortable with scanning from your mobile device. This is not a solution for scanning a large pile of documents, but while you are out of the office, these apps are a good solution for preserving color photographs and exhibits you need to access quickly. Here are a few tips to get the best results when using a scanning app.
1. Set the scene
First, set the scene properly. Set the piece of paper you are scanning on a clear area of a table or desk. Try to place the first page of the document on a contrasting surface so the edges of the paper are clearly defined. Position yourself so that when you take the picture, there are no (or limited) shadows on the document.
Now, open your preferred scanning app and tap the camera icon to start a new scan. The app will open your device’s camera and many will automatically detect the paper size. Once the page is detected, many apps will prompt you to hold the phone still while it focuses and automatically takes a picture of the page. Otherwise, you will have to manually take the photo.
2. Take clear photos
Second, take clear photo(s). Make sure the camera focuses on the page. If the photo is blurry, simply start over. For multiple pages, place the next page down and repeat the process. The app will generally add those pages to the scan.
3. Edit to remove background
Third, edit the photo to remove any background. Adjust the edges of the document to make it look like a piece of paper, removing the desk surface from the photo. Many apps are good at detecting edges. Then, rotate the document appropriately so it opens ready for reading.
4. Perform OCR
Fourth, perform OCR. There is typically a button to tap to use the OCR function of the app. There will be documents where the OCR does not work well. Review what the app treats as text to determine if the OCR was done appropriately. If not, you will still at least have a good image file and can try OCR again on a desktop program.
5. Save and share
Finally, save and share the document. Move the document from your phone to the file or to the other attorneys in the room. Email that document to yourself and others. Or, upload to a cloud service like Dropbox. Remember to consider the data security implications of sharing the document.
Other mobile scanning options
If you do a lot of mobile scanning, you might consider something like the ScanSnap iX100 Wireless Mobile Scanner. This scanner is small enough to fit in a purse or briefcase and connects wirelessly to your mobile device or laptop. It has a rechargeable battery. The advantages to this type of scanner over a mobile device app are ease of use, faster scanning and higher-quality scans. But, it does add some bulk to your already full briefcase.•
• Seth Wilson is a partner at Hume Smith Geddes Green & Simmons LLP in Indianapolis. In addition to practicing law, he helps manage technology operations of the firm and frequently speaks and advises on legal technology issues. For more legal technology tips delivered right to your inbox, visit sethrwilson.com to sign up for Seth’s e-newsletter. The opinions expressed are those of the author.
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