Scanning old computer magazines

I've started this project mainly because I wanted to digitize my Slovenian PC Gamer magazine collection.

I built a simple rig to hold the magazines and my phone in place. Consistency is key — especially in lighting and angle — so the rig helped reduce reflections and keep the scanning process efficient.

 Scanning Apps Tested

vFlat App (Play Store)

• Pros:

  • Good page-flattening algorithm.

• Cons:

  • Free version limits: 5 double-page scans/month and limited PDF conversion.

  • Cuts off image edges during capture; no post-capture fine-tuning.

  • Output file sizes can be large.

    
    

Google Drive Scanning Tool

• Current main tool

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCztHNNv3yY

• Pros:

  • Fast and reliable PDF conversion.

  • Best overall image quality.

• Cons:

  • Major flaw: If the app is closed mid-scan, progress is lost.

  • Workaround: Scan in chunks (~1/3 of the magazine), then merge PDFs later using online tools.

    
    

Adobe Scan (Play Store)

• Pros:

  • Fast scanning.

  • Ability to edit converted PDFs.

• Cons:

  • Post-processing can distort or alter image appearance.

    
    

Microsoft Lens

• Cons:

  • No dedicated book/document scanning mode.

    
    

Tools for Post-Processing

• PDF24 (tools.pdf24.org) used for:

  • Merging scanned pages into a single PDF.

  • Optional OCR (later dropped due to quality issues or time constraints).

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Current Workflow (Best Results)

• Use Google Drive scan tool.

• Scan ~40 pages at a time (~⅓ of a typical magazine).

• Convert to PDF and back up immediately.

• Merge final PDFs with online tools.

• OCR skipped — deemed not worth the effort at this stage.

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Key Learnings

• Lighting is critical — avoid reflections, ensure even and sufficient illumination.

• Manual correction of auto-detected edges improves final results.

• A multi-app approach might offer the best flexibility, but no seamless workflow found yet.

• Backups are essential — some apps don't auto-save in-progress scans.

• Baking paper is a good DIY light diffuser panel

Time Breakdown

• Scan 40 pages: ~9 minutes

• Process 40 pages: ~11 minutes

• Total for 118-page magazine: ~1 hour

V2 of the scanning rig

I've tested a few improvements that significantly improved the quality and the scanning time. I've added a new light source (a recording light with a diffuser) and a "solid color background" at the base and eliminating the need for multiple light sources. The lighting produces much more uniform results and the background helps a lot with the automatic edge detection.

The new light source

For the background I stole Duplo base plate from my kids, It gives a flat surface and a solid background color to help with the automatic edge detection. This reduces the time needed for editing after the scan.

Time Breakdown of the V2

• Scan 60 pages: ~7 minutes

• Process 60 pages: ~8 minutes

• Total for 118-page magazine: ~30 min

V3 of the scanning rig

I made a 3rd iteration of the rig, where I put more emphasis on the vertical distance of the camera and more uniform background to enhance the edge detection in the gdrive app. Currently I'm getting mixed results.

V4 of the scanning rig?

I've found a more elegant design online and I would definitely like to try it out in the future, one added value would also be another light source at 45 degree angle to reduce glare on more glossy surfaces.

https://www.instructables.com/Phone-Scanner-Stand/

The results can be seen: https://archive.org/details/@epamsmail