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pdf-look-scanned

pdf-look-scanned

github.com/vladmdgolamDocuments950 installsUpdated 2w ago
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About pdf-look-scanned

A command-line script that gives PDFs a physical-scan appearance by rendering and adjusting their pages. It also supports replacing signatures using a source PDF and specified crop and placement coordinates.

Key features

  1. 01Apply scan-like image effects to PDFs
  2. 02Adjust resolution and image quality
  3. 03Tune noise, blur, rotation, and contrast
  4. 04Extract signatures from a source PDF
  5. 05Clear and replace signatures at chosen locations

Use cases

  1. 01Give a PDF a scanned-paper appearance
  2. 02Adjust a document's scan texture and clarity
  3. 03Replace signature images in a target PDF

Install

Copy the command and run it in a terminal.

$npx skills add https://github.com/vladmdgolam/agent-skills --skill pdf-look-scanned

After installing, type/pdf-look-scannedin Claude Code to confirm it loaded.

Bundled filesscripts/make_scanned.py

Details

From the project README

PDF Look Scanned

Make PDFs look like physical scans with optional signature replacement.

Dependencies

pip3 install pillow pdf2image img2pdf numpy

Also requires poppler (provides pdftoppm):

  • macOS: brew install poppler
  • Ubuntu/Debian: apt install poppler-utils
  • Fedora/RHEL: dnf install poppler-utils
  • Arch: pacman -S poppler
  • Windows: conda install -c conda-forge poppler or download from poppler releases

Quick Start

Run scripts/make_scanned.py for the core functionality. Read the script's --help for all options.

Simple scan effect
python3 scripts/make_scanned.py document.pdf
Adjust scan quality

Lower DPI and quality = grittier, more realistic cheap-scanner look:

python3 scripts/make_scanned.py document.pdf --dpi 150 --quality 75 --noise 7

Higher DPI = cleaner scan, larger file:

python3 scripts/make_scanned.py document.pdf --dpi 300 --quality 92

Signature Replacement

Finding signature coordinates

Before replacing signatures, determine crop and placement coordinates. All coordinates are fractions of page dimensions (0.0-1.0).

  1. Convert the source PDF to images and visually inspect to find the signature region
  2. Iteratively crop to isolate just the signature ink (no text, no table lines)
  3. On the target PDF, find the area to clear (old digital signature) and where to paste

Use this Python snippet to explore coordinates interactively:

from pdf2image import convert_from_path
from PIL import Image

pages = convert_from_path("document.pdf", dpi=200)
page = pages[0]  # 0-indexed
w, h = page.size

# Crop a region and save for inspection
crop = page.crop((int(w*0.5), int(h*0.4), int(w*0.8), int(h*0.6)))
import tempfile, os
crop.save(os.path.join(tempfile.gettempdir(), "crop_test.png"))
Replace one signature
python3 scripts/make_scanned.py contract.pdf \
  --sig-pdf signatures.pdf \
  --sig-page 1 --sig-crop 0.41,0.33,0.62,0.42 \
  --sig-target 25 --sig-clear 0.61,0.41,0.85,0.52 --sig-place 0.62,0.415
Replace multiple different signatures

Each set of --sig-page, --sig-crop, --sig-target, --sig-clear, --sig-place adds one replacement. They are matched positionally:

python3 scripts/make_scanned.py contract.pdf \
  --sig-pdf signatures.pdf \
  --sig-page 1 --sig-crop 0.41,0.33,0.62,0.42 \
  --sig-target 25 --sig-clear 0.61,0.41,0.85,0.52 --sig-place 0.62,0.415 \
  --sig-page 2 --sig-crop 0.40,0.335,0.62,0.39 \
  --sig-target 27 --sig-clear 0.61,0.635,0.85,0.72 --sig-place 0.60,0.655
Signature parameters
ParameterDescription
--sig-pdfSource PDF containing real signatures
--sig-page NPage number in source PDF (1-indexed)
--sig-crop L,T,R,BCrop box to extract signature (fractions)
--sig-target NTarget page to replace signature on (1-indexed)
--sig-clear L,T,R,BArea to white-out old signature (fractions)
--sig-place X,YTop-left position to paste new signature (fractions)
--sig-size FSignature width as fraction of page width (default: 0.11)
--sig-dpi NDPI for rendering source signature PDF (default: 350)

Scan effect parameters

ParameterDefaultEffect
--dpi200Render resolution. Lower = grittier
--quality85JPEG compression. Lower = more artifacts
--noise5.0Gaussian noise stddev. Higher = noisier
--blur0.6Gaussian blur radius. Higher = softer
--rotation0.7Max rotation in degrees
--contrast-min0.88Min contrast (lower = more washed out)
--contrast-max0.95Max contrast

Workflow for signature replacement

When the user provides a PDF and a separate signature source:

  1. Check dependencies are installed (pillow, pdf2image, img2pdf, numpy, poppler)
  2. Examine the source signature PDF — convert to images, identify which pages have signatures
  3. Extract signatures — iteratively crop to isolate the ink, verify no text bleeds in
  4. Examine the target PDF — find pages with digital signatures, note the "Подпись:" or "Signature:" label positions
  5. Determine coordinates — clear area must cover old signature without eating into labels; place position should be right after the label
  6. Run the script with all parameters
  7. Verify output — check signature pages visually, adjust coordinates if needed
  8. Check metadata — run exiftool on the output to ensure no software traces remain

Common pitfalls:

  • Crop box too tight: signature strokes get clipped on edges
  • Clear area too wide: eats into "Подпись:"/"Signature:" labels or surrounding text
  • Signature too large/small: adjust --sig-size (0.11 is typical for contracts)
  • Source PDF is a phone photo: use higher --sig-dpi (350+) and higher ink threshold

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