How to scan multiple pages to PDF

Taking advantage of some free time, you have decided to tidy up the drawers of your desk by digitizing those paper documents that take up a lot of precious space, which you would like to use in different ways. After having grouped and rearranged them, however, you asked yourself a not inconsiderable question: is it possible to scan a document consisting of several pages and save it in a single PDF file? And, if so, how?

Well, you’ve come to the place where you will find the answers you are looking for! In the course of this tutorial, in fact, I will explain to you in detail how to scan multiple pages to PDF using a series of different techniques: through the software supplied with the multifunction printers, (if you have such a device), through specific programs for Windows and macOS or by scanning documents using the smartphone camera.

Do not worry if you are not very knowledgeable with technology, you have no reason: all the steps that I am about to show you can be put into practice by everyone, even by those who, like you, have never performed a similar operation. So, without further ado, take some free time for yourself and read very carefully everything I have to say on the subject: you will be able to do everything in a few clicks, or taps!

Index

• How to scan multiple pages to PDF with the printer
  • Scan multiple HP pages to PDF
  • Scan multiple pages into one document with other printers
• How to scan multiple pages to PDF from PC
  • Scan PDF to multiple pages on Windows
  • Scan PDF to multiple pages on Mac
• How to scan multiple pages to PDF with your smartphone 
  • Scanbot (Android / iOS)
  • Notes (iOS)

How to scan multiple pages to PDF with the printer

Scanning multiple pages of a document (or multiple photos) and saving them all in a single PDF is a far from complex undertaking – all you need to do is use the right tools.

Below, therefore, I am going to explain how to scan multiple pages to PDF with an HP printer, and then show you a more or less generic procedure to be used with printers of other brands.

Before proceeding, I recommend that you check that the scanner is correctly installed in the operating system. Otherwise, you can retrieve the necessary drivers from the manufacturer’s website, typing in Google keywords [make and model printer driver] or, again, following my guide dedicated to scanning.

Scan multiple HP pages to PDF

As already mentioned, to give you a concrete example of how the acquisition of multi-page documents through a printer works, I now show you the operation of a multi-function device from HP. Below are the procedures to follow on Windows and macOS.

Windows 10

If you’re using  Windows 10, you can easily scan multi-page PDFs using HP Smart software, which should have been automatically installed along with the device drivers. If not, you can easily get HP Smart from the Microsoft Store.

Once you have downloaded the application, start it and wait for the scanner to be correctly recognized (it may take a few seconds), then click on the Scan icon located at the bottom. At this point, click on the Scanner tab at the top left,  insert the first sheet of the document on the scanner glass (or load the entire document in the ADF module, the one in charge of automatic page acquisition), adjust the scan using the menus located on the right, then click the Scan button  (bottom right) to start scanning the first page of the document.

At this point, if you have uploaded the document to the ADF form, subsequent pages will be automatically scanned until finished. Otherwise,  load the second page on the glass, click on the Add pages item  (top left) and then, again, on the Scan button. Repeat this for all other pages of your document.

Note: on some models, it is possible to avoid pressing the Scan button on the PC and start the acquisition of a new page using the appropriate button located near the display of the printer itself.

At the end of the scan, if necessary, you can make changes and adjustments on the various pages (e.g. brightness, contrast and so on), selecting the respective previews and then clicking on the Edit button. Once the work is finished, click on the PDF button located next to the wording  File type (below) and, to conclude and save the file obtained, click on the Save button.

Windows 7 / 8.x / Vista

As for previous editions of Windows, you can rely on the HP Scan software, which you should have already installed on your computer during the initial printer setup. If not, you can obtain the program directly from the manufacturer’s website, together with the drivers necessary for the scanner to work: connected to this website, enter the name of the printer in the appropriate text field, click on the Send button and select the most relevant result for your printer model.

After this step too, identify the box relating to the printer drivers and click on the Download button corresponding to it to start downloading the file containing the necessary packages.

Once you have obtained the drivers, start the installation package, then click on the Yes,  Continue and  Next buttons, confirm that you have read and accepted the installation conditions by checking the relevant box, click again on the Next button and wait for the setup to run completed. When prompted, turn on the printer (and connect it to the network or to your computer, if you have not already done so) to complete the configuration phase. For more information on installing HP print drivers, I invite you to consult my specific tutorial on the subject.

Once the drivers have been installed, start the HP Scan software by calling it from the HP> [Printer model] folder located in the Windows Start menu  (the flag icon located at the bottom left), click on the  Save as PDF and rule button, if necessary, the capture settings. Then, insert the first sheet of the document into the scanner tray of the printer and press the Scan button to start scanning the first page.

If you want to make corrections on the scanned document, double-click on the preview and intervene using the appropriate adjustment indicators. Once this step is completed, you can move on to the acquisition of the next page, by clicking on the  Add page from scanner button (the one in the shape of a  sheet with scanner ) located in the lower right corner.

Similarly, you can add all the other pages to the document, until they are finished. Once the acquisition is complete, click on the Save button to save the resulting PDF document.

