Windows 8.1 How Do I Scan for Hardware Change

A great mode to preserve sensitive, written documents like W9s, contracts, and living wills is to store them digitally. This guide shows you how to scan a certificate in Windows 10 without installing 3rd-party tools.

Typically, you can scan a document using the software provided past manufacturers. Printers and scanners usually send with an optical disk containing the necessary drivers and tools. Manufacturers also make their drivers and tools bachelor online if your PC doesn't include an optical drive.

For instance, this guide uses Epson's Expression Premium XP-7100 all-in-one printer as an example. In addition to drivers, the software suite installs 8 dissever tools for printing CD labels, scanning, updating software, and more than.

Because manufacturers don't supply identical software suites across all printers and scanners, this guide uses two "native" Windows-based tools instead: Microsoft Scan and Windows Fax and Scan.

Of course, always default to your manufacturer'southward software for an experience customized to your specific scanner. If you don't want third-party tools installed on your PC, even so, Microsoft'due south 2 solutions should do the trick.

RELATED: How to Set Up a Shared Network Printer in Windows 7, viii, or ten

Is Your Scanner Windows 10 Compatible?

Before moving on, we need to make a couple of points. First, your scanner's manufacturer may supply drivers for Windows ten, simply the device itself may not specifically support the platform.

For example, nosotros tested the following tools using Canon's PIXMA MG3520 all-in-one printer with a built-in scanner. The "recommended" drivers engagement back to July 2015, though Canon released a newer suite half-dozen months later. That'due south however 3-yr-erstwhile software.

That said, the scanner portion of this AIO printer would non appear in the native Windows tools but worked correctly—using a wireless connectedness, in fact—through Canon'south software.

If you run into similar problems, you may have an older printer or scanner that's not fully compatible with Windows x. The device may also require a straight USB-based connection if used exterior the manufacturer's third-political party tools. For AIO printers, you may need to tweak its networking settings, then your Windows x PC recognizes the scanner component in addition to the overall printer unit of measurement.

Microsoft Scan

This tool is a visual upgrade to Microsoft'southward older Fax and Browse tool. It provides most of the aforementioned features, depending on your printer, simply removes the fax and email components.

Head to the Windows Scan app listing on the Microsoft Store (gratuitous) and click the blue "Become" button. Once it installs on your PC, click the "Launch" push button in the pop-upwardly notification on Windows 10.

You can also access the new app—simply labeled as "Scan"—from the Start Menu.

With the app open, your scanner should appear listed on the left. As previously stated, this guide uses Epson's Expression Premium XP-7100 all-in-ane printer every bit an instance. You'll also see an option for "File Type" along with a "Prove More" link. Click this link for the Scan app'south full carte.

For starters, you may meet a "Source" category. Since our example printer has both a flatbed scanner and an automatic document feeder, both options are bachelor for scanning a document. In this case, the default setting is set to "Automobile-Configured."

This "Car-Configured" setting limits what you can exercise, locking you to "File Blazon" and "Save File To" options.  If you select the "Flatbed" option equally your source, or it'southward the only source available, you'll see two boosted options appear on the list: "Colour Way" and "Resolution (DPI)."

With "Color Mode," you lot tin can browse documents in full colour, in grayscale, or a stark black and white. Meanwhile, the "Resolution (DPI)" setting allows you lot to switch from 100 to 300 DPI.

If yous select "Feeder" as your scanning source, two additional options appear. Every bit shown beneath, you can choose the newspaper size (A4, Legal, or Letter of the alphabet) and toggle on/off the option to scan both sides of your document.

With all three sources, the "File Type" setting provides 4 options: JPEG, PNG, TIFF, and Bitmap. We provide a separate article explaining the benefits of each format. In short, however, the JPEG and TIFF formats typically offer loftier-quality results, though TIFF files also back up transparent backgrounds. PNG files are ideal for posting online, and BMP files are raw, uncompressed images.

Finally, you'll run into the "Relieve File To" selection. It's set up to "Scans" by default and places your scanned documents in a "Scans" folder located within your "Pictures" folder. The proper path is:

C:\Users\youraccount\Pictures\Scans

Click the "Scans" link, and File Explorer appears. Here you can create a new binder or select a current location and click the "Select Folder" push.

When you're ready to scan, insert your document into the feeder, or lift the scanner's lid. For the latter, identify the document face-down on the drinking glass and shut the hat.

With the "Flatbed" selection set as your source, you can click "Preview" to test the scan and make adjustments if needed before finalizing with the "Scan" push. If you're using the "Feeder" source, the "Preview" option does not appear.

RELATED: How to Manage a Printer in Windows 10

Windows Fax and Scan

This program first appeared in Windows Vista. Unlike Microsoft's newer Browse app, this version provides additional settings, like a built-in tool for emailing your scan, so you're non searching for the file through the Mail app, browser, or third-party e-mail client.

You tin find the Fax and Scan program located within the Commencement Carte's "Windows Accessories" binder.

One time it's opened, click the "New Scan" option on the toolbar.

In the "New Scan" popup window, make sure the program is set up to your default scanner. If not, click the "Modify" push button.

Next, select a scan profile: "Photo," "Documents," or "Last Used Settings." As an pick, click the "Add Profile" selection on the list to create a custom profile to use repeatedly.

Select your scanner's source. This option may just read "Flatbed." If you lot have an AIO printer that includes a feeder, however, you lot may run into 2 additional options:  "Feeder (Scan One Side)" and "Feeder (Browse Both Sides)."

If your printer or scanner supports a feeder and you select that option, you will see a setting for the target paper size. Click the setting, and a long list of sizes appears.

Adjacent, select your color format (Color, Grayscale, or Black and White) followed by file blazon (BMP, JPG, PNG, or TIF) and resolution.

For resolution, the default setting is 300, only you can manually raise or lower the number of dots the printer crams into every inch. Typically, the higher the number, the better the resolution. If you're scanning a low-grade document, all the same, bumping up the resolution won't help.

Finally, adjust the brightness and dissimilarity accordingly.

When you're done, click the "Preview" button to encounter the results. If the pre-scan looks groovy, then click the "Scan" button. If non, adjust your settings and click the "Preview" button again for another exam. Click the "Scan" button when you're satisfied with the settings.

Share this post