How to Scan Whiteboard Notes After Meetings
The meeting just ended and the whiteboard is covered in diagrams, action items, and ideas that someone is about to erase. You have about 30 seconds to preserve it. Here is how to capture whiteboard content quickly and turn it into a clean, shareable PDF.
Quick Whiteboard Scanner
Scan whiteboards to clean PDFs. Removes glare, boosts marker contrast:
Open Whiteboard Scanner →The Problem with Phone Photos of Whiteboards
Everyone has tried snapping a quick photo of a whiteboard with their phone. The result is usually disappointing:
- •Glare and hot spots — Overhead lights and windows create bright white patches that obscure content.
- •Perspective distortion — Shooting from a seated position creates a trapezoid shape where text at the top is smaller than text at the bottom.
- •Low marker contrast — Light blue and red markers are barely visible in photos, especially against a white or gray board.
- •Background clutter — The photo includes the wall, the frame, the marker tray, and whatever else surrounds the board.
A whiteboard scanner solves all of these. It detects the board edges, corrects perspective, removes the background, and boosts marker contrast so the content is clear and legible.
How to Scan a Whiteboard
- 1
Open the Whiteboard Scanner
Go to the MiOffice Whiteboard Scanner on your phone. No app to install — it opens in your browser and activates your camera.
- 2
Frame the Whiteboard
Stand back far enough to capture the entire board. The scanner detects the board edges automatically. You do not need to crop manually — perspective correction straightens everything.
- 3
Capture and Enhance
Tap capture. The Whiteboard enhancement mode automatically removes the board's background color and amplifies marker ink contrast. Light markers become clearly visible.
- 4
Scan Additional Boards
If the meeting used multiple whiteboards, tap "Add Page" and capture each one. All boards are combined into a single multi-page PDF.
- 5
Download and Share
Download the PDF and share it with your team via email, Slack, or your project management tool. Everyone gets the same clean, readable capture.
Tips for Better Whiteboard Photos
Reduce Glare
- +Turn off lights directly above the board
- +Shoot from a slight angle rather than dead center if lights cause a glare spot
- +Close blinds on windows facing the board
- +Use your body to block a light source if needed
Maximize Contrast
- +Use dark markers (black and dark blue) for key content
- +Avoid faded or dried-out markers
- +Clean the board before writing (ghosted text confuses the scan)
- +Write larger if the board is far from where you will stand to photograph
Pro tip: If you know you will be scanning the whiteboard after a meeting, ask participants to avoid using light yellow and light green markers. These colors have the lowest contrast against white boards and are the hardest to recover in post-processing.
How the Whiteboard Enhancement Works
The Whiteboard mode in MiOffice applies a specialized processing pipeline that differs from the standard document scanner:
Background Removal
Detects the board surface color and normalizes it to clean white, removing stains, shadows, and uneven lighting.
Marker Boost
Amplifies ink saturation and contrast so even light-colored markers become clearly visible against the white background.
Glare Suppression
Identifies and reduces specular highlights from overhead lighting that would otherwise obscure content.
Building a Whiteboard-to-Action-Item Workflow
Scanning the whiteboard is step one. Here is a complete workflow for turning whiteboard content into trackable action items:
- 1.Scan immediately — Do it before anyone erases. It takes 15 seconds with MiOffice.
- 2.Share the PDF — Post in the meeting's Slack channel or email thread within 5 minutes of the meeting ending.
- 3.Transcribe key items — Use the scanned image as reference to type out action items, decisions, and deadlines.
- 4.Attach to the task tracker — Link or embed the PDF in Jira, Asana, Linear, or whatever your team uses. The visual context helps people recall the discussion.
Related Scanner Tools
Document Scanner
For printed documents and forms
Handwriting Scanner
OCR for handwritten meeting notes
Batch Scanner
Multiple boards into one PDF
Photo to PDF
Convert existing whiteboard photos
FAQs
Does it work with glass whiteboards?
Yes, but glass boards are more prone to glare. Position yourself to minimize reflections and make sure the writing side faces you (not behind the glass). The enhancement mode still boosts marker contrast effectively.
Can I scan a whiteboard I already photographed?
Yes. Upload the existing photo to the Whiteboard Scanner instead of using the live camera. The same enhancement pipeline applies to uploaded images.
What about smart whiteboards or digital whiteboards?
Smart whiteboards (like Microsoft Surface Hub or Google Jamboard) have built-in export. Use MiOffice for traditional dry-erase whiteboards that have no digital capture feature.
Can I extract the text from the whiteboard?
For printed-style text, yes — use the Handwriting Scanner with OCR. Handwritten whiteboard text with diagrams works best as a visual PDF reference rather than OCR extraction.
Never Lose Whiteboard Notes Again
Scan whiteboards to clean PDFs in seconds. Free, private, no app needed.
Open Whiteboard Scanner →