Mac

As for the  Mac, you can achieve the same result by using the HP Easy Scan software, available for free on the Mac App Store. Once you have finished downloading and installing the program, start it, calling it from the  Launchpad (the rocket-shaped icon located on the Dock bar ), then load the first sheet of the document into the appropriate compartment of the printer, or the entire document in the  ADF module (the one that allows you to automatically scan multiple documents at a time).

Once this is done, click on the Scan button to start the acquisition of the first page of the document and, once the first acquisition is complete, load the second page of the document in the appropriate slot of the printer and click on the Add element button, which appears on the Mac If you have the ADF module available, the scanning of the pages will stop automatically when they are finished.

Once the scan is complete, click on the Finish button and, if necessary, make the corrections and adjustments you deem appropriate using the appropriate buttons that appear on the screen. Finally, click on the File> Save menu  (top left), specify the name to assign to the file and the destination folder, respectively, in the Prefix and  Where? , then choose the PDF item from the Format drop-down menu, make sure that the item  Save items in a single file is selected and press the Save button to save the document to disk.

Scan multiple pages into one document with other printers

The steps to scan multiple pages into a single document using other multifunction printer models are very similar to those already seen previously for HP printers: all you have to do is open your manufacturer’s specific scanning software, enter the first document page in the scanner compartment of the printer, or all pages in the ADF tray, and start scanning by clicking on the appropriate button on the program screen, or on the physical button of the printer.

When the acquisition is complete, you must specify that you want to save the scanned pages in a single file, click on the Save button and specify the PDF extension as the output format. Unfortunately, I am unable to provide you with the specific steps for all commercially available printer models – there are just too many!

If, however, you have a Canon or Epson printer, you can take a look at my themed guides to learn more about the scanning programs offered by their manufacturers.

How to scan multiple pages to PDF from PC

Were you unable to retrieve or use the specific software for your multifunction printer or do you have a “simple” scanner, therefore, now you would like to understand how to scan multiple pages to PDF from Windows or macOS , without relying on specific tools? Then this is the section of the tutorial for you.

In the following paragraphs, I am going to explain how to proceed on both Windows and macOS using, respectively, the NAPS2 (third-party) and Preview (standard) software. Again, make sure the scanner drivers are properly installed on your computer, as I explained earlier in this guide.

Scan PDF to multiple pages on Windows

If you intend to scan PDFs in multiple pages on Windows, I recommend that you rely on the NAPS2 program: it is one of the best software dedicated to the acquisition of photos and documents from scanners, free and open-source, equipped with a large number of features, including merging multiple scans into one file. Furthermore, NAPS2 is available in a portable version, which does not require any installation to function.

To download it on your PC, connected to the SourceForge page of the program, click on the folder indicating the latest version available (eg  6.1.0 ) and then on the link  naps2. xyz-portable.zip. Once you have the .zip package, extract it to a folder of your choice, access it and start the NAPS2 program. Portable.exe contained therein.

At this point, insert the first sheet in the scanner tray, click on the Scan button and create a customized acquisition profile (you only have to do it the first time): enter, in the Display name field, a name of your choice with which to identify the profile, then click on the Choose device button and click on the scanner or multifunction printer you want to use from the panel that is proposed to you.

Then, change the Page Size field to specify the size of the sheets to be scanned (if you don’t know what to choose, select  A4 (210 × 297 mm) ), indicate the resolution and adjust the brightness and contrast indicators, if necessary, to intervene on the scanning parameters of the same name. When you are done, click on the OK button to start the page acquisition.

At the end of this operation, insert the second sheet of the document into the scanner, click on the Scan button and wait for the page to be scanned. Repeat the same process for all other pages to be scanned. When you are done, select with the mouse all the pages to save and, to export the resulting document, click on the Save PDF button.

Alternatively, you can “automate” the entire acquisition/saving process using a specific feature of the program: click on the small down arrow located next to the Scan button, choose the Batch Scan item from the menu that is proposed to you, then put the checkmark next to the item  Multiple scans (required between each), if you want to manually start the acquisition of the next page; alternatively, select the item  Multiple scans (fixed delay for each), to ensure that the acquisition between one page and another is automatic, then indicate the number of pages to be scanned in the number of scans box, and the waiting time (in seconds) between auto scans, in the  Interval between scans (seconds) box.

Finally, put the checkmark next to the item  Upload images in NAPS2, if you want to check that the images have been acquired correctly and proceed with manual saving, or next to the item  Save in a single file, to ensure that the file is saved automatically. In the latter case, click on the […] button to choose the destination folder and the resulting file name.

Once the configuration is complete, click on the Start button to start the page acquisition process: you can check the progress by looking at the warning messages that appear at the top of the page, just below the title bar. Remember to replace the pages inside the tray within the specified delay.

At the end of the scan, you should see the message  Series completed : if you have chosen to manually save the file, click on the Close button and, after checking the quality of the images, proceed with the creation of the document as I explained above.

