How to scan a document to email (from your phone or printer)

How to scan to email: open the free iLovePDF Mobile App, use Scan to PDF to capture your document, save it as a PDF, and tap the share icon to send it with your email app. If the file is too big to attach, run it through Compress PDF first. No scanner, cables, or computer needed.

A signed form, a receipt for your expense report, a page of handwritten notes. Sooner or later, a piece of paper needs to end up in someone's inbox.

Most guides start with your office printer's menu. But the scanner you're most likely to have on hand is already in your pocket. Here's how to scan and email a document from your phone, plus how to do it from a printer when that's the better option.

Key takeaways

• The fastest way to scan to email is with your phone: scan, save as a PDF, and share it to your email app.
• The iLovePDF Mobile App for iOS and Android includes a free Scan to PDF tool.
• You can capture several pages in one scan session, or combine separate scans afterward with Merge PDF.
• Most email providers cap attachments at around 20 to 25 MB, so compress large scans before sending.
• Office printers with a scan to email feature work too, but they usually need your email address or server settings configured first.

How to scan and email a document from your phone

Your phone camera can produce a clean, readable PDF in seconds. The steps are almost identical on iPhone and Android.

On iPhone or iPad

1. Download the iLovePDF Mobile App from the App Store.
2. Open the app and tap the Scan option.
3. Point your camera at the document and capture the page. Add more pages if your document has several.
4. Check the preview, adjust the crop if needed, and tap Add page to add more.
5. You can then save as a PDF.
6. Tap the share icon and select your email app, such as Mail, Gmail, or Outlook.
7. Add the recipient, a subject, and a short message, then tap Send.

For more detail on the scanning options, see our guide on how to scan on iOS.

On Android

1. Download the iLovePDF Mobile App from Google Play.
2. Open the app and tap the Scan option.
3. Capture each page of your document.
4. Review the result and select Add page.
5. You can then save as a PDF.
6. Tap the share icon and pick Gmail, Outlook, or any other email app on your phone.
7. Fill in the recipient and subject, then send.

Our step-by-step guide on how to scan a document on Android covers the scanner settings in more depth.

Scanning a document with several pages

If you're sending a multi-page contract or a stack of receipts, you have two options:

1. Capture everything in one session. Keep adding pages before you tap. Keep scanning, and they'll all end up in the same PDF.
2. Combine separate scans afterward. If you scanned pages at different times, use Merge PDF to join them into a single file before you send it.

One attachment is easier for the recipient to open, print, and file than five separate ones.

Too big to attach? Compress before sending

Scans are often heavier than you expect, especially with several pages or high-resolution photos. Most email providers limit attachments to somewhere around 20 to 25 MB, and some company mail servers set a lower limit.

If your email app refuses the file, or it bounces back, compress it first:

1. Open the scanned PDF in the iLovePDF Mobile App.
2. Select Compress PDF.
3. Choose a compression level. The recommended level keeps text sharp while reducing file size.
4. Save the compressed file and share it to your email app as usual.

You can also use Compress PDF in your browser on any device. If you want to understand what happens to your file along the way, here's our guide on how to reduce PDF file size online. And for portals and forms that reject big uploads, see how to fix a file that's too large to upload.

How to scan from a printer to email

Many office printers and multifunction devices have a built-in scan to email feature. It's useful when you have a large batch of pages and the printer has a document feeder.

The menus vary by brand, but the process usually looks like this:

1. Place your document face down on the glass, or face up in the document feeder.
2. On the printer's control panel, select Scan, then Scan to Email (sometimes called Email or Send).
3. Enter the recipient's email address, or pick it from the printer's address book.
4. Choose PDF as the file format, and set the resolution if the option is available.
5. Press Start or Send.

A few things to keep in mind:

• Setup comes first. Scan to email only works if the printer is connected to your network and configured with an outgoing email server. If it isn't, your IT team or the printer's admin settings are the place to start.
• Check the file format. Some printers default to JPG or TIFF. PDF keeps multi-page documents together in one file.
• No scan to email option? Scan to a USB drive or a network folder instead, then attach the PDF from your computer. Or skip the printer and use your phone.

If you'd rather scan on a computer, our overview of free scanning on desktop and mobile walks through the options.

Tips for a clean, readable scan

A scan that's easy to read on the other end saves a back-and-forth email asking for a better copy.

• Use good, even light. Daylight from a window works well. Avoid casting a shadow over the page with your phone.
• Place the document on a dark, flat surface. The contrast helps the app detect the edges.
• Hold your phone parallel to the page. This keeps text straight and avoids a stretched look.
• Name the file clearly. "Invoice_October_2026.pdf" is easier to find later than "Scan_0042.pdf".

FAQ

How do you scan a document to email?

Scan it with your phone using a scanner app, save it as a PDF, and share it to your email app. With the iLovePDF Mobile App, you capture the page with Scan to PDF, tap Keep scan, save it as a PDF, and use the share icon to send it with Gmail, Outlook, or Mail.

How to scan a document and send to email?

Capture the document with your phone or a printer, save it as a PDF, and attach it to an email. On a phone, the iLovePDF Mobile App lets you scan and share in one flow, so you never have to switch to a computer. On a printer, use the Scan to Email option on the control panel.

How do I scan a document to email?

Open a scanner app like the iLovePDF Mobile App, scan your pages, and save them as one PDF. Then tap the share icon, choose your email app, and send. If the file is too large to attach, compress it first.

How to send scanned documents to email?

Save your scans as a PDF and attach that file to a new email. If you have several scanned pages in separate files, merge them into a single PDF first so the recipient gets one tidy attachment.

How to email scanned documents?

Attach the scanned PDF to an email from your phone or computer, just like any other file. To avoid bounced messages, keep the attachment under your email provider's size limit, which is usually around 20 to 25 MB, by compressing large scans before you send them.

Paper to inbox, without the detour

In summary: the quickest way to scan to email is with your phone. Scan the document with the iLovePDF Mobile App, save it as a PDF, compress it if it's large, and share it straight to your email app. When you have a big batch of pages, an office printer with a scan to email feature is a solid fallback.

Whether you're sending a single receipt or a signed agreement, it's the same platform that millions of people use for quick fixes and that international companies rely on for their document workflows. Free users can process a set number of tasks per day, and Premium removes those limits.

Scan your document with the free iLovePDF app, then send it straight from your phone.

Download the iLovePDF Mobile App