Using CamScanner to scan Journal and post to Piazza

Note: I'm posting this now without illustrations, just so I can get it up. I will put in the illustrations when I have time to get them from my phone.

(In the illustrations, I'm scanning the syllabus for this class page by page to show you how it's done.)

Always before scanning, try to have a nice flat surface, preferably of a color other than white, to place your pages on. This is not strictly necessary but it helps.

(Note: when you first open CamScanner, you may see a screen that asks you to sign in or register. Just ignore those choices and move on, if that happens.)

Put your first page flat on your surface. Now you will touch the camera icon at the bottom of the screen:

Position the camera so that you can see the entire page. Notice that you don't necessarily have to hold the camera parallel to the document: the scanner will take care of that later. When you are ready, push the button to take the picture:

Notice that CamScanner has outlined the document's edges. If necessary, you can correct that outline by touching and dragging the dots you see around the edge. But this one looks OK, so I will proceed.

Touch the checkmark at the lower right when the outline is correct:

Notice that CamScanner has corrected the perspective. (THIS is a big reason why you want a scan and not a photo! It is always best to take the scan as close to parallel as possible, but it is not necessary to be precise, as it would be if you were taking a photo.)

Now I can edit the scanned page to make it clearer. I see that it looks a little pale in the B&W choice along the bottom. Going back to Original I see this:

When I am happy with the appearance of this page, I will touch the checkmark, and then add the next page:


Set up the next page, and then Touch the "Add" camera icon at the lower left of the screen to add the next page. I then proceed as before to edit that page and check it off, and add pages until I have added all the pages I want. Now I have this:

My document at this point has the name "new doc 1" and has 4 pages. To change the name, I touch the name "new doc 1" and it pulls up a Rename dialog:


I want to name this document "Shaver-Sybil-Math1311-Journal -1" (that's not what it really is, but remember that is the way you should be naming your journal submission) so I type that in. (You don't have to capitalize, but please put in the dashes where I've indicated.)

And touch "OK". Now I want to preview it, so I touch "More..." at the lower right of the screen and I see this:

Touching "PDF Preview" lets me see what it will look like. (This one actually looks pretty bad, because I had my flash turned off when I took the scans. Take my advice and use your flash! Bright lighting also helps.)

I'm now going to share it via Piazza. I touch the "<Back" at the top left of the screen and then Cancel the actions to get back to the sharing screen:

Touch "Share" at the bottom of the screen and I see this:

By swiping left I can move over until I see the Piazza icon. Touch it, then sign in to Piazza if necessary,

I touch the new post icon at the bottom right in Piazza, post as New Note

My Note Summary is "Journal 1". I type in something (it doesn't matter what) into the Note Details, because Piazza won't let you leave this blank even if you are posting a file. Then touch Next and add folder "journals", go back < and add file, choose the file that I just shared from CamScanner. (You will notice at this point that CamScanner has appended a lot of numbers at the end if the file name. They are the date and time that the file was created, and I know of no way to keep them from showing up, so don't worry about them for now. This is one thing I do not like about CamScanner.)

Touch Done. Now I go to Post to... because I want this to be a private post. I change it to post to Individuals. I then add the individual (myself, in this case) that I want to post to: that means that I choose "All Instructors".



Then "Done" and "Post"

Don't omit any of these steps in Piazza, they are all necessary!