Welcome to the First Column IT Tech Blog

HomeBlog
Tip of the Week: How to Capture an Image or Document as a PDF in Android

Tip of the Week: How to Capture an Image or Document as a PDF in Android

December 16, 2022

Google Drive comes with a pre-built feature allowing users to scan a picture or document, and save it as a PDF—at least for Android smartphones. The trick can be pulled off with just a couple of taps, making it easier than ever to import documents to your Drive. Here’s how it’s done.

Scan Your Documents to Save Them as PDFs In Drive

Smartphones are a must-have technology in the office, so you don’t need to use the bulky scanner to transport copies of your documents to a cloud service like Google Drive. All you need is your camera and your Google Drive account.

First, go to your Google Drive on your phone. You must then tap the plus sign button to start adding new files to your Drive. There will be a list of options that appears; select Scan to proceed.

This should tell your device to open up the Camera app. You’ll have to provide permissions for it to access Google Drive if you haven’t already done so. Once you’re ready, frame the document with your camera and take the picture. Just confirm that the picture is the one you wish to proceed with, then tap OK.

Google Drive will make some changes to the picture, but you can adjust these yourself by making manual edits. You can add multiple pages to your new PDF as well by using the Add Page button. Once you’re done, tap Save.

Once you are done, name your file and determine which folder you want it to go to. Now you can add any documents you want to your Google Drive without using a scanner.

What kinds of tips would you like to see us cover in the future? Be sure to contact us at (571) 470-5594 and let us know.

No items found.
Previous Post
June 18, 2026
Workforce Reskilling: The 3-Step Framework to End Operational Chaos
Throwing a complex new platform at an untrained workforce creates frustration, tanks morale, and wastes money. Business owners frequently assume that buying advanced, AI-driven tools automatically makes a business faster, smarter, and more efficient. It does not.
June 15, 2026
From Volatility to Predictability: Stabilizing Your Business IT Costs
The antiquated approach to managing information technology support brings a massive amount of financial volatility to your business. You wait for something to break, your team suffers through unexpected downtime, and then you pay an unpredictable invoice to get everything running again. It is an unstable loop that makes budgeting impossible and creates immense operational stress.
June 15, 2026
"We Aren't Doing the AI Thing Yet" (And What We Found When We Checked the Logs)
I had a conversation with a client the other day—we were reviewing his quarterly IT strategy, and when I brought up artificial intelligence, he waved me off. He told me his company wasn’t "doing the AI thing yet," and he was absolutely certain his staff wasn't using it.

Have a project in mind?

Start with our free consultation for VA, DC and MD companies. We will provide a detailed proposal and firm quote based on your specific IT support needs. All at a predictable monthly cost per seat.
Free Consultation - Sign Up Here