Scan images or documents using a scanner and your Mac
If you have a scanner or a printer with a scanner, you may not need any special software to scan an image.
Before you scan, you need to open your scanner. Then, follow the instructions for either a document-feeding scanner or a flatbed scanner.
Note: The following options might not be available for your scanner. If these instructions differ from what you see onscreen, refer to the documentation that came with the app you’re using.
Open your scanner
Connect your scanner to your Mac, plug it in and turn it on.
Choose Apple menu
in the sidebar. (You may have to scroll down.)Click the printer or scanner in the Printers list on the right, then click Open Scanner.
If you don’t see an Open Scanner button, you may need to set up your scanner, or check the documentation that came with your scanner to see how to perform scans.
Scan with a document-feeding scanner
With a scanner that has an automatic document feeder, you can scan several pages at once. The same settings are used for all the pages in the feeder. If pages need different settings (for example, some are greyscale and some are colour), scan them in different groups.
Place the pages in the scanner’s document feeder.
Choose Apple menu
Click the printer or scanner in the Printers list on the right, then click Open Scanner.
If you don’t see an Open Scanner button, you may need to set up your scanner, or check the documentation that came with your scanner to see how to perform scans.
Select Use Document Feeder.
If needed, click Show Details to show more scanning options. Do any of the following:
Choose your type of scanner: Choose your type of scanner (for example, flatbed) from the Scan Mode pop-up menu.
Choose the type of image being scanned: From the Kind pop-up menu, choose Text for black and white images with high contrast, such as a document; Black & White for greyscale images; or Colour for colour images.
Choose the scanning resolution: Choose the scanning resolution you want from the Resolution pop-up menu.
Scan both sides of a page: Select Duplex. This option depends on the capabilities of your scanner and may not be available.
Specify the size for the scanned item: Enter the dimensions of the item in the Size fields.
When the scanned item appears at an angle, set a rotation angle to align it properly: Enter an angle in the Rotation Angle field.
Choose where to save the scanned items: Choose a location from the Scan To pop-up menu.
If you choose a folder, the items are stored in that folder. If you choose an app, the items are opened with that app.
Specify a name for the scanned file: Enter a name in the Name field.
Choose a file format for the scan file: Choose a file format from the Format pop-up menu.
When you choose PDF as the format, you can also choose to scan text using an OCR feature to make it editable or combine several scan items into a single file.
Adjust the colours or exposure of the scanned image: Choose Manual from the Image Correction pop-up menu, then adjust the controls.
If you don’t see the image correction controls, scroll down or make the Scanner window taller.
See a preliminary scan of the item you’re scanning: Click Overview. You can then adjust your scanning options if needed.
Click Scan.
The scanner scans the pages one at a time.
Scan with a flatbed scanner
With a flatbed scanner, you can scan multiple smaller images at once, store each image in its own file, and straighten any images that were crooked on the bed during scanning.
Place the items on the scanner bed.
If you want to save each item in its own file, make sure there’s empty space between each item on the scanner bed. If you scan an image that has lots of white space, the scanner may import it as more than one scanned image.
Choose Apple menu
Click the printer or scanner in the Printers list on the right, then click Open Scanner.
If you don’t see an Open Scanner button, you may need to set up your scanner, or check the documentation that came with your scanner to see how to perform scans.
Deselect Use Document Feeder, if that option is present.
Choose where to save the scanned items from the Scan To pop-up menu.
If you choose a folder, the items are stored in that folder. If you choose an app, the items are opened with that app.
Choose the size of the image or document you’re scanning from the Size pop-up menu.
You can choose a standard paper size or one of the following:
Detect Separate Images: Store each item in its own file and straighten crooked items.
Detect Enclosing Box: Include all the items on the scanner bed in one image that’s just big enough to include them all. Crooked items aren’t straightened.
If needed, click Show Details to show more scanning options. Do any of the following:
Choose your type of scanner: Choose your type of scanner (for example, flatbed) from the Scan Mode pop-up menu.
Choose the type of image being scanned: From the Kind pop-up menu, choose Text for black and white images with high contrast, such as a document; Black & White for greyscale images; or Colour for colour images.
Choose the scanning resolution: Choose the scanning resolution you want from the Resolution pop-up menu.
Scan both sides of a page: Select Duplex. This option depends on the capabilities of your scanner and may not be available.
Specify the size for the scanned item: Enter the dimensions of the item in the Size fields.
When the scanned item appears at an angle, set a rotation angle to align it properly: Enter an angle in the Rotation Angle field.
Choose where to save the scanned items: Choose a location from the Scan To pop-up menu.
If you choose a folder, the items are stored in that folder. If you choose an app, the items are opened with that app.
Specify a name for the scanned file: Enter a name in the Name field.
Choose a file format for the scan file: Choose a file format from the Format pop-up menu.
When you choose PDF as the format, you can also choose to scan text using an OCR feature to make it editable or combine several scan items into a single file.
Adjust the colours or exposure of the scanned image: Choose Manual from the Image Correction pop-up menu, then adjust the controls.
If you don’t see the image correction controls, scroll down or make the Scanner window taller.
See a preliminary scan of the item you’re scanning: Click Overview. You can then adjust your scanning options if needed.
Click Scan.
In most cases, the scanned files are saved on your computer. To find out the exact location where the files are saved or how to choose another location, see your scanner documentation. Also see your scanner documentation for information about how to save scanned files in specific file formats to send or transfer to others.