How to Scan to PDF With HP (4 Steps)

By Steven Symes

Text and even graphics can be scanned to PDF using and HP scanner.
i text image by Allyson Ricketts from Fotolia.com

Many people buy scanners to scan documents as well as photos. Documents scanned to a computer can be saved as PDF's as well as JPEG's like photos. Being able to scan documents to a PDF format is a helpful skill. If you are using a Hewlett Packard scanner there is a way to scan to PDF.

Scanning to PDF

Step 1

Make sure the scanner is turned on and connected to the computer. If you are using a flatbed scanner (the type where there is hinged lid and a flat piece of glass below it) you should see a light on underneath the glass. Make sure the USB cable going from the back of the scanner is plugged into the back of the computer you are using and that all connections are tight.

Step 2

Place the document to be scanned in the scanner. Make sure if you are using a flatbed scanner the side of the document to be scanned is against the glass or facing down. In HP scanners with a document feeder there should be an image on the feeder that shows which way to place the document.

Step 3

Select scan to PDF. Depending on the model HP scanner, this may be done one of two ways. Some HP scanners have a button on the scanner's lid that has the image of a piece of paper with writing on it and the letters "PDF." If your scanner has this button go ahead and push it. If there is not a button like this on your scanner, look for the HP Director icon on your computer's desktop. Open the HP Director and on the menu select "scan document." Next select the type of document you will be scanning. The default document type is "editable text with graphics." If there are no graphics on the page simply select "editable text." The other options on the menu will scan the document as a JPEG, so do not select them.

Step 4

Look for a window to come up on your computer after the first page of the document is scanned. This window will show you a view of the scan. You will be able to edit the scanned area. After you are done editing the scanned document click on the "accept" button. A prompt will come up that asks if you are done scanning or if you have another page in the document. If you have more pages in the document, select that you need to scan more pages and place the second page in the scanner.

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