How to Scan from Printer to PC, Laptop, and Mac 1

Every time you see the documents and photographs taking up space, you wish if there was something much optimized. A bunch of papers lying everywhere gradually piles up to form a big stack. And if you want to search a piece of single information or a document, it is the search for the needle in the haystack. Literally, and then there is a question of damage. Keeping the papers for years and years, it starts degrading. The writings fade away, and the paper becomes brittle.

We also have unwanted accidents like spilling coffee on an important document or misplacing it all together. Factors like these pose a dire need for something safe that keeps your documents intact. Scanning your documents is a perfect choice. Although it does take time to scan all the documents, it is rewarding in the long term. You can also save your documents on the cloud to avoid the worry of your PC, laptop, or Mac getting damaged.

Scanning is the fastest way to safe-keeping your documents. Not all printers come with the scan option. But some printers are all-rounder with scan, fax, print, and copy options. You can scan your documents from the printer to your computer, laptop, or Mac.

In this article, we will help you with the steps to do so. First, we will discuss how to scan from printer to PC, followed by Laptop and Mac. We will help you with the installation and specifications for all three types of devices. So let’s get started.

Further reading: The Ultimate Guide To Choosing A Scanner That Best Fits Your Needs

Scan From Printer To PC

There are two ways to scan from printer to PC.  First, by downloading the printer software, and the other is by using windows scan. In this article, we will cover both the ways for your personal computer.

Scanner Software

1 – If you want to scan a document from your printer to your PC, you have to download the printer software on your computer. You can get the download options from the website of the printer.

2 – Install the software on your computer. It will take several minutes. Once you have installed it, the next step is to begin the scanning.

3 – Connect the printer to the computer with the appropriate cord from the printer. Now keep your document or photo on the printer or the ADF tray. While keeping the document, make sure that the part of the paper or photo you want to scan is facing the tray.

4 – Now, let’s move to your PC. Open the printer software you have just now downloaded on your computer.

5 – In the software, select the printer you are using to scan the documents.

6 – You can further customize your options by selecting the color, resolution, brightness, and size of the document.

7 – Before scanning the document, use the preview option to check the accuracy of the file. If the preview is right, then select the ‘scan’ option.

8 – Name your file and save it in your desired location on the computer. This way, you have scanned your document from the printer to the PC.

Windows Scan

If you have Windows 10 installed on your computer, then your job of scanning the documents from printer to PC has just become more manageable.

1 – Microsoft keeps updating its tools and apps to provide a better and faster user experience. Microsoft released a universal scan app from which can be downloaded from the Windows Store. Generally, this is called the Windows Scan.

2 – Connect your printer to your computer with an appropriate cord from the printer. Keep your document or photo facing on the ADF tray of the printer.

3 – Open the Windows Scan app.

4 – You will see that the user interface is similar to any printer software you download on your computer.

5 – Here, select the printer you have connected to the computer.

6 – Change the file type, color mode, and resolution according to your requirement. You can also crop the document according to your need.

7 – Select the required destination to save your file.

8 – Preview the document before scanning to check if everything is good in terms of scanning.

9 – Press the scan button, and in a few moments, you will have your document or photo.

Scan From Printer To Laptop

How many times have you encountered the question, ‘hey, can you scan it and send it back to me immediately ?’ And you say, ‘why not.’ And then you think, how are you going to do it so quickly? Now we have the following steps for you to make your task easier. If you have a laptop, you can scan your documents from the printer. Let’s look at the steps.

1 – Connect your printer to your laptop. Connect the cord of the printer to your laptop and check whether both the devices are within the WiFi range.

2 – Now, place your document or photograph you want to scan on the printer. Make sure to place the document upside down, with the information facing the transparent tray.

3 – Click on the Start menu available on the lower-left corner of your laptop and type Windox Fax and Scan in the search bar.

4 – A new window screen will open. Click on the New Scan option on the upper left corner of the screen.

5 – A new window will open. On the upper left corner of this window, check whether the correct information of the printer is present. If not, change and select the appropriate printer connected to your laptop.

6 – In the ‘Profile’ section, select the correct file type. Then select the option Black and White or Color. In the next option, choose the format you have to save your document, i.e., in .pdf or .jpeg.

7 – Next, you can adjust the brightness, contrast, and resolution of the document you want to scan.

8 – Before clicking on ‘Scan,’ click on the ‘Preview’ to check for any corrections and edits. If you see any discrepancies, it is time to re-adjust the document.

9 – Finally, once everything looks good, click on ‘scan,’ and your document will be scanned in a few seconds.

10 – To search where did you store the document, search File Explorer and open Documents. Click on the Scanned Documents, and you will find your scanned document.

You may also like: The Best Scanners For 12×12 Scrapbook Pages

There is one more way to scan your documents from the printer to the laptop. It is by using the printer software provided by the vendor. You can either search it on Google or directly get it from the vendor’s website. And if none of the options work, then there are other software with advanced features that let you scan your document irrespective of the printer type.

Scan from Printer to Mac

So far, we have discussed the steps to scan the documents from printer to PC and laptop with Windows OS. But if you don’t have Windows, then don’t worry, we have got that covered. In the following steps, we will help you to scan your documents from printer to Mac. Here we go.

1 – Connect your printer to your laptop. Check the cord from the printer is appropriately connected to the laptop. Make sure that both the devices are within the WiFi range. Keep the document upside down on the transparent tray of the printer.

2 – On the upper left corner of your home screen, click on the Apple Logo.

3 – A new window of the Apple Menu will be opened.

4 – The next step is to click on the ‘System Preferences’ option.

5 – Then select ‘Scanners and Printers.’

6 – The left column will show the printer you have connected to your device and click on ‘Scan.’

7 – Next, you have to click on the ‘Show Details.’

8. Select the format of the file you want to save. You can choose either the .jpeg or .pdf format.

9 – If you want the document to be scanned in black and white or colored components, click on ‘Kind.’

10 – Click on ‘Scan to’ to save your file to your required destination.

11 – Next, you can also adjust the size and resolution of your document. You can also crop the image of the document to be scanned.

12 – Finally, check the fields, and if it all good to go, click on ‘Scan’. Your document will be scanned in a few moments.

13 – Once the scan is complete, go to the destination folder and search for the document you have scanned.

See More: Scanning Using Mac Default Applications – Where do scanned documents go on mac

So, here we are with essential and easy details of scanning your valuable documents from a printer. Usually, when scanning a document, we turn to various scanners available in the market. But it can be done through the printers, too, provided the printer supports the scan function. Scanning the documents is overall a handy option. It is useful to keep your physical space managed and virtual space-optimized.

Once the documents are scanned, you don’t even have to worry about them getting misplaced. You can always take the copy from your computer. Many forums and discussions are available online to assist you in scanning. We do hope that the above information was valuable. With the above steps, you can scan your documents quickly and efficiently.