Document type
Use presets for records, receipts, forms, plans, drawings, faded paper, linework, and other paper-photo cleanup needs.
ScanForge for Mac
Bulk document photo conversion on Mac.
ScanForge works with existing folders of JPG, JPEG, PNG, TIFF, and HEIC document photos and scans. Preview a page, apply shared or per-file adjustments, and export new files locally on your Mac while the originals remain untouched. Requires macOS 14 Sonoma or later.
Bulk folder workflow
Designed for one file, tens, and hundreds of existing document photos or scans.
OCR text sidecars
Optional local text recognition when Image Files export and OCR Text are enabled.
Confirmed crop
Crop only when you choose and confirm the crop box.
Originals untouched
Source files are read, not rewritten.
Workflow
Choose a folder. Review the pages. Export the batch.
Select an existing image folder, review the discovered files, and compare a before-and-after preview. Choose shared settings for the batch, refine individual files where needed, then export to a destination you control. ScanForge reports progress and produces a completion summary with JSON or CSV logs.
01
Choose
Select or drag in a folder containing JPG, JPEG, PNG, TIFF, or HEIC images.
02
Preview
Review a page before committing the full folder and adjust the selected file or shared batch settings.
03
Export
Create PNG, TIFF, or JPG files, or assemble the ordered pages as one combined PDF.
04
Review
Check the completion summary, warnings, failures, and JSON or CSV processing logs.
See the workflow
Follow a document-photo batch from the selected source folder through preview, processing, and finished output.
Choose a source folder
Select an existing folder, review the discovered files, and prepare a representative page for adjustment.
Compare before and after
Use the split preview to judge tone, cleanup, color preservation, and line sharpness before exporting.
Process the batch
Track the active file and batch progress while ScanForge writes new output to the selected destination.
Review completed output
Open the output folder or process another sample after reviewing the completed batch state.
- 01
Choose an original folder containing JPG, JPEG, PNG, TIFF, or HEIC images.
- 02
Review a before-and-after sample and adjust brightness, contrast, cleanup, crop, resize, JPEG quality, or document type.
- 03
Keep edits on the selected file or apply the same processing settings across the batch.
- 04
Export cleaned PNG, TIFF, or JPG files; when Image Files export and OCR Text are enabled, add matching plain-text sidecars. Or create one combined PDF without an OCR text layer.
- 05
Monitor progress, cancel if needed, then open the output folder and review the completion summary plus JSON or CSV processing logs.
Controls
Shared settings when the pages match. Per-file control when they do not.
Use document modes and controls for tone, color, cleanup, linework, resize, and JPEG quality. Apply a consistent treatment across the folder, then keep exceptions on individual files when a page needs different handling. The before-and-after preview makes each choice visible before batch processing.
Per-file edits
Adjust the selected file without forcing every page to use the same cleanup settings.
Apply to all
When a folder was captured under the same lighting, apply one balanced treatment across the full batch.
Crop and OCR
Confirm the crop. Keep OCR output separate and clear.
Crop is visible, adjustable, and applied only after you confirm it for the selected file. Auto Crop can suggest a starting box when it detects a reliable page edge, but it does not crop on import and is not guaranteed to detect every page. OCR uses local Apple Vision recognition. When Image Files export and OCR Text are enabled, successful recognition writes a matching plain-text sidecar beside the exported image. A no-text result creates an empty sidecar with a warning; a recognition failure creates no sidecar, adds a warning, and allows the batch to continue where possible. Combined PDF export does not include an OCR text layer.
Manual crop box
Drag the crop area in the preview and apply it only after you are satisfied with the selected page.
Auto crop assist
Ask ScanForge to find a conservative starting box when page edges are reliable, then confirm or adjust it yourself.
OCR sidecars
A successful no-text result writes an empty sidecar with a warning. A recognition failure writes no sidecar, adds a warning, and lets the batch continue where possible.
Batch safety
Keep long-running work visible and existing output protected.
ScanForge shows batch progress and supports cancellation. If an individual file cannot be read, the failure is logged and processing continues for readable files where possible. Collision-safe naming prevents new images, PDFs, sidecars, or logs from silently replacing existing output. The completion summary separates successes, warnings, and failures; a batch does not guarantee that every input will succeed.
Progress and cancellation
See the active export, output folder, percent complete, and cancel action while a batch runs.
Partial failures
An unreadable file is logged with its failure reason while ScanForge continues processing readable files.
Collision-safe output
Collision-safe filenames prevent a new image, PDF, sidecar, or log from silently replacing an existing output.
Made for
For document-image work that already lives in folders.
ScanForge is designed for home and family archives, genealogy and local-history projects, architecture and design material, construction and field records, office and records workflows, education, artwork, sketches, and similar jobs. It begins after capture, with supported image files already on the Mac.
Architecture and design offices
Clean plan photos, marked-up drawings, sketches, maps, and reference pages for review or handoff.
Small offices and records teams
Convert receipts, forms, paper records, and document-photo folders into cleaner deliverables.
Field teams and personal archives
Process document photos after site visits, archive sessions, or any batch captured on a phone.
Inputs and outputs
New files where you choose. Originals left in place.
