How to Scan Documents Into PDF

Technology Writer & Editor

March 29, 2019Tested

This wikiHow teaches you how to scan a paper document into your computer and save it as a PDF file on a Windows or Mac computer. If you already have a scanned image of your document, you can convert it to a PDF file using a free online converter.

Method 1 of 3:
On Windows

1
Connect your scanner to your computer. Depending on your scanner, you can do this via the USB cable, or you can connect wirelessly over your network if your scanner has that feature.
- Every scanner is different, so consult the manufacturer's user guide for instructions on how to properly connect your scanner to your computer.
2
Place your document in the scanner. This should be the document you want to turn into a PDF.
3
Open Start
. Click the Windows logo in the bottom-left corner of the screen.
4
Type fax and scan into Start. This will search your computer for the Fax and Scan program.
5
Click Fax and Scan. It's a printer-shaped icon at the top of the Start window. Doing so will open your PC's Fax and Scan program.
6
Click New Scan. This button is in the upper-left side of the Fax and Scan window. Clicking it opens a new window.
7
Make sure your scanner is selected. If there are multiple scanners on your network, check the "Scanner" section at the top of the window to ensure that the one listed there is the one you want to use.
- If the scanner currently selected isn't the one you want to use, click Change... and then select the scanner.
8
Select a type of document. Click the "Profile" drop-down box, then click one of the following options:
- Photo
- Documents
9
Select the type of scanner. Click the "Source" drop-down box, then click one of the following options:
- Feeder - Select this option if your documents are fed into the scanner through a chute. Used for scanning multiple documents into one PDF.
- Flatbed - Pick this option if your scanner has a lid that you lift up to place the documents.
10
Click Scan. It's at the bottom of the window. Doing so will prompt your document to begin scanning into your computer.
- You can also change color options here before clicking Scan.
11
Click File. Once your document finishes scanning, you'll click this tab in the upper-left corner of the window. A drop-down menu will appear.
12
Click Print…. It's in the drop-down menu.
13
Click the "Printer" drop-down box. You'll find this in the upper-left side of the Print window.
14
Click Microsoft Print to PDF. It's in the Printer drop-down menu.
- If this isn't an option, use the default settings to scan your image into your computer as an image, then convert the image to a PDF.
15
Click Print. This option is in the lower-right side of the window.
16
Select a save location. Click a folder on the left side of the window.
17
Enter a name for your PDF. Do this in the field to the right of the "File name" heading.
18
Click Save. It's at the bottom of the window. Doing so will save your scanned file as a PDF in your selected save location.
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Method 2 of 3:
On Mac

1
Connect your scanner to your computer. Depending on your scanner, you can do this via the USB cable, or you can connect wirelessly using your home Wi-Fi if your scanner has that feature.
- Every scanner is different, so consult the manufacturer's user guide for instructions on how to properly connect your scanner to your computer.
2
Place your document in the scanner. This should be the document you want to turn into a PDF.
3
Click Go. This menu item is in row of options in the upper-left corner of your Mac's screen.
- If you don't see Go, click your Mac's desktop or open a new Finder window.
4
Click Applications. It's near the bottom of the Go drop-down menu. Your Mac's Applications folder will open.
5
Double-click Image Capture. This program's icon resembles a camera. Image Capture will open.
- You may have to scroll down to find Image Capture.
6
Select your scanner. Click your scanner's name in the upper-left side of the window.^{[1]XResearch source}
7
Select a scanner type. Click the drop-down box next to "Scan Mode", then click one of the following:
- Feeder - Select this option if your documents are fed into the scanner through a chute. Used for scanning multiple documents into one PDF.
- Flatbed - Pick this option if your scanner has a lid that you lift up to place the documents.
8
Select a destination folder. Click the "Scan To" drop-down box, then click a folder (e.g., Desktop) to which you would like to send the PDF.
9
Click the Format drop-down box. It's in the middle of the right side of the page.
10
Click PDF. This option is in the Format drop-down menu. Doing so ensures that your document will scan into PDF format.
- If this isn't an option, use the default settings to scan your image into your computer as an image, then convert the image to a PDF.
11
Click Scan. It's in the bottom-right corner of the window. Clicking this option scans your document into your computer and saves it as a PDF in your specified location.
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Method 3 of 3:
Converting a Scan Image File into a PDF

1
Open the PNG to PDF website. Go to http://png2pdf.com/ in your computer's web browser. If you weren't able to scan a document directly into a PDF, this website will allow you to turn a scanned image (e.g., a PNG) file into a PDF.
- If you scanned your document into your computer as a JPG file, go to http://jpg2pdf.com/ instead.
2
Click UPLOAD FILES. It's in the middle of the page. Doing so opens a File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac) window.
3
Select your scanned image. Go to the folder in which your scanned image was saved, then click the image to select it.
4
Click Open. It's in the bottom-right corner of the window. This will upload the image to the PNG (or JPG) to PDF site.
5
Wait for your image to convert into a PDF. This should only take a few seconds.
6
Click DOWNLOAD. It's below your converted file in the middle of the window. Doing so will prompt your PDF to download onto your computer.
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Community Q&A

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Question
How do I identify a PDF once it's scanned?
Community Answer
When you save your PDF, you can select the destination of where it saves to, like the desktop or your downloads folder. You can also rename a PDF after it has been scanned.
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Question
I have a folder of 50 pages (files) that I wish to scan into PDFs. How can I save this folder with each page having its own file identifier rather than as one PDF file with 50 pages?
Community Answer
First, save all the pages as a PDF in one large document. Then, go to "Tools," open "Organize Pages," and select "Extract." You can then select "Extract pages as separate files." Each page can then be renamed and saved to any destination.
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Question
After saving the scanned document, how do I trace it and attach it to email?
Community Answer
When you scan your documents, they usually go into a 'scanned documents' folder. So to attach it to an email, just click on attach and then in Documents you just find that document and attach it.
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Question
How do I scan documents if I can't open PDF files on my PC?
Community Answer
You need to download a PDF reader, such as Adobe or Foxit. Alternatively, your scanner should be able to handle a variety of file types, like .jpg (JPEG) or TIFF.
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Question
How do I scan documents into PDF using Adobe Reader?
Community Answer
You need Adobe DC Pro to do that. It's not free, but you can download a 7-day free trial.
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Question
What do I do if I can scan, but I can't name the file or send it to a folder?
Community Answer
Where does the file end up? If you can find the file in your file explorer (Windows Explorer), then you should be able to rename it right there by right-clicking on it and choosing "Rename" or by selecting it with a single left click and choosing "File > Rename."
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Unanswered Questions

How can I scan multiple documents at once from a feeder scanner into one PDF file?
Answer
How do I scan multi-page documents and save them as a jpg file?
Answer
Why does my document get converted to landscape when it is portrait when I convert it to PDF?
Answer
Where do I send the file to?
Answer
How do I send a scanned document in an email?
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Tips

People who use Windows 7 and lower may not be able to scan directly into PDF. If so, using the default scan settings and then converting the scanned image into a PDF is the best option.
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Warnings

Fax and Scan (Windows) and Image Capture (Mac) are free for their respective platforms. If you're attempting to use Adobe Acrobat or something similar, however, the scan to PDF function will require a paid membership or account.
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