[Tex/LaTex] Simulate a scanned paper

graphics

I'm try to move my current paperwork routine towards a paperless workflow (for the “administrative” type of papers, of course… not for serious reading tasks). There is one major annoyance thwarting me: people sometimes require me to print, sign and scan documents. They will not allow me to insert my scanned signature in an electronic file (even converted to PDF). It's for unimportant papers (e.g., not for contracts!), it's a waste of time, but I cannot make them budge.

Thus, I want to design a filter that takes PDF files as input, and gives them a “scanned document” look. What I have thought of so far:

Rasterization at not-so-great resolution. I have a ghostscript-based filter that does it, and I've used it a few times already. But, the documents keeps their “pristine” aspect: white background is still white, etc.
So, I considered getting a “scanned paper” texture from scanning a blank page, and apply it to my document. But: if I put it in front of the content with low opacity, the text might become too blurry; and if I put it behind the content, it works only if content has a fully transparent background (which is not always true for my documents).
Now, I'm thinking TeX/LaTeX would be great tools to do that, but I cannot translate this nice idea into specifics…

So, what would you suggest?

Best Answer

I guess this is a typical "use the right tool for the right task" question and for these kind of transformation, I would look for an ImageMagick solution:

The following is shamelessly taken from the ImageMagick example gallery, where it is described as a filter to simulate a photo copier effect:

convert letter.pdf -colorspace gray \( +clone -blur 0x1 \) +swap -compose divide -composite -linear-stretch 5%x0% as-scanned.pdf

Thereby

enter image description here

becomes

enter image description here

which to me looks pretty scannerish :-)

Fine-Tuning the Result

Lucas suggested to add also a bit of rotation (in the following I added -rotate 1.5 to the convert line), which improves the result even further:

convert letter.pdf -colorspace gray \( +clone -blur 0x1 \) +swap -compose divide -composite -linear-stretch 5%x0% -rotate 1.5 as-scanned.pdf

enter image description here

For a color scan, just leave off the -colorspace gray operator:

convert letter.pdf \( +clone -blur 0x1 \) +swap -compose divide -composite -gamma 0.1 -linear-stretch 5%x0% -rotate 1.5 as-scanned.pdf

color scan

Related Solutions

[Tex/LaTex] Split a scanned photo across multiple pages (with a predifined splitting point)

You haven't provided any specific details as to the image and page layout so I will describe a general technique that I use here. You can either split the image into two to achieve a centerfold or you can hide a portion of it, as is shown in the two images below, which I had on my hardisk from this answer.

enter image description here

Here is the MWE. You can use \hspace to move images left or right. If you have a single image, you let it overflow on the right (it will not show if it goes past the page) and on the next page, you insert it at the same position, but now with an \hspace*{-\textwidth} to pull it left. This way you do not need to slice the image before hand. If you care to explain in more detail as to the layout you want to achieve, I will extend the example and code. You should also have a look at LaTeX3 xcoffins.

\documentclass[a4paper]{article}
\usepackage[top=5mm,left=5mm,right=5mm,bottom=10mm]{geometry}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage{multicol}
\usepackage{lipsum}
\usepackage{caption}
\pagestyle{empty}
\begin{document}
\mbox{}
\clearpage

\vspace*{2\baselineskip}
\textbf{\LARGE FUN IN AMERICA}
\vspace*{0.8cm}
\begin{figure}[h] % can be left out
\hskip-0.5cm\includegraphics[width=1.055\textwidth]{./graphics/funinamerica}\\[-17pt]

\hfill{\tiny\bf Fun in America from a page spread in Life Magazine circa 1940's. \quad}\hfill\hfill\\

\par\bigskip
\centerline{\LARGE\bf AMERICANS ARE HAVING FUN}
\end{figure} % can be left out but do adjust spacing as needed
\unskip

\begin{multicols}{2}
\setlength{\linewidth}{0.3\textwidth}
\lipsum[1]

\end{multicols}

\clearpage
\vspace*{-2pt}
\begin{minipage}[c]{0.33\textwidth}
\hskip-1cm\includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{./graphics/funinamerica01}\\[3pt]
\hskip-1.5cm\begin{minipage}{4.7cm}
\footnotesize \textbf{AIRING} in Central Park during the 1860s was favorite Sunday diversion for rich New Yorkers who, between 4 and 5 o'clock, turned out in fashionable carriages for trot around the 10 miles of park roads.
\end{minipage}
\end{minipage}\hspace{20pt}
\begin{minipage}[c]{0.5\textwidth}
\hskip-0.5cm\begin{minipage}[c]{\textwidth}
\vspace{1cm}
\includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{./graphics/pologrounds}\\
\footnotesize\textbf{PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL} was well launched  by 1880s and teams like Giants were publicised by huge posters used grounds of New York Polo Club (above) unil 1889, then moved further uptown.
\end{minipage}
\vskip5pt
\hskip25pt\begin{minipage}[t]{\textwidth}
\includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{./graphics/amusementpark}\\[-17pt]
\captionof*{figure}{\footnotesize \textbf{AMUSEMENT PARK}, called Elysioan Fields, in Hoboken, NJ. sported a hand-operatedpleasure railway with tiny carriages for 6c visitors could ride the railway, row boats and swing in a big gondola.}
\end{minipage}
\vskip5pt
\hskip-0.5cm\begin{minipage}[t]{\textwidth}
\includegraphics[width=8cm]{./graphics/tippling}\\
\begin{minipage}[t]{8cm}\footnotesize \textbf{TIPPLING} is varying degrees was pastine from coast to frontier. New York rendevous was Gem Saloon where gentlemen in top hats should shake hands with mayor and swill down oysters and flips.\end{minipage}\vspace{-1cm}
\end{minipage}
\end{minipage}

\end{document}

Simpler images and code is possible, as shown below.

enter image description here

\minipage{\textwidth}
\includegraphics[height=\textheight]{./graphics/firesidecomfort}
\endminipage

\hspace*{-1\textwidth}\minipage[t]{\textwidth}\includegraphics[height=\textheight]{./graphics/firesidecomfort}
\endminipage

Since we size the image on the \textheight the image overflows to the right. Then the only thing we need to do on the following page is to pull it by \textwidth. Amazingly simple and powerful.

[Tex/LaTex] Stickers on Thesis paper

With only tikz (don't forget to compile twice if things go wrong):

\documentclass{book}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usetikzlibrary{calc}
\begin{document}
  \begin{titlepage}
    \begin{tikzpicture}[remember picture, overlay]
      \node[draw,minimum width=4in,rotate=-45,fill=orange,text=blue,font=\LARGE] at ($(current page.north east) + (-0.9in,-0.9in)$) {Examiner's Copy};
    \end{tikzpicture}
    \centering
    \vspace*{2cm}
    \Large Thesis title
  \end{titlepage}

\end{document}

enter image description here

Best Answer

Fine-Tuning the Result

Related Solutions

[Tex/LaTex] Split a scanned photo across multiple pages (with a predifined splitting point)

[Tex/LaTex] Stickers on Thesis paper

Related Question