Using the right scanner settings helps PaperSurvey read your surveys accurately and quickly. Here are the recommended settings for the best results.
Recommended settings
| Setting | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Resolution (DPI) | 300 DPI |
| Color mode | Grayscale or black and white |
| File format | PDF (multi-page) or JPEG/PNG (single page) |
| Paper size | Match your survey size (A4 or Letter) |
Resolution (DPI)
300 DPI is the recommended resolution. This provides a good balance between image quality and file size.
- Scanning below 200 DPI may result in more fields flagged for manual review
- Scanning above 300 DPI (e.g., 600 DPI) does not improve recognition accuracy and produces larger files that take longer to upload
Color mode
Grayscale is the best option for most surveys. It preserves enough detail for accurate recognition while keeping file sizes manageable.
Black and white (1-bit) works well for surveys with only checkmarks and printed text, but may lose detail on handwritten text.
Color scanning works fine but produces larger files without improving recognition accuracy.
File format
PDF is ideal when scanning multiple pages, as you can combine all pages into a single file. Most document scanners support multi-page PDF output.
JPEG and PNG work well for single-page scans. JPEG files are smaller, while PNG preserves exact detail.
For a full list of accepted formats, see Supported Scanning Formats.