Yes, PaperSurvey can process photos taken with mobile phones. However, photos taken with standard camera apps often result in recognition errors.

Common issues with camera photos

Regular camera apps are not optimized for document capture, which leads to:

• Skewed or distorted images from angled shots
• Motion blur from unstable hands
• Uneven lighting and shadows
• Poor text contrast

These issues significantly reduce recognition accuracy and may cause processing failures.

Recommended solution: Document scanning apps

For reliable results, we strongly recommend using dedicated document scanning applications:

• CamScanner - Professional document scanning with automatic enhancements
• Adobe Scan - Free OCR-ready scanning with PDF export
• Microsoft Lens - Document mode with automatic perspective correction

These applications provide essential features for document capture:

• Automatic edge detection and cropping
• Perspective correction for angled shots
• Shadow removal and contrast enhancement
• Multi-page document support

Guidelines for camera photos

If you must use your device's standard camera, you should use a document scanning app:

1. Position the phone parallel to the document surface
2. Ensure even lighting across the entire page
3. Stabilize the device to prevent motion blur
4. Verify all text is legible in the preview

Professional scanning equipment

For organizations processing large volumes of surveys, we recommend dedicated scanners with automatic document feeders. These provide consistent quality and significantly faster processing times.