Can we connect printer and scanner to laptop?

With our days revolving more and more around technology, we are regularly expected to make prints, scans, and photocopies. While the former and latter are relatively easy, scanning seems to leave most people confused.

Scanning is the art of making soft copies out of hard copies. For example, a pdf or jpeg can be created once a document or image has been scanned. People can then store the electronic copies on their devices for future use. What puzzles people, though, is the saving procedure.

How to connect a printer to a laptop for scanning? How do I extract the digital version to my electronic device?

Let us explain the process in detail!

How To Connect Printer To Laptop For Scanning

How To Scran From Printer To Laptop (Windows)

Step One: Connecting Printer to Laptop

If you are using a printer that is able to function on wireless connectivity, then turn on your Wi-Fi and make sure both devices are connected. Keep them within the range to avoid any broken connections.

On the other hand, a printer that operates using a wired connection should be linked up using USB or Ethernet cables.

Step Two: Prepare your Computer for Scanning

Click on the Start button present at the bottom left corner of your screen and choose the Settings icon. The Devices option will be present, which should be opened up to reveal a menu on the left-hand side of the screen. Click on the Printers & Scanners option and then choose your printer’s name. Three buttons will pop up underneath your printer’s name, and you should press on the middle one, which says Manage.

Now, a new window will open up to reveal further options like properties, preferences, etc. A multifunctional printer will also show something like “Scanner: Printer Name.” Left-click on this and press down on the Open Scanner buttons to open the Scan Windows app.

Step Three: Placing Document into Scanner

Open the lid of your flatbed scanner and place your document on top. Make sure that the side which you intend to make a soft copy of, is facing downwards. Spread it out so that no folds or creases are present, and then shut down the lid of the flatbed scanner.

If you intend to use the feeder, have the pages ready so that you can insert them one by one.

Step Four: Scanning the Document

Shift to the computer and select the Source. You can either choose the flatbed or feeder depending on which you are using. Next, pick a suitable form to save in by clicking on the File Type and accessing a drop-down list. Pdf, jpeg, and png are some of the most common options. You can also select a location for saving the document by clicking on Save File To.

Lastly, for determining the looks of your soft copy, choose amongst the black and white or color options. You should also adjust the brightness, resolution, and contrast to be able to clearly view all the writings or images.

Once everything is set, left-click on the Scan icon present at the bottom right corner of the menu, which is situated on the left side of your window. Your new scanned document will now be saved there.

How To Scan From Printer To Mac

Step One: Connecting Printer to Mac

Connect your Mac to the Wi-Fi and do the same for your printer. If wireless connectivity is supported, you can already go ahead with your scanning and printing tasks. Otherwise, you might have to resort to connecting them using USB or Ethernet cables.

Step Two: Preparing your Mac for Scanning

Initiate the process by opening up the Apple Menu. Upon visiting the System Preferences unit, you will notice several icons with their names scribed underneath. Click on the Printers& Scanners option to be listed with the names of all the printing machines connected to your device.

Choose the one that you intend to make scans from. When opening a multifunctional printer’s options, you will be presented with two tabs – Print and Scan.Left-click on the Scanoption and then proceed to press down on the Open Scanner button.

Step Three: Altering Scan Settings

Following the previous steps diligently will take you to the Scanner program. A dialogue box can be seen on the screen where you can make any edits to your settings.

Firstly, select the location where you intend to save your scanned file. You can do this using the Scan To drop-down menu present at the bottom of the small window. Right beside it, you will also be presented with a drop-down list for many size options.

Up next, you should pick the inserting details. Press on the Use Document Feeder option if that is your intention, or you can simply choose the Flatbed option in the Scan Mode. Color or Black and White option can be hand-picked in Kind and Resolution, Rotation Angle, Auto Selection, Format, etc. cand also be chosen.

Lastly, type in a Name and make necessary edits in Image Correction.

Step Four: Scanning Your Document

Place your document within the scanner. Before you do so, ensure that the hard copy is free from creases or folds. You can then press the Scan button present at the bottom of your Scanner dialogue box to immediately receive your scanned soft copy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Won’t My Scanner Scan To My Laptop?

Usually, this problem only occurs when your printer cannot connect properly to your laptop. If you are using a wireless connection, take a moment to check whether both the devices are within your Wi-Fi range. When a wired connection is used, you should inspect the USB or Ethernet cables for any faults. In case no faults are found, remove the cable from the port it was connected to and insert it in another one.

How Do I Get My HP Printer To Scan?

While using a multi-purpose HP printer, you can make soft copies using the HP Smart app. On the Home tab, you will notice a Scan tile that needs to be clicked on. You can then place the hard copy of a document or image on the scanner’s flatbed or insert it through the automatic document feeder. After selecting a few more scan settings like the resolution, saving location, size, color mode, etc., you can proceed to end your scanning task.

Conclusion

You now know how to connect printer to your laptop for scanning! Our article intended to remove any queries people might have had regarding the process and we sure do hope we were successful. As you might have noticed, the process is extremely straightforward and requires only little effort to accomplish. So, just by following a few necessary steps, you will be able to make a digital version of your favorite design, an important article, or crucial office documents. So, have a fun time printing!