Scanning Paper Logbooks: Best Practices for Maximum OCR Accuracy
Whether you're using our free scanning service or doing it yourself, the quality of your scan determines the quality of AI-extracted data. Here are the settings and techniques that matter.
Scanning Paper Logbooks
If you are scanning your own logbooks for upload, a few settings make the difference between pristine data extraction and a page-by-page manual review.
Resolution
Scan at 300 DPI minimum, 600 DPI if you have handwritten entries in pencil or faded ink. Lower resolutions lose the detail the OCR pipeline needs.
Color vs. grayscale
Color is better. OCR can use red ink from a signature or a stamp as a cue that grayscale destroys.
Flatbed, not feeder
Sheet feeders pull pages at an angle. Use a flatbed scanner (or a phone scanner app with edge-detection) for the best results. If you must use a feeder, choose one with a straight paper path.
File format
PDF is ideal. JPEG is acceptable. Do not use compressed formats for handwritten pages — the compression artifacts will degrade OCR.
Or let us do it
If you are a subscriber, book our free scanning service. We bring professional equipment to your hangar and scan your entire archive in a few hours. Your records are in the platform the same day.