Key takeaways
- Whiteboard mode removes glare and grey shading and makes marker colors pop.
- Photograph the board straight on; perspective correction fixes small angles.
- Capture several boards in one PDF to keep a full meeting or lesson together.
- Share the PDF with the team before someone wipes the board.
Brainstorms, sprint plans and lesson diagrams live on whiteboards — until someone wipes them. A quick scan turns the board into a clean PDF you can share and keep.
How to scan a whiteboard
- Open Scan to PDF and choose Whiteboard mode.
- Stand straight in front of the board, far enough to fit the whole writing area.
- Wait for the outline to find the board's frame, or tap the shutter if the board has no clear border.
- Scan more boards or flip-chart sheets — each becomes a page.
- Save the PDF and share it in your team chat.
What the Whiteboard filter does
- Removes glare from ceiling lights and windows.
- Turns the grey background white so it looks clean on screen and in print.
- Boosts marker colors — red, blue and green stay distinct.
- Corrects perspective, so a photo taken slightly from the side becomes a straight rectangle.
Big boards and flip charts
If writing covers a huge board, photograph it in sections from left to right, with a little overlap. Each section is a page in the same PDF. For flip-chart sheets, hang them on the wall or lay them on the floor and scan each like a document.
Fix the frame manually
Some boards have no visible border, or the outline grabs the wrong area. Open the page and drag the corner handles to the area you want — a magnifier helps you place them precisely.
Share and archive
- Send the PDF to attendees right after the meeting.
- Add it to the project folder with a dated name:
2026-10-03 Sprint planning board.pdf. - Combine boards from a full workshop with Merge PDF.
Handwritten notes on paper
Notes in a notebook? Use Document mode and the Light text filter for pencil. See scan handwritten notes to PDF.
Thirty seconds after the meeting ends, everyone can have the board in their inbox — readable, white and in full color.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my whiteboard photo look grey?
Cameras expose for the whole scene, so the white board turns light grey and reflections appear. The Whiteboard filter makes the background white again and keeps marker strokes strong.
Can I scan a glass board or blackboard?
Glass boards work well with the Whiteboard filter. For blackboards, use the Original or Grayscale filter.
What if the board is too big for one photo?
Photograph it in two or three overlapping sections as separate pages.
Can I make whiteboard text searchable?
OCR works on clear printed handwriting, but results vary with messy writing.