Got a document in French, Spanish, Chinese, or any other language? You can scan it and get a full translation in under 30 seconds — no manual typing needed. Here's exactly how.
The Two-Step Problem (and How to Solve It)
Traditionally, translating a physical document meant: (1) manually type out the entire text, (2) paste it into Google Translate. That's slow and error-prone.
Modern OCR + AI translation tools combine both steps. You upload a photo, the tool extracts the text, and immediately translates it. What used to take 30 minutes now takes 30 seconds.
How to Scan and Translate in 3 Steps
- Upload your document. Go to scanthistext.com/scanner and upload a photo or PDF of your document. JPG, PNG, and PDFs are all supported.
- Extract the text. Click Scan. The AI reads every word in the original language — no matter the script (Latin, Arabic, Cyrillic, CJK characters, etc.).
- Translate instantly. Click Translate, choose your target language, and get the full translation. 100+ languages supported.
Supported Languages
ScanThisText recognizes text in over 100 languages on the OCR side, including right-to-left scripts (Arabic, Hebrew, Farsi) and Asian character sets (Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Japanese, Korean). Translation covers 100+ languages with AI-quality output comparable to DeepL and Google Translate.
Best Document Types for Scan-and-Translate
- Legal documents & contracts — translate foreign agreements before signing
- Menus & signage — photograph and translate on the spot while traveling
- Academic papers — access research published in other languages
- Medical documents — understand prescriptions or records from abroad
- Business correspondence — translate incoming invoices, letters, or emails
- Immigration & visa forms — understand official government documents
How Accurate Is AI Document Translation?
For common European languages (Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese), AI translation quality is excellent — comparable to a professional translator for most business and personal documents. For less common languages or technical/legal jargon, treat the output as a strong first draft and have a human review critical sections.
Does It Work on Handwritten Text?
Yes, with some caveats. Printed handwriting (block letters) translates accurately. Cursive or doctor-style handwriting may have lower OCR accuracy before translation. For best results, ensure the image is well-lit and the writing is as clear as possible.
Try Scan-and-Translate Free
Scan and translate your first document for free → No account required. Works on desktop, tablet, and mobile.