Ideal Scanner Settings & Tips for Bulk Uploads

This article covers the ideal scanner settings and tips for bulk-uploading answer sheets to PaperScorer.

Quick Reference

File Format

PaperScorer accepts JPG and PDF only. Other formats (PNG, TIFF, BMP, etc.) will be rejected at upload. JPG works well for single answer sheets; PDF is the better choice for batches. Each uploaded file must be 250 MB or smaller — if your scan exceeds that, reduce the DPI slightly or switch from color to grayscale.

Resolution (300 DPI)

Set your scanner to 300 DPI. Lower resolutions can cause misreads on filled bubbles; higher resolutions produce larger files and slower uploads without meaningfully improving accuracy.

Color Mode (Grayscale)

Use grayscale. Full color works but produces files roughly 3× larger with no benefit, since PaperScorer converts to grayscale internally. Black-and-white (1-bit) mode discards the brightness information needed to detect light pencil fills and should be avoided.

Auto-Deskew and Auto-Crop

Disable both. PaperScorer performs its own perspective correction using markers on the answer sheet; scanner-level deskew and cropping can shift or clip those markers and break recognition. If your scanner offers an “overscan” or “extend scan area” option, enabling it helps ensure no edge content is clipped.

Brightness, Contrast, and Auto-Exposure

Keep brightness and contrast at their default values, and disable auto-exposure, auto-contrast, and background-removal features. PaperScorer normalizes brightness internally; aggressive scanner-level adjustments can wash out light pencil fills or darken paper texture enough to look like filled bubbles.

Duplex and Blank Page Handling

Answer sheets are single-sided. Either set the scanner to simplex, or enable blank-page detection so the backs are automatically discarded. Blank pages won’t break processing if they slip through — they just waste storage and processing time.

Multi-Feed Detection

Enable multi-feed (double-feed) detection if your scanner supports it. When two sheets pass through together, the resulting scan contains overlapping forms that can’t be recognized — and identifying the affected students after a large run is painful. Most document scanners offer ultrasonic detection that stops the scan immediately so you can re-feed.

Page Orientation and Alignment

Feed sheets in any orientation — PaperScorer detects and corrects rotation using the QR code position — but feed them straight. A small amount of skew is tolerable; severely rotated sheets can prevent the engine from locating the bubble grid. If you’re using an automatic document feeder, make sure sheets feed squarely. On a flatbed, align edges with the scanner guides.

Lighting (Mobile and Portable Scanners)

If you’re scanning with a phone camera or a portable scanner, use even lighting and avoid shadows falling over the bubble area — shadows can register as filled bubbles. This isn’t a concern with flatbed or document-feeder scanners, which provide their own lighting.

Sheet Condition

Avoid scanning sheets with folds, creases, or stray marks near the bubble area. Wrinkles can cast shadows that look like filled bubbles, and smudges or doodles near the answer grid can cause misreads. Flatten damaged sheets before scanning, and instruct students to erase fully when changing answers.

Uploading: Single Files and Multi-Page PDFs

The upload form accepts one file at a time. The most efficient way to upload many answer sheets is to scan the entire stack into a single multi-page PDF using your scanner’s document feeder, and upload that one file. PaperScorer processes each page independently — every page is matched to a student and scored separately, and if one page fails to process, the remaining pages continue normally.

If you have individual JPG files for separate sheets, upload them one at a time. For high-volume scanning, the single-PDF workflow is strongly recommended.

If you have other questions about scanner settings, please reach out to our support team. We want to keep this page updated with the latest recommendations.