How to Convert Scanned Documents to JPG
Scanners often save documents in TIFF or BMP format, producing files that are 10 to 50 megabytes each. These formats preserve every detail of the scan but are impractical for emailing, uploading to websites, or storing in cloud services with limited space. Converting scanned documents to JPG dramatically reduces file size while maintaining readable text quality.
The key consideration when converting scanned documents is preserving text legibility. Standard photo compression settings can blur thin text strokes, making documents harder to read. The conversion settings that work well for photographs are often too aggressive for documents with small text, fine print, or handwritten notes.
This guide covers the optimal conversion settings for different types of scanned documents and the trade-offs between file size and text clarity.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Identify Your Scanner's Output Format
Check what format your scanner saves files in. Most office scanners default to TIFF (lossless, very large) or PDF. Some save as BMP (uncompressed, even larger) or PNG (lossless, moderate size). Flatbed scanners with bundled software may let you choose the output format, but the default is often TIFF at 300 or 600 DPI.
- Choose the Right JPG Quality for Documents
For text documents (contracts, letters, forms), JPG quality 85 to 90 preserves text clarity while reducing file size by 80 to 90 percent compared to TIFF. For documents with fine print or small text, use quality 90 to 95. For documents with mostly graphics or photos (brochures, catalogs), quality 80 to 85 is sufficient. Never go below quality 75 for documents with important text.
- Maintain the Original Scan Resolution
Do not reduce the scan resolution during conversion. If the document was scanned at 300 DPI, keep it at that resolution when converting to JPG. Reducing resolution makes text smaller and harder to read. A 300 DPI scan of a letter-size page produces a 2550 by 3300 pixel image, which is an appropriate size for JPG. Reducing to 150 DPI halves the readability.
- Convert the File
Open your scanned document and convert it to JPG. For single-page scans in TIFF, BMP, or PNG format, any image converter handles this directly. For multi-page TIFF files (common from office scanners), you may need to split into individual pages first, as JPG does not support multiple pages in a single file.
- Verify Text Legibility
After conversion, open the JPG file and zoom in to the smallest text on the page. Verify that all characters are clearly readable. Check signatures, fine print, dates, and numbers since these are the most critical elements and the first to show compression artifacts. If any text is blurry or unreadable, reconvert at a higher quality setting.
File Size Comparison by Format
A typical letter-size document scanned at 300 DPI produces very different file sizes depending on the format. TIFF uncompressed is typically 25 to 30MB. TIFF with LZW compression is 5 to 10MB. PNG is 3 to 8MB. JPG at quality 85 is 500KB to 2MB. JPG at quality 75 is 300KB to 1MB. The JPG files are 90 to 95 percent smaller than the original TIFF while remaining fully readable.
For emailing documents, JPG at quality 85 is ideal. Most email systems limit attachments to 10 to 25MB, and a 10-page document at 1MB per page in JPG easily fits within these limits. The same 10 pages as TIFF files would be 250 to 300MB, far exceeding any email attachment limit.
- TIFF uncompressed: 25-30MB per page at 300 DPI
- TIFF LZW: 5-10MB per page
- PNG: 3-8MB per page
- JPG quality 90: 1-3MB per page
- JPG quality 85: 500KB-2MB per page
- JPG quality 75: 300KB-1MB per page
When to Keep TIFF or Use PNG Instead
Some situations call for keeping the lossless format rather than converting to JPG. Legal documents that may need to be submitted as evidence should remain in TIFF or PNG to avoid any question about compression altering the document content. Archival copies intended for long-term storage should stay lossless. Documents that will be OCR processed (optical character recognition) produce better results from TIFF or PNG sources than from JPG.
For everyday sharing, emailing, and uploading to web portals, JPG is the practical choice. The text quality at quality 85+ is more than sufficient for reading, and the file size reduction makes sharing realistic.
Convert Scanned Documents
imageconvert.co converts scanned documents between formats entirely in your browser. Convert TIFF or BMP scans to JPG with adjustable quality settings. Your documents never leave your device, which matters for sensitive paperwork like contracts, medical records, and financial documents.
Frequently Asked Questions
What JPG quality should I use for scanned documents?
Use quality 85 to 90 for standard text documents. This preserves text clarity while reducing file size by 80 to 90 percent compared to TIFF. For documents with very small text or fine print, use quality 90 to 95. For documents that are mostly photos or graphics, quality 80 is sufficient.
Will converting a scanned document to JPG make the text blurry?
At quality 85 and above, text remains clearly legible after conversion to JPG. At lower quality levels (below 75), you may see compression artifacts around text characters that reduce readability. Always zoom in and check the smallest text after conversion.
Can I convert a multi-page TIFF to JPG?
JPG does not support multiple pages in a single file. A multi-page TIFF needs to be split into individual pages, with each page saved as a separate JPG file. Some tools handle this split automatically during conversion.
Should I use JPG or PNG for scanned documents?
JPG produces much smaller files (500KB-2MB per page vs 3-8MB for PNG) and is sufficient for sharing and everyday use. PNG is better for archival copies, legal documents, and files that will undergo OCR processing, since the lossless compression preserves every pixel of the scan.