How to photograph a sketch for the best conversion

Sketch2scheme reads quite messy drawings, but a good photo still makes the difference between a diagram you can use straight away and one you need to tidy. These habits help most.

1. Use even light. Daylight or a ceiling light works; avoid your own shadow across the page and reflections on whiteboards.
2. Hold the phone flat above the page. A straight-on photo keeps lines straight and boxes square.
3. Fill the frame with the diagram. Leave a small margin, but not the whole desk.
4. Dark pen on light paper. Pencil and faint markers work, but contrast helps. The free Image editor in Sketch2scheme can boost contrast and crop before you convert.
5. Write labels clearly. Text is copied exactly as written, in your language.
6. One diagram per photo. Split a huge wall of sketches into separate photos.
7. Rotate before converting. If the photo is sideways, use the rotate buttons on the New diagram page.

For wiring diagrams there are a few extra tips in Turn a hand-drawn wiring diagram into a clean schematic.