How to take photos of a logbook for OCR
Good photos make OCR (AI-based optical character recognition) accurate. Follow this checklist before you upload Jeppesen or ASA page spreads. A credit is used only when processing succeeds.
Quick checklist
- Phone in landscape — rotate so both pages sit side-by-side (not a tall portrait shot)
- Both pages of the spread visible in one landscape photo
- Camera directly above the page (bird's-eye view)
- Even lighting — no dark shadow in the center gutter
- Text in focus; column headers included
- No fingers, glare, or heavy skew
- Choose the correct format (Jeppesen or ASA) at upload
Orientation (landscape)
Open the logbook to a two-page spread, then turn your phone to landscape before you shoot. Rows should run left-to-right across the image. Portrait (tall) photos of a landscape spread often send sideways text to OCR and reduce accuracy — even when the gallery thumbnail looks fine.
Best scanner for pilot logbook
- Phone in landscape — enough for most books when the light is even and the spread is flat
- Flatbed scanner or office copier — when a thick binding will not lie flat
- Document app — Adobe Scan, Microsoft Lens, or the phone’s scanner, when the page is skewed
For most pilots, a modern phone with even, indirect light is all you need.
Photograph logbook pages on iPhone
Rotate the iPhone to landscape so the open two-page spread fills the frame. Lay the book flat, hold the phone parallel to the spread, and tap to focus on the date column. Keep fingers and glare out of the frame. The document scanner in Notes or Files helps when the preview shows bowing. Save that scan in landscape too.
How to scan a paper pilot logbook
Lay the logbook flat on a contrasting surface. Open to a two-page spread and smooth the gutter so rows align horizontally. If the pages curl upward at the edges, hold them flat with bulldog clips or binder clips without covering any entries. Use indirect daylight or two lamps from the sides. Hold the phone parallel to the page and tap to focus on the date column.
Automatic photo check
The first one or two photos you upload are checked automatically, and that check does not use a page credit. It confirms whether the picture shows the open two-page spread and whether the page looks like a Jeppesen or ASA logbook. Read that feedback before you upload or process the rest of the book. A single sheet, even a wide one, is not a spread. Processing a page still uses one credit.
Why spreads matter
Jeppesen-style books and many ASA layouts put related columns across a left/right spread. Photographing only one page breaks row registration and can drop times, landings, or remarks. Always capture the full open spread in one image unless support tells you otherwise for a specific format.
How to scan flight logbook pages
Work through the book one open spread at a time. Keep both pages in frame, edges visible, and handwriting sharp. If you use a document-scan mode, confirm it did not crop away a column or the gutter. Save images in the order you will upload them so review stays easy.
When the photos are ready, the next step is to convert handwritten flight logbook to digital records: upload, review the rows, and export a CSV.
Preparing photos for OCR
OCR reads only what the camera captured. Before you process a full book, retake any frame with blur, glare, or a dark gutter. Accuracy depends on handwriting and photo quality, so use the free trial credits to prove your setup rather than sending the same poor image through again.
Common problems
- Curved or bowed pages — left/right row registration fails; clip edges flat and retake
- Angled photo — rows misalign; shoot from directly above
- Shadow in gutter — dual-column times may be missed; add side lighting
- Blur — re-shoot with focus lock
- Single page only — include the full spread
- Wrong format selected — ASA pages processed as Jeppesen (or the reverse) degrade accuracy; confirm the selector before Process
If processing fails
- Read the message on the image card in your project.
- If it suggests photo quality, re-shoot using this guide — don't retry the same blurry file repeatedly.
- If it says our team is reviewing the page, you don't need to retry.
- Open Review only after status shows Completed.
Related help
Quick answers
- How to scan a paper pilot logbook
- Capture the full two-page spread in one landscape image, camera directly above the page, even lighting with no gutter shadow, text in focus, and column headers included. A phone is enough; dedicated scan apps (Adobe Scan, Microsoft Lens, or your phone document scanner) often straighten pages better than a casual camera shot.
- How to scan flight logbook pages
- Treat each open spread as one scan: both left and right pages visible, edges in frame, and rows kept level. Work page by page through the book. Avoid cropping to a single page when the format spans a spread — that breaks row registration for OCR.
- Best scanner for pilot logbook
- For most pilots, a modern phone with even, indirect light is the best scanner. Flatbed scanners help when a thick binding will not lie flat, but they are optional. Dedicated scan apps that correct skew and contrast usually beat a casual camera shot. Use free trial credits to test your setup before processing an entire book.
- Photograph logbook pages iPhone
- Rotate the iPhone to landscape so the open two-page spread fills the frame side-by-side. Lay the book flat, hold the phone parallel to the spread, tap to focus on the date column, and avoid fingers, glare, and heavy skew. The iPhone document scanner (Notes or Files) is a good option if the camera preview shows bowing or glare. Save that scan in landscape too.
- How to take photos of logbook for OCR
- Use landscape mode: rotate the phone so both pages sit side-by-side and handwriting runs left to right. Prioritize sharpness and even lighting over fancy gear. Include the full spread, keep the camera parallel to the page, and exclude fingers and glare. Avoid tall portrait shots of a landscape spread — they hurt OCR. Retake blurry or shadowed shots before you spend credits on a full book.