How to scan handwritten recipe cards and get them typed up
A phone photo in daylight is enough: lay the card flat on a plain surface, fill the frame with it, turn off the flash, and photograph the back too if it has writing. To get the handwriting typed, share the photos with ChatGPT through Stirloom, which transcribes each card in the cook’s own words, marks unreadable words [?] and keeps the photo beside the text so you can check it.
Step by step
- Find good light. Work near a window in daylight. Overhead lights tend to throw your own shadow across the card.
- Lay the card flat. Put it on a plain surface that contrasts with the card, so its edges stand out. Flatten curled cards under a book for an hour first.
- Shoot straight down. Hold the phone directly above the card, fill the frame with it and turn the flash off. For glossy or laminated cards, move the card until the glare is gone.
- Photograph the back. Many cards have notes, a name or a date on the back. Those are worth keeping.
- Check sharpness. Zoom in on the smallest writing before you move on. Retake any photo where you can’t read it yourself.
- Get it typed. In ChatGPT with Stirloom, share up to 10 photos at a time, or a scanned PDF. Each photo is straightened and cropped, and each card is typed in the cook’s words.
- Check the text. Compare each typed recipe with its photo and fill in anything marked [?].
Scanning options, compared
| Phone camera | Flatbed scanner | Phone scanning app (for example Notes or Google Drive) | Stirloom in ChatGPT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What you need | A phone | A scanner and a computer | A phone and the app | ChatGPT and photos or a scanned PDF |
| Crops and straightens | No, you crop | Cards stay flat; you crop | Yes, automatically | Yes, automatically |
| Typed text | No | Only with OCR software, which often misreads cursive | Some read printed text; handwriting results vary | Yes; words it can’t read are marked [?] |
| Best for | Quick copies | Faded pencil and fragile cards | Many cards, fast | Turning cards into a printed cookbook |
When something else fits better
If you only want digital copies to share, a scanning app is enough. If your cards are faded pencil or too fragile to handle much, scan them on a flatbed first and share those scans with ChatGPT.
Use Stirloom in ChatGPT
In ChatGPT, open Plugins, search for Stirloom and add it, or mention Stirloom in a chat and approve it when asked. Then ask, for example:
- “Make a family cookbook from these recipe cards.”
- “Add these two cards from Aunt May to our cookbook.”
- “In the apple cake recipe, change the oven to 350°F.”
Available in ChatGPT soon How Stirloom works in ChatGPT
Questions
What files can I share?
Photos in JPEG, PNG, WebP or HEIC up to 25 MB each, or a scanned PDF of up to 40 pages.
Do I need a scanner?
No. A phone photo in daylight is enough for most cards. A flatbed scanner helps with faded pencil or very fragile cards.
Can ChatGPT read cursive?
Often, but not always. Faded pencil, smudges and personal shorthand cause misreads, so every card is shown next to its typed text and words ChatGPT can’t read are marked [?] for you to fill in.
Is the original photo kept?
Yes. It is straightened, cropped and printed facing the typed recipe. The back of the card is printed too when it has writing.
What happens to my photos?
They are used only to make and print your book. They are never sold or used for ads, and you can delete the book at any time.