pdf-look-scanned
Make PDF documents look like they were scanned on a physical scanner. Applies realistic effects: grayscale conversion, Gaussian noise, slight rotation, blur, edge shadows, and random offset. Optionally extract real handwritten signatures from a source PDF (or user-provided images) and replace digital signatures on specific pages. Use when the user asks to: make a PDF look scanned, give a PDF a scanned appearance, replace digital signatures with real/handwritten ones, fake a scan, add scan effects to a document, or make a document look printed and scanned.
- Installs
- 49
- Last 24h
- —
- Trending rank
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- Security
- Not audited
Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/vladmdgolam/agent-skills --skill pdf-look-scanned- 01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
- 02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads pdf-look-scanned automatically when relevant.
- 03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.
SKILL.md
The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.
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 poppleror 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).
- Convert the source PDF to images and visually inspect to find the signature region
- Iteratively crop to isolate just the signature ink (no text, no table lines)
- 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
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
--sig-pdf | Source PDF containing real signatures |
--sig-page N | Page number in source PDF (1-indexed) |
--sig-crop L,T,R,B | Crop box to extract signature (fractions) |
--sig-target N | Target page to replace signature on (1-indexed) |
--sig-clear L,T,R,B | Area to white-out old signature (fractions) |
--sig-place X,Y | Top-left position to paste new signature (fractions) |
--sig-size F | Signature width as fraction of page width (default: 0.11) |
--sig-dpi N | DPI for rendering source signature PDF (default: 350) |
Scan effect parameters
| Parameter | Default | Effect |
|---|---|---|
--dpi | 200 | Render resolution. Lower = grittier |
--quality | 85 | JPEG compression. Lower = more artifacts |
--noise | 5.0 | Gaussian noise stddev. Higher = noisier |
--blur | 0.6 | Gaussian blur radius. Higher = softer |
--rotation | 0.7 | Max rotation in degrees |
--contrast-min | 0.88 | Min contrast (lower = more washed out) |
--contrast-max | 0.95 | Max contrast |
Workflow for signature replacement
When the user provides a PDF and a separate signature source:
- Check dependencies are installed (
pillow,pdf2image,img2pdf,numpy,poppler) - Examine the source signature PDF — convert to images, identify which pages have signatures
- Extract signatures — iteratively crop to isolate the ink, verify no text bleeds in
- Examine the target PDF — find pages with digital signatures, note the "Подпись:" or "Signature:" label positions
- Determine coordinates — clear area must cover old signature without eating into labels; place position should be right after the label
- Run the script with all parameters
- Verify output — check signature pages visually, adjust coordinates if needed
- Check metadata — run
exiftoolon 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
FAQ
What does the pdf-look-scanned skill do?
Make PDF documents look like they were scanned on a physical scanner. Applies realistic effects: grayscale conversion, Gaussian noise, slight rotation, blur, edge shadows, and random offset. Optionally extract real handwritten signatures from a source PDF (or user-provided images) and replace digital signatures on specific pages. Use when the user asks to: make a PDF look scanned, give a PDF a scanned appearance, replace digital signatures with real/handwritten ones, fake a scan, add scan effects to a document, or make a document look printed and scanned.
How do I install pdf-look-scanned?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/vladmdgolam/agent-skills --skill pdf-look-scanned in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/pdf-look-scanned/ (personal) or .claude/skills/pdf-look-scanned/ (project).
Which AI agents can use pdf-look-scanned?
Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.
Is pdf-look-scanned safe to install?
No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.
Who maintains pdf-look-scanned?
It is published by vladmdgolam in vladmdgolam/agent-skills. It has 49 recorded installs.
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