Scan documents to PDF Part 1

Scan documents to PDF Part 1

Acrobat supports TWAIN and WIA drivers on Windows and ICA on macOS. Windows users can select Autodetect Color Mode for automatic content detection or choose from presets like Black & White, Grayscale, or Color Document. Custom scanning options allow for personalized settings.

Note

Preset scanning requires drivers that support Hide Scanner’s Native Interface mode which isn't available on macOS.

Scan a paper document to PDF in Acrobat

  1. 1. From the global bar, select Create, then choose Scanner.

  2. 2. Choose the scanner to view the options available.

    If Acrobat doesn't recognize your scanner, see Scanner not recognized.

  3. 3. Choose the settings as mentioned below, then select Scan.

    Settings

    Applicable to

    Details

    Scan using

    Windows

    • Use the Default settings to scan.
    • Select to use the scanner or printer's native interface.

    Predefined scan setting

    Windows

    Select if you want the scanner or printer to Autodetect Color Mode, scan Black and White Document, Color Document, Grayscale Document, or a Color Photograph.

    Custom Scan settings

    Pages

    Windows, macOS

    • Specify the front side or both sides scanning. If you select Both Sides and the scanner settings are for only one side, the scanner setting overrides the Acrobat settings.
    • Select Prompt to scan more pages if you want to scan multiple pages.

    Color mode

    Windows

    Select a basic color mode (Autodetect, Color, Black and White, or Grayscale) that your scanner supports. This option is enabled if your Scanner Options are set to use the Acrobat scanning dialog box instead of the scanner application.

    Resolution

    Windows

    Select a resolution that your scanner supports. This option is enabled if your Scanner Options are set to use the Acrobat scanning dialog box instead of the scanner application.

    Paper size

    Windows

    Select a paper size or specify a custom Width and Height.

    Quality

    Windows, macOS

    • Optimize Image - Select to run the optimization process on the PDF.
    • Drag the slider to set the balance point between file size and quality.
    • Select Settings  to customize optimization with specific file compression and filtering settings.

    Output

    Windows, macOS

    • Choose if you want to Create New PDF, Append to File, or Save Multiple Files.
    • Recognize Text (OCR) - Select to convert text images in PDFs into searchable, selectable text using OCR. Choose Settings to select document language and output type.
    • Add Metadata - Selecting this option opens the Document Properties dialog after scanning, allowing you to add metadata to the PDF. For multiple files, enter shared metadata once.
    • Make PDF/A-1b compliant - Select to make the PDF conform to ISO standards for PDF/A-1b.

  4. 4. If prompted to scan more pages, select Scan More Pages, Scan Reverse Sides, or Scan Is Complete, and select OK.

    Refer to your scanner's manual for instructions on scanning more pages with either a document-feeding or Flatbed scanner depending on your model.

Scan document to PDF from printer or scanner

Applicable to Windows

You can create a PDF file from a paper document using your printer or scanner and Acrobat. If the WIA driver is installed for your scanner, you can use the Scan button to create a PDF.

  1. 1. Press the Scan button on your printer or scanner, then select Adobe Acrobat from the list of registered applications.

  2. 2. Select a scanner, then choose a document preset or Custom Scan in the Acrobat scan interface.

Troubleshoot scanner issues

To resolve scanner errors or issues, view the following troubleshooting documents:


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