Have you ever been asked to attach a copy of a signed document to an online event registration form? Have you also wondered "how do I do that"? If so, this article is for you!
In this article, you'll learn about a few different approaches you can use to scan and upload files when an event hosted on the ClearEvent platform includes one or more File fields on their registration form.
When you register for an event, organizers often need to collect additional information from you that's simply not practical to collect through an online form. This may include signed legal waivers, photo identification, insurance certificates, stage plots, etc.
If an event requires file to be uploaded, you'll need to produce these files and attach them to the registration form before you can complete your registration.
Attaching a file to a registration form
Some registration forms will require you to upload a file before you can submit the form. This allows you to upload a file from your computer (or mobile device) to the event organizers when you register.
Example: Registration Form with File Attachment field.
Click the Select File... button to open a File Chooser window that will allow you to select the file from your computer (or mobile device). The file selection process will differ slightly between devices but the idea is the same - find and select a single file.
Here's an example of choosing a file from a Chrome web browser on Windows 11:
NOTE: Allowed file extensions are: .csv, .doc, .docx, .pdf, .pptx, .txt, .xls, .xlsx, .gif, .jpg, .jpeg, .png
How to scan a file
If you've been asked to upload a copy of a physical document, you'll need to "scan" it first.
Scanning a file involves taking a physical document you have in-hand, like a signed waiver or a piece of photo identification, making a digital copy of it, and then saving it to your computer or a mobile device like your phone or tablet.
The simplest way to make a digital copy of a document is to use a scanner (if you have one) but we'll list some other great options below:.
OPTION 1 - Using a Scanner connected to your computer
If you have a digital scanner attached to your computer, you can place the physical documents onto the scanner bed and then scan the documents. You can find additional details here for both Windows and Mac:
http://www.wikihow.com/Scan-Documents-Into-PDF
OPTION 2 - Using a scanning app on your phone or tablet
If you need to scan multiple pages, you'll likely want to install and use a scanning app from the app store.
- Office Lens (iPhone/iPad/Android/Windows Phone)
Get it for your iPhone / iPad, Android or PC / Windows Phone
- Evernote Scannable (iPhone/iPad)
Get it for your iPhone / iPad
- Google Drive App (iPhone/iPad/Android)
Get it for your iPhone / iPad, Android and then read the instructions here.
OPTION 3 - Using the camera on your phone or tablet
If you're just trying to scan a single page, you can often just take a picture of the document using the built-in camera app on your phone or tablet (a regular digital camera will also work).
This will save the document as an image file. Copy the image to the computer or mobile device you are using to register. Click the Select File... button on the registration form and then choose the image file.
Troubleshooting file uploads & slow connections:
It's possible that files you attach to your registration form can be very large. If you have a slow Internet connection, uploading large files may take several minutes or may fail in some scenarios.
If you're experiencing problems submitting a form with file attachments, here are some things you can try:
Connect to a WiFi network. If using a mobile device, connect to a WiFi network (instead of your mobile data network) to upload files.
Try another web browser. Some web browsers, like Safari, are more likely to experience failures uploading files. In this case, we recommend trying another web browser. If this does not work, try registering on a different computer.
Reduce the attached file sizes. If uploading a picture (JPG, GIF, or PNG), resize the image to reduce the resolution, dpi, and file size. If you're not sure how to do this, try this free online tool from Shopify. If uploading a PDF file, optimize it using Adobe Acrobat by following these guidelines to reduce the PDF file size.