From Paper to PDF. How To Scan From Printer to Computer in a Flash

Have you ever wished you could easily digitize your physical documents? Whether it's a cherished family photo, or your grandmother's handwritten biscuit recipe, knowing how to scan from printer to computer is a valuable skill. This guide will walk you through the simple steps on how to do this, using the versatile UPDF software. Keep reading to discover how to transform your paper documents into digital files in no time.

Part 1: How To Scan From Printer to Computer the Easy Way

UPDF makes it easy to turn images into PDFs. We have instructions to convert image files to PDF that spell out this simple process.

But what should you do when you want to create a PDF from a physical document such as a photograph?

Many printers now have scanning capabilities, and by combining your printer with UPDF you can easily turn those old photos, treasured paper souvenirs, and any other kind of image into a digital file.

We've spelled out the steps below, and the process is far faster to do than it is to read.

Set up the scanner/printer

Step 1. Follow the instructions provided with your printer to check that it's correctly connected to your computer.

Step 2. Download UPDF on your Windows or Mac computer.

Step 3. Open UPDF and go to File > Create > PDF from Scanner.

Step 4. Choose the correct scanner. If you don't see it listed, revisit step 1 and check that your scanner and computer are properly connected.

Step 5. Choose the correct scanner type:

• Document Feeder: Automatic Document Feeder scanners have a tray where you can load multiple pages, and the device automatically feeds them in turn through the scanner.
• Flatbed: To use a flatbed scanner you place the document on a glass surface and the scanning mechanism works from under the glass, capturing the image.

Add documents and scan

Step 1. Place the document correctly in the scanner.

• For flatbed scanners, the document needs to be face down on the glass and should be aligned according to the guide marks on the scanner.
• For document feeder scanners you should place the stack of documents in the tray, ensuring they're correctly aligned with the guides. Make sure to remove any staples or clips first, since the pages will be scanned individually.

Step 2. Review the dialogue box and adjust the remaining settings to suit your preferences. Here you can choose from color or grayscale and select paper size. Document feeder scanners also have an additional setting for orientation.

Step 3. Click Preview to check everything is set correctly before performing the scan. You'll see an image on the left which reflects the resultant scan.

Step 4. Use the File Setting section to check or uncheck boxes for the following:

• Combine into a single document. This tells UPDF to create one PDF from multiple scanned pages.
• Perform OCR after creation. If there's text in the document that you want to be editable, then check this box. If left unchecked, the resulting scan will be solely an image.

Step 5. Click Scan and wait a moment for the printer to scan your documents. If you have multiple pages to scan, the following window allows you to do that.

Step 6. UPDF automatically opens the PDF created from your scanned documents once the scanning process is complete.

Now you can use your scan just as you would any other PDF. Use UPDF to add the image to other PDFs, or edit the OCR version of the text.

Your original documents are safely intact and you can do as you please with the digital version.

For more detailed guide, watch the video below.

Part 2: How to Effortlessly Scan from Printer to Phone with Different Methods

Can I scan from printer to phone?

We've shown you how to scan a document from printer to computer, but many people work almost exclusively on mobile. If that's you, don't worry, because UPDF can help here as well.

With UPDF for iOS, you can turn paper documents into digital with a printer, or without.

Option 1. Paper to digital on iPhone without a printer

The UPDF / iOS duo makes it simple to scan without a printer. We'll take you through two easy options for converting paper images to digital using UPDF on your iPhone or iPad.

1. Via Photos app

• Download and open UPDF on your iPhone or iPad.

• Tap the + symbol in the bottom right corner, then choose Scan.
• Tap the Photos app icon and select the images you want to scan.
• Tap Add at the top right to import the images to UPDF.

• Tap the icon that shows the number of active scans to save the image.
• Modify the image as desired. There are options here to add filters, as well as to crop, rotate, or add further images to the queue.
• When you're satisfied, click Download to add the files to UPDF.

2. Via Camera

• Open UPDF on your iPhone or iPad and tap the Scan option.
• Take a photograph of the document. If you choose Auto-Capture at the top center of your screen it will display a pink area, and any recognizable objects in that space will be automatically identified. It's also possible to take photos using the Manual setting.
• Edit the image as needed using the crop and rotate tools, adding filters, or reordering multiple scans in your queue.

• Click Download at the top right to save the files to UPDF.

Option 2. How to scan from printer to phone with UPDF for Windows

This scanning method works with the UPDF app for both iOS and Android.

1. Use UPDF for Windows to create a PDF from your scanner or printer, as detailed in Part 1 above.

2. Save the resulting file to UPDF Cloud.

3. Download the UPDF app for iOS or Android to access the scanned documents on your phone.

While you're here you might be wondering, "Can I scan from my Canon printer to my phone?" The answer is yes. Whatever brand of printer you have, as long as it has a built-in scanner, all of these methods will work for you.

Whether you need to know how to scan from printer to computer on Mac, or how to scan from printer to computer on Windows, you should be all set now. Don't rush off just yet though, let's take a look at what else UPDF can do.

Part 3: More Than Just Scanning - Why Choose UPDF?

You've seen above just how versatile UPDF is when it comes to turning physical documents into digital versions. If you need to send treasured photographs, what safer way to do it than by sharing them digitally, protecting the originals?

But UPDF is useful for far more than that.

1. One license, multiple platforms.

Pay once for UPDF and use it on any device. We believe that if you've bought a piece of software you should be able to use it everywhere, no matter what your tech setup is. Use Windows at home and Mac in the office? No problem. Windows computer plus an iPhone? No worries. Once you've bought the license UPDF is yours to use on any device.

2. Optical Character Recognition.

We touched on this briefly above, but OCR doesn't just work when scanning paper-based documents. The UPDF OCR tool can recognise more than 30 languages. Use it to help translate foreign-language instructions on your latest eBay purchase, or family documents discovered while going through old papers.

3. AI Assistant.

Use UPDF's built-in AI assistant to explain or summarize text, making your reading process faster and more efficient. Or get it to help you repurpose content, turning your blog posts into LinkedIn posts or Instagram captions, for example. The AI assistant also lets you chat with your PDF, answering questions, explaining charts and translating text.

4. Annotate and Add Stickers and Stamps.

Use all kinds of annotation tools to help you engage with the text and share your ideas when collaborating. You can highlight text, draw directly on the PDF and use virtual sticky notes. There's also a big range of stickers and stamps, and if those aren't enough you can design custom stamps to suit your workflow.

5. Many Other Features.

• Edit PDFs.
• Convert between PDF and many other formats including MS Office.
• Perform batch processing to work with multiple files at once.
• Add or remove pages and reorganize PDFs.
• Compress PDF files for easy sharing.
• Use digital and electronic signatures, and fill and sign PDFs.
• Encrypt PDFs and use password protection for security.

Whatever your PDF needs, UPDF can help. It's a fast, efficient PDF management tool with a range of additional features that work just as well on mobile as on desktop.

Final Thoughts

Scanning documents shouldn't be a hassle. With UPDF, the process is streamlined and efficient, allowing you to quickly turn physical documents into digital files. Whether you're using a traditional scanner or your mobile phone, UPDF provides a seamless solution for your scanning needs. Also, with its wide range of features, UPDF is more than just a scanning tool. It's a comprehensive PDF editor, converter, and organizer that will simplify your digital workflow. Download below to experience the convenience and power of UPDF.