Scanned documents

Many older contracts only exist on paper. You can scan them to PDF and upload them like any other contract. Renewly spots that a file is a scan and reads the page images instead of the text.

How it works

A PDF made on a computer has text inside it. A scan is really a set of pictures of pages, so it has little or no text inside it.

When you upload a PDF, Renewly checks how much text each page holds. If there is very little, it treats the file as a scan. It then reads the words straight from the page images, the same way you would read a printed page.

What you see

• A "Scanned document" note. When reading is finished, the contract page shows a "Scanned document" note so you know the file was read from images.
• The same details as any other contract. Renewly looks for the same things in a scan as in any other PDF: the parties, dates, notice period, value and terms.
• A confidence level. This tells you how sure Renewly is about what it read. Faded or blurry scans can get a lower confidence, so check those more carefully.

Tips for best results

• Resolution. Scan at 300 DPI (dots per inch) or higher if your scanner lets you choose. Sharper scans are easier to read.
• Straight pages. Make sure pages are the right way up and not tilted.
• Good light. Avoid shadows, glare and scanning through plastic sleeves.
• File size. Each file can be up to 4 MB. Scans are often large, so if yours is too big, scan in black and white or at a lower colour setting, or split the file into parts.

Supported formats

Renewly accepts PDF files only. If your scan is a picture file (such as JPEG, PNG or TIFF), turn it into a PDF before you upload it. Most scanner apps, and both Windows and Mac, have a "Save as PDF" or "Print to PDF" option.

FAQ

Do I need to turn anything on?

No. Scans are spotted automatically for everyone, on every plan.

Why does my digital PDF show as scanned?

Some tools save every page as a picture, even when the document was typed on a computer. Renewly then treats it as a scan. This is fine: the contract is still read in full.

Can I upload a scan with many pages?

Yes. A scan can have up to 500 pages and must be within the 4 MB file size limit.