How do I scan a document to my computer?

Not sure which option is right for your setup? We can walk through it with you during a printer help visit. Give us a call.

Start with the printer itself

Most modern printers have a small screen and a Scan button. This is usually the simplest path. Put the document face down on the glass, close the lid, and press Scan on the printer. The printer will ask where to send the scan. Choose your computer from the list, and the scanned file will appear on your desktop or in a folder called Scans inside your Documents.

If your printer has a feeder tray on top (the bit that pulls pages through automatically), you can scan several pages at once. Stack the pages face up in the feeder, press Scan, and they will come out the other side as a single PDF.

Scanning from a Windows computer

If the printer does not have a screen, or you would rather start from the computer, Windows has a built-in Scan app. Click Start, type "Windows Scan" and open it. Choose your printer from the list (it should already be installed if the printer works for printing), pick the file type (PDF for documents, JPEG for photos), and click Scan. The page will appear on your computer within a few seconds.

Another option on Windows

The older "Fax and Scan" tool also works and some people find it easier. Search the Start menu for "Fax and Scan", click New Scan at the top, and follow the prompts. Either option is fine.

Scanning from a Mac

On a Mac, open the Printers & Scanners panel in System Settings (or System Preferences on older Macs), click your printer in the left-hand list, and choose Scan. From there, click Open Scanner, then Scan. The scanned page will save to a folder you pick, usually Pictures or Documents.

The Preview app can also scan. Open Preview, choose File, Import from Scanner, and pick your printer. Same result, slightly different path.

Using your phone camera as a scanner

If you do not have a printer with a scanner, your phone is surprisingly good at this. On an iPhone, open the Notes app, start a new note, tap the camera icon, then choose Scan Documents. Hold the phone over the page. The phone detects the edges automatically and straightens the image. You can then share the scan as a PDF straight to email.

On Android, the Google Drive app has a Scan option (tap the + button in the corner). It works the same way. There are also free apps like Microsoft Lens and Adobe Scan that do the same job if you prefer.

A phone scan is not quite as crisp as a real scanner, but it is perfectly good for insurance forms, receipts, and anything you need to email quickly.

Saving as a PDF instead of an image

For documents you want to email or archive, PDF is almost always the right format. A PDF keeps the document as a single file even if there are several pages, and it opens on any device without extra software.

In the Windows Scan app, choose "PDF" from the File type dropdown before scanning. On Mac Preview, choose "PDF" from the format menu in the scan dialog. Phone scanners (Notes, Google Drive, Lens) all default to PDF for documents. If you end up with a JPG and wanted a PDF, you can open the image and use Print, then "Save as PDF" on both Windows and Mac.

When to call us instead

Call us if your scanner button is not doing anything, if your computer will not find the printer even though it prints fine, or if you have a stack of documents you would like digitised properly. This is the kind of thing we handle as part of a printer help visit in homes across Ajax, Pickering, Whitby and Oshawa.

If your printer is the issue rather than the scanner specifically, our printer to phone guide covers another common path.