A scan is a picture of a page. Optical character recognition, or OCR, turns the writing in that picture into text a computer can search. It helps when an insurance letter or receipt is saved as an image rather than a text document.
Start with a clear page
Put the document on a flat surface in even light. Keep all four corners in view and avoid shadows across the text. Check small print before saving. For several pages, capture every page in order and include the reverse side when it contains information.
Give the document a useful name
A title such as “Home insurance — 2026” is easier to recognize than a camera filename. Add a relevant category and a few tags. OCR and a clear title work together: you can look for the document itself or a detail inside it.
Check important details against the original
Recognition can misread faint print, handwriting, dates, and numbers. Keep the original scan and compare any important amount or deadline before using it. Better lighting or a new scan can help when text is missing.
Scan or import a document in Paperspell, then use search to find it again.
