How-to guide
How to scan a document on Windows, Mac or Chromebook
Scan documents and photos with the free tools built into Windows, macOS and ChromeOS, pick sensible resolution and file type, and find where scans are saved.
Windows, macOS and ChromeOS each have a free scanning tool that works with most current all-in-one printers, so you often don’t need the maker’s software to scan a page. This guide covers Windows Scan, Image Capture on a Mac and the Scan app on a Chromebook, plus the few settings that decide whether a scan looks sharp and stays a sensible file size.
Steps for Windows 11/10, Mac and Chromebook.
Before you start
- An all-in-one printer or scanner set up on your computer
- The document or photo to scan
Steps
Work down the list in order. Tick off each step as you go: your progress is saved on this device.
Windows 11 and 10
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Install the Windows Scan app
Open the Microsoft Store, search for Windows Scan and install the free app published by Microsoft. Many PCs also have the older Windows Fax and Scan; search the Start menu to see whether yours does.
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Place the document
Lay the page face down on the glass, lined up with the corner marker, and close the lid. If your printer has a document feeder, you can load pages face up in the feeder instead.
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Choose the scanner and source
Open Windows Scan, pick your printer under Scanner, then set Source to Flatbed for the glass or Feeder for the document feeder.
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Set the file type, color and resolution
Choose PDF for documents or JPEG for photos. Click Show more to set color mode and resolution: 300 DPI suits documents, and 600 DPI suits photos you may want to enlarge.
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Preview, then scan
Click Preview to check the page is straight and fully inside the frame, then click Scan.
You should see: A message confirms the scan was saved and offers to show it. Unless you change the save location, it goes to a Scans folder inside Pictures.
macOS
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Open Image Capture
Open Image Capture from the Applications folder, or press Command + Space and type its name.
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Select the scanner
Click your printer in the sidebar under Devices or Shared. If it isn’t listed, add the printer in System Settings > Printers & Scanners first.
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Open the full settings
Click Show Details to see options for the kind of scan, resolution, size, format and where to save.
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Choose the format and destination
Set Format to PDF for documents and tick Combine into single document for multi-page scans. Choose a folder in the Scan To menu.
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Scan the page
Place the document, then click Scan.
You should see: The scan appears in the folder you chose in Scan To.
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Use Preview as an alternative
In Preview, choose File > Import from followed by your scanner’s name. The scan opens straight in Preview, ready to crop, rotate or save as PDF.
ChromeOS
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Open the Scan app
Press the Launcher key and search for Scan. The app is built into ChromeOS.
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Choose the scanner and settings
Pick your printer under Scanner, set the source to the glass or the feeder, then choose the file type, color mode, page size and resolution.
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Pick where to save, then scan
Check the Scan to setting, which chooses the folder in My files, then click Scan.
You should see: The finished scan appears in the folder shown under Scan to, with an option to open it.
Good to know
- If a computer can print but can’t find the scanner, the scanning side may need the manufacturer’s full driver or app, especially on older models. Get it from the manufacturer’s support site or the Mac App Store.
- Scanning at 1200 DPI or more creates very large files and is only worth it for small originals, such as slides or stamps, that you plan to enlarge.
- Windows Scan and Image Capture save each page as an image, so the text inside isn’t searchable. If you need searchable PDFs, the manufacturer’s scanning app often offers text recognition.
Common questions
Where do my scans go on Windows?
Windows Scan saves to a Scans folder inside Pictures unless you change the save location in the app. Open File Explorer and look in Pictures if you can’t find a scan.
How do I scan several pages into one PDF?
Use the document feeder with PDF as the file type. On a Mac, tick Combine into single document in Image Capture before scanning from the glass one page at a time.
Why does my scan look blurry?
Check that the document lies flat on the glass with the lid closed, that the glass is clean and that the resolution is at least 300 DPI.