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Reduce shadows on a scanned document
When you photograph a page, your own hand or phone often casts a shadow, so one side of the document comes out grey and uneven. ScanReviver evens out that lighting: it lifts the background toward white and reduces shadows, so the page reads clearly, then exports a clean PDF or image. Free, in your browser, no account.
Even out the lighting now
Upload a JPG, PNG, WebP or HEIC photo: nothing to install.
Open the tool →How ScanReviver handles shadows
It estimates the uneven background of the page and divides it out, which flattens gradual shading and lifts the paper toward a consistent near-white. In plain terms: soft, gradual shadows across the page are strongly reduced, and the text stays put. You can then choose Clean Document for a near-white scanned look, or Black & White for crisp text-only pages, and fine-tune brightness and background whiteness with the sliders.
Tips for the best result
- Shoot straight down with even, indirect light where you can: the more even the photo, the cleaner the result.
- Avoid casting your own shadow across the middle of the page.
- If a corner is very dark, raise the brightness slider a little after cleaning.
Frequently asked questions
Will it remove a shadow completely?
Not always. ScanReviver reduces shadows by evening out the lighting. Soft, gradual shading across the page cleans up well; a very dark, hard-edged shadow may still leave a faint trace. It improves the page — it doesn't guarantee a shadow-free result.
Does it change the text?
No generative AI is used, so text, numbers and signatures are never rewritten. It does adjust lighting and contrast, which changes pixels — so on a heavily processed page, check faint details before relying on the result.
What are my privacy options?
Your original upload is deleted right after processing; the cleaned result is deleted automatically after a short time, or immediately with "Delete now". Nothing is used for AI training, sold or shared.
Honest limitations
This tool reduces shadows by balancing the page's lighting; it does not erase objects or reconstruct text that a hard shadow has hidden. Very dark shadows, glare, and text covered by a shadow's edge may remain imperfect. It's an honest cleanup, not magic.