If, on the other hand, you had opted for automatic saving, you can safely close the program: the document of your interest will reside in the folder you specified previously.

Scan PDF to multiple pages on Mac

Scanning multiple pages of a document and making them into a single file, with macOS Preview, is really a breeze! First, load the first page of the document into the scanner (or into the scanner compartment of the printer), start the Preview program calling it from the  Launchpad (the rocket icon attached to the  Dock ), then click on the File menu  > Import from [scanner name / multifunction] located at the top left and wait a few seconds for the device to be recognized correctly by the computer.

Then, wait for the document to be scanned, then select the scanning area by drawing a rectangle on the sheet preview and make the necessary adjustments using the appropriate menus: indicate, in the Type menu, if you are scanning images or documents, then specify the resolution and choose the PDF item from the Format drop-down menu.

Then, put the checkmark next to  Merge into a single document, define any image correction settings  (or leave everything as it is, if you don’t know what it is) and click on the Scan button to acquire the first page of the document. Once this is done, you should preview the file you just created.

When this happens, load the second sheet of the document in the scanner tray returns to the screen capture the Preview button again and click  Scan. Repeat the same steps until the pages to be scanned are finished.

Once the acquisition of the pages has been completed, move to the Preview screen that contains the document just scanned, click on the File> Save … menu at the top, indicate the folder in which to save the document, its name, specify the PDF item in the format drop-down menu and, to finish and save the document, click on the Save button. Easier than that?

How to scan multiple pages to PDF with your smartphone

You don’t have a computer and would like to scan multiple pages in PDF with your smartphone? Then read the following paragraphs very carefully, in which I will teach you how to do this using  Scanbot, a third-party software available for Android and iOS, and Notes, a famous app integrated into the iPhone operating system.

Scanbot (Android / iOS)

The easiest way to scan multiple pages to PDF via smartphone is to use the Scanbot app: available for Android and iOS. This software allows you to scan images and documents, even on multiple pages, using the device’s rear camera. While the free version of Scanbot is more than enough for the purposes of this guide, the “premium” version unlocks additional features, such as automatic document upload, optical character recognition (OCR), filters, and more. The prices are starting from  3.69 € for Android and equal to 3.99 € / month or  79 € one-time for iOS.

In any case, after installing the app on your device, start it and, if you are on Android, press the Continue button three times, located at the bottom, to quickly pass the introductory tutorial, then tap the Skip item  ( top right) twice in a row, to continue using the free version of the app and avoid subscribing to the newsletter. Subsequently,  allow the app to access the camera and/or notifications by acting on the appropriate messages that appear on the screen.

If, on the other hand, you are using iOS, tap on the Continue without subscription item at the bottom of the app’s welcome screen and tap on the Skip item, located at the top right, to avoid subscribing to the newsletter. To conclude the initial configuration phase and grant the app permission to access the camera, tap the OK button located in the window that appears on the screen.

Once in the main Scanbot screen, tap on the Multi-page tab  (the icon of overlapping sheets ) located on the left,  frame the first sheet of the document you want to scan and press the central button (in the shape of a  camera or circle ). Alternatively, you can wait for the foreground text/image to be automatically recognized and have the app capture everything on its own.

After this step, repeat the operation for all the other pages to be scanned and, when you have finished, touch the item  X pages (where X is the number of pages scanned) located at the bottom right. Finally, assign a  name to the document using the text field at the top, touch the  Save / Save item, then the Combined button  (only on Android), and that’s it: the multi-page PDF will be saved in the memory. of the phone.

If you wish, you can use the keys shown on the screen to send the file as fax, within an email or share it via one of the apps installed on the system.

Note: The iOS app, by default, applies a special filter to allow automatic text recognition, which may distort the resulting image. To delete it, tap the Filter button located on the document save page, tap the colored button  (X) to delete all the filters, then tap the Done item located at the top right and save the document as seen above. rather.

Notes (iOS)

If you are using an iPhone and would prefer to avoid the installation of third-party apps, you can scan your document using  Notes, a famous “standard” app on Apple smartphones: after starting the application from the home screen of the “iPhone by “, tap on the button to create a new note (the square with the pen ) and then on the (+) button at the bottom. Then, touch the  Scan documents item from the menu that is proposed to you.

Once this is done,  frame the first page of the document and tap the circle-shaped button at the bottom, then drag the edges of the rectangle that appears on the screen to define the correct shot and touch the Save scan button to acquire the first page of the document. Repeat the operation for all the other pages of your interest.

When you’re done, tap the Save button  (X) (where X is the number of pages scanned) located at the bottom right and that’s it: the multi-page document will be saved in PDF format and made available within the app. To share it, go to the main Note screen, tap on the document in question (available in the scanned documents panel  ), then tap the share icon  (the square with the up arrow) and select the app through which to make sharing the document.

How do you say? After the acquisition, you don’t want to save the PDF but print it? So I really think I have what is right for you: in my article dedicated to printing from your mobile phone,  I explained all the steps necessary to configure the printer on your smartphone and carry out all the printing jobs you want.