Export cleaned PNG, TIFF, or JPG image files when pages need to remain separate. With Image Files export, enable OCR Text to add matching plain-text sidecars. Choose Combined PDF to assemble the ordered pages into one PDF without an OCR text layer. ScanForge also writes JSON or CSV logs for review. Source images are read but not rewritten, and new outputs go to the selected destination.
- Input folders can include JPG, JPEG, PNG, TIFF, or HEIC images.
- Output cleaned PNG, TIFF, or JPG files; matching .txt OCR sidecars are available only when Image Files export and OCR Text are enabled.
- Create one combined PDF from ordered page images without a searchable OCR text layer.
- Use resize controls and JPEG quality settings when the selected image output needs them.
- Review the completion summary and JSON or CSV processing logs, including warnings, failures, crop use, and OCR sidecar details.
- Original source files stay in place and are not modified.
Input
JPG/JPEGPNGTIFFHEIC
Output
PNGTIFFJPGTXT sidecarsCombined PDF
Review
JSON logsCSV logsOCR countsOriginals untouched
Focused scope
Built for after capture, not for scanning or invented detail.
ScanForge is a native Mac, offline bulk scan converter for existing image folders. It starts when the document photos or scans already exist. Its job is to clean, balance, crop, export, and log those files without growing into a camera scanner, cloud suite, photo editor, or generative system.
Existing folders, not capture
ScanForge does not take camera scans or control scanner hardware. Import images captured with the tool you already use.
Sidecars, not a PDF suite
OCR creates plain-text sidecars for image exports, not searchable PDF text layers or a document-management repository.
Cleanup, not reconstruction
ScanForge does not use generative reconstruction or automatic perspective correction, and it does not promise perfect OCR.
Languages
Built with multilingual workflows in mind.
ScanForge includes an app-level language selector. Website, support, privacy, screenshots, and App Store localizations remain unpublished until each language receives human review.
Interface choices
System Default, English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Hindi, and Brazilian Portuguese.
Release discipline
Website, support, privacy, screenshots, and App Store metadata should only be published in languages that have been reviewed.
OCR language behavior
Text recognition uses Apple Vision locally; ScanForge markets OCR as text sidecar extraction, not as translation or perfect recognition.
Compatibility
Requires macOS 14 Sonoma or later.
ScanForge supports macOS 14 Sonoma or later. An Apple silicon Mac running macOS 15 Sequoia or newer is recommended.
Minimum supported OS
Requires macOS 14 Sonoma or later.
Recommended setup
Recommended on Apple silicon Macs running macOS 15 Sequoia or newer.
Current QA focus
Current development and QA focus on Apple silicon Macs, including macOS 26 Tahoe.
Release status
Preparing for Mac App Store release.
ScanForge is in Mac App Store release preparation. Its final App Store listing, offer, price, purchase terms, and availability are not yet public.
Current status
The product page is informational while release preparation continues.
Offer and price
The planned model is a one-time purchase with no subscriptions or in-app purchases. Final terms and price are not yet public.
Availability
ScanForge is not available for purchase yet. Availability will be announced after the public Mac App Store listing is live and verified.
Trust
Process selected files locally on your Mac.
ScanForge reads the source images you choose, processes them locally, and writes new outputs to the destination you select. It does not require a ForgeWorks account or upload documents for ForgeWorks cloud processing.
Local processing
Document photos are processed on your Mac rather than uploaded to a ForgeWorks cloud service.
No account
The current app model does not require accounts, sign-in, analytics SDKs, or ad tracking.
Clear ownership
ScanForge is planned as a one-time paid utility; final App Store offer details remain unconfirmed during release preparation.
Quick answers
Common questions
What is ScanForge?
ScanForge is a Mac app for processing existing folders of document photos and scans. It previews and adjusts supported image files, then exports new image files or one combined PDF.
Which input and output formats does ScanForge support?
Inputs are JPG, JPEG, PNG, TIFF, and HEIC. Outputs are PNG, TIFF, or JPG image files, one combined PDF, JSON or CSV logs, and optional plain-text OCR sidecars when Image Files export and OCR Text are enabled.
Does OCR become part of the combined PDF?
No. OCR Text is available only with Image Files export and writes matching plain-text sidecars. The combined PDF has no OCR text layer.
Does ScanForge crop every page automatically?
No. Crop is visible and user-confirmed. Auto Crop may suggest a starting box when it detects a reliable page edge; you adjust and confirm it for the selected file.
Does ScanForge change the source images?
No. ScanForge reads the originals without rewriting them and writes new output to the destination you choose. This does not replace your own backup or recovery plan.
What happens when one file fails?
ScanForge logs the failure and continues with readable files where possible. Review the completion summary and JSON or CSV logs for successes, warnings, and failures.
Does ScanForge upload my documents?
No. ScanForge processes selected files locally on your Mac, requires no ForgeWorks account, and does not send documents, outputs, OCR text, or processing logs to ForgeWorks. Sending an email to support is separate from local document processing.
What version of macOS does ScanForge require?
ScanForge requires macOS 14 Sonoma or later. Apple silicon on macOS 15 Sequoia or newer is recommended.
Does ScanForge require a subscription?
The planned model is a one-time purchase with no subscriptions or in-app purchases. ScanForge's final App Store offer, price, and purchase terms are not yet public.
Can I purchase ScanForge now?
Not yet. ScanForge is in App Store release preparation. Its final App Store listing, offer, price, and purchase terms are not yet public.