Frequently Asked Questions

Yes — PaperThePDF is 100% free with no usage limits, no subscription, and no hidden fees. Your downloaded PDFs carry no watermark added by us. We have no premium tier because we believe document tools should be accessible to everyone.

No account is required at all. Simply open the tool at paperthepdf.com, upload your file, adjust the settings, and download. No email address, password, or personal information is ever collected.

Most PDF tools either add a simple filter or require a desktop install. PaperThePDF runs a full 7-stage scan simulation pipeline in your browser session — paper tone, grayscale conversion, random per-page rotation, Gaussian blur, CCD sensor noise, paper aging effects, and JPEG compression round-trip — producing results that are visually indistinguishable from a physically scanned document. It also includes annotation, watermarking, and live side-by-side comparison, all without an account.

Yes. PaperThePDF is a responsive web application that works in any modern browser on desktop, tablet, and mobile. The tool layout adapts to smaller screens. File upload works through your device's native file picker.

PaperThePDF works in all modern browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Opera. We recommend using a recent version (released in the past two years) for the best experience. Internet Explorer is not supported.

Your files are uploaded to a temporary server session solely for the purpose of conversion. They are automatically deleted after one hour. We do not retain file content, do not log document data, and do not share your files with any third party. See our Privacy Policy for full details.

Yes. All file uploads and downloads between your browser and our server are encrypted via HTTPS/TLS. Your documents are never transmitted as plain text.

No. Your documents are processed only to produce the scanned output and are then deleted. We do not use any uploaded content for machine learning, AI training, analytics, or any purpose other than the conversion you requested.

PaperThePDF does not collect personal data beyond what is strictly necessary for the service (a temporary session ID). We do not use advertising trackers or third-party analytics that collect personal data. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.

PaperThePDF accepts the following input formats:

• PDF — multi-page documents fully supported
• JPEG / JPG — photographs and scanned images
• PNG — including transparency (converted to white background)
• TIFF / TIF — high-resolution scans
• BMP — Windows bitmap images
• WebP — modern web image format

All inputs are exported as a scanned PDF or as a ZIP of individual JPEG images.

The maximum upload size is 50 MB. This is sufficient for most multi-page PDFs at standard resolution. If your file is larger, consider splitting it with a PDF split tool and processing each part separately.

Yes. Once you upload a multi-page PDF, a Pages input appears at the bottom of the settings panel. You can enter ranges like 1-3, 5, 7-9 to include only those pages in the output. Leave the field blank to include all pages.

Yes. Click Export as Images (ZIP) to download a ZIP archive containing one JPEG per page, named page_001.jpg, page_002.jpg, etc., using the original page numbers so the filenames are meaningful even when converting a page range.

Upload your PDF, then either select one of the four style profiles (Classic, Modern, Sepia, Vintage) for instant presets, or manually adjust the controls:

• Enable Grayscale for a black-and-white scan look
• Set Intensity to 1.0–1.5 for a realistic everyday scanner
• Add a touch of Paper Tilt (0.5–1.0°) for slight misalignment
• Choose Warm paper tone to simulate aged cream paper

Click Download Scanned PDF when satisfied.

DPI controls the render resolution:

• 150 DPI — fast conversion, good for web sharing or email
• 200 DPI — balanced default, suitable for most documents
• 300 DPI — high quality, use for printing or archiving. Note: significantly larger file size and slower conversion.

For standard office scanning (like a typical MFP on "Normal" quality), 200 DPI is the closest match.

PaperThePDF offers four aging effects that can be combined freely:

• ☕ Coffee Stain — a semi-transparent warm brown coffee ring with a faint wash inside
• 📄 Fold Crease — a horizontal fold line running across the middle of the page with a highlight and shadow
• 📐 Dog-Ear — a folded top-right corner showing the back of the paper
• 🔘 Hole Punch — three punch holes on the left margin with realistic shadow rings

Yes. Navigate to the page you want to customise using the preview panel, then adjust the settings. Those settings will be remembered for that specific page. Pages without individual overrides use the global (default) settings. This lets you have, for example, a grayscale cover page and colour interior pages in the same document.

Scroll down to the Watermark section and type your text. You can:

• Choose Tiled mode to repeat the watermark across the whole page
• Choose Custom Position mode to place a single watermark at any point on the page (drag the marker in the preview)
• Control colour, opacity, and rotation angle

The watermark is composited before scan effects, so it appears to be physically printed on the paper — not digitally overlaid.

After uploading a file, scroll to the Annotations section and click ✒️ Signature. In the modal that opens:

• Upload a photo or scan of your handwritten signature
• Crop to the signature area using the crop tool
• Adjust the background-removal threshold so only the ink is visible
• Click Use This Signature

Your signature appears as a draggable, resizable overlay on the current page. Drag it into position, resize, and rotate as needed. It will be composited onto the page when you export.

Yes. You can add multiple annotations to any page — any combination of uploaded signatures, stock stamps, and text stamps. Each overlay is independently draggable and resizable. Switch between pages using the thumbnail strip to add annotations to different pages.

Text stamps let you create a rubber-stamp-style annotation without uploading an image. Click 🔖 Stamp, then choose the Text Stamp tab. Enter your text (e.g. "APPROVED", "CONFIDENTIAL", "RECEIVED"), choose a colour, font size, and style (Box, Plain, or Circle). The stamp is generated instantly and placed on the current page.

Yes. When placing an annotation, you can choose All Pages scope to apply it to every page in the document simultaneously. This is useful for watermark-style stamps like "CONFIDENTIAL" or "DRAFT" that should appear on all pages.

Conversion speed depends on the number of pages, DPI setting, and enabled effects. To speed things up:

• Use 200 DPI instead of 300 DPI
• Disable paper aging effects if not needed
• Use the Pages field to convert only the pages you need

The progress bar shows real-time per-page progress so you can see how many pages remain.

The live preview renders at 150 DPI for speed. The downloaded PDF uses the DPI you selected in settings (default 200 DPI). The final output will be sharper and may look slightly different in tonal values. The preview is an accurate representation of effect placement and style, but the final quality is higher.

Common causes:

• File too large — maximum size is 50 MB
• Password-protected PDF — remove the password with your PDF viewer before uploading
• Corrupted file — try re-exporting from the source application
• Unsupported format — only PDF, JPEG, PNG, TIFF, BMP, and WebP are supported

PaperThePDF does not currently offer a public API. The tool is designed for interactive use. If you have a high-volume automation need, feel free to reach out — we may be able to help.