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How to Scan Handwritten Notes and Change Them to a Typed Font

by David Beníček

Easily convert handwritten notes into editable, digital text—perfect for students, professionals, and anyone who wants to save time typing!

Are you wondering how to convert a stack of handwritten notes into typed text? The process is easier than you think with our PDF OCR tool! In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to scan your handwritten notes and convert them to editable text.

How to Scan Handwritten Note and Change to Typed Font

Let’s unpack the steps you need to take to convert handwritten notes to editable text:

Step 1: Scan Your Handwritten Notes Using Smallpdf’s Scanner App

If you haven’t already, download the Smallpdf PDF Scanner app from the App Store or Google Play.

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Open the app on your phone and select “Scan Document”.

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Position your handwritten notes under your device’s camera. The app will automatically detect the document. Tap the capture button to scan your document. You can scan multiple pages, crop them, and change the color settings using the app’s editing tools.

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When you’re satisfied with the scan, you can save it by tapping “Finish” in the bottom right-hand corner.

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Step 2: Use PDF to OCR to Convert the Scanned Document

Open Smallpdf’s PDF OCR tool in your web browser. Click on the “Choose File” button to upload your PDF from your device. Alternatively, you can drag and drop your file to upload it.

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Next, click “Export As” and select “Word”.

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Ensure you select “Convert text in scans (OCR)” before you download your document. Note that this is a Smallpdf Pro feature—sign up for a seven-day free trial to try it out!

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The document will convert to a Microsoft Word file, and you can then click “Download”.

Step 3: Fine-Tune the Converted Text in Microsoft Word

Open the converted Word document. The text should now be in an editable format.

It’s important to remember that OCR technology is powerful but may not be perfect, especially with handwritten notes. When you open your document in Word, read through it, correct any mistakes, and adjust your formatting as needed.

Convert Your Handwritten Notes to Editable Text with Ease

If you’re ready to convert your handwritten notes to editable text, try Smallpdf’s Scanner app to quickly scan your notes and our PDF OCR tool to easily convert them into typed font. Start saving time and effort and experience seamless document conversion!

FAQs on How to Convert Handwritten Notes to Editable Text

How do you convert handwritten notes to typed text?

To convert handwritten notes to typed text, scan your notes using the Smallpdf Scanner app and upload the file to our PDF OCR tool. The tool will extract the text, which you can then open in Microsoft Word to format as needed.

Is there an app that turns written notes into typed notes?

Yes, several apps can convert handwritten notes into typed text. You can use the Smallpdf Scanner app to scan your notes into a PDF document, which you can then convert into editable text using our PDF OCR tool.

Is there a website that converts handwriting to text?

Yes, there are many websites that can convert handwritten notes into editable text using OCR technology. Smallpdf’s PDF OCR tool can extract the text from your handwritten notes, which you can then edit.

Is there an AI that converts handwriting to text?

Yes, there are AI-powered tools that can convert handwriting using Ocular Character Recognition (OCR), like the Smallpdf PDF OCR tool. This tool can process scanned PDFs of handwritten documents and convert them into editable text.

David Beníček – Product & Engineering Manager
David Beníček
Product & Engineering Manager @Smallpdf