How to scan a document on a Windows computer

If you are looking for an article on how to scan a document on a Windows computer, then you have come to the right place. Being able to scan physical documents quickly and easily is truly helpful for both personal and professional purposes.

While many places now accept PDF documents (as well as Word documents) online, there are times when you have a physical piece of paper and need to scan it, such as driver’s license photos or handwritten notes.

So let’s look at some simple ways to scan a physical document using any of the best scanners (or printer with scanner) and Windows PC – new and old, the process remains largely the same.

Tools and Requirements

Windows PC
Scanner or printer with scanner
An application like Windows Scan

Steps to scan a document

Place the document you want to scan on the scanner.
Open the Windows Scan app, available for free from the Microsoft Store.
Find your scanner and check that the settings are correct.
Scan the document and save it in the format you need.

Step by step guide

1. Open the scanner and place the document

Scanner

(Image: © Future)

The first step is to set up your scanner by checking the manual or online instructions. Every scanner is different, but the basic ideas are the same. You’ll need to make sure the scanning platform is clear of dust and other debris, your scanner is turned on, and connected to your computer either through an online connection or a physical wired connection.

2. Open Windows Scan on your Windows PC.

Windows Scan

(Image: © Microsoft)

Windows Scan is Microsoft’s own scanning software, and while other companies make similar tools, we recommend going with the simplest option here. This is a free app from the Microsoft Store and should work on most computers running Windows 8.1 or later.

3. Make sure your scanner and computer are talking.

Raven Pro Document Scanner White

(Image: © Raven)

Once your scanner is turned on and you’ve opened Windows Scan, they should recognize each other and you’ll be able to see document previews in the Windows scanning interface. In most cases this will happen automatically.

Windows Scan includes a variety of different settings located on the left half of the application, allowing you to select a scanner, change the source, and then save different file types, and so on. You can also select the document size.

If you don’t see your scanner, go to Windows Settings → Devices → Printers and Scanners → Add a Printer or Scanner and click Add a Device.

4. Make sure the document is straight and scan it.

Brother MFC-J6955DW Scanner

(Image: © Future)

Now comes the fun part: make sure your document is aligned correctly (most scanners have actual lines for different page sizes), go to Windows Scan and click Scan. There’s also a preview option if you want to make sure everything is in order.

That’s it! Your physical document will now appear on your Windows PC, perhaps after some whirring from the scanner itself. Enjoy the resulting PDF, JPEG, or any other file type you need.

BONUS: sheet-fed and flatbed scanners

The last thing to consider is the type of scanner you have. It can generally be divided into two categories: sheet and flatbed.

As the name suggests, in the first case you will have to feed sheets of paper (separately or together) into the scanner. These types of scanners are usually more expensive because they can handle heavier scanning loads, such as stapled documents (but be sure to remove the staples to avoid damaging the scanner!)

The second type, tablet, is more common and requires placing a piece of paper on the “bed” so that the sensor can pick up the contents.

The scan results are the same, and Windows scan can interact with both types, but it’s worth considering.

Frequently asked questions about document scanning

Which scanner is the best?

We spent a lot of time testing best scanners And Canon Maxify GX4020/GX4050 (USA/UK) has proven to be the best for most people due to its combination of high scanning resolution as well as scanning, printing, faxing and copying functions, and an economical ink tank model.

For most home office tasks we recommend Epson ES-C380Wwhich is portable and easy to use, and can scan to USB drive and computer.

Which scanner should a small business buy?

This guide is mainly intended for those who want to scan documents at home, but scanners have many uses in the business world as well.

We found that Brother ADS-4900W The best choice for businesses with fast, reliable scanning and accurate text recognition. Unfortunately, however, the ADS-4900W does not support Mac, so make sure your office is running Windows.

Should I buy a scanner or just use a printer?

The result is almost the same as using a dedicated scanner compared to most other scanners. best all-in-one printersand so it really depends on how much scanning you expect to do.

For most people, having a printer that can also scan is ideal and will likely save you some money. But professional scanners may want to consider using a separate device with more features.

Final Thoughts

Scanning documents is a really handy thing that can be done for a variety of reasons, both professional and personal. Uploading holiday photos, applying for official documents and many other tasks are made easier with scanning.

For Windows users, we recommend using Windows Scan, which has the advantage of being created Microsoft specifically for Windows PCs that use Windows 8.1 and higher, which is almost every computer released in 2024.

We hope this article helped you scan your documents quickly and easily.