Free application to scan files
HP Scan and Capture is a free app that lets you connect to an HP printer or scanner to scan, edit, and save documents to your Microsoft Windows PC. The scanning software can capture pictures with your built-in webcam, as well. You can download and install the HP Development Company product on the 32-bit and 64-bit Windows 10, Windows 8.1, etc.
HP Scan and Capture can connect to an HP scanner or printer through a network connection to retrieve scanned files: documents or photos. You can edit, preview, and save the media in the clean user interface.
What is HP Scan and Capture?
How do I scan from my HP printer to my computer?
A notification will appear when you first download and install HP Scan and Capture to let you know that an HP device needs to be selected from the settings menu. You can click on the ‘Settings Menu’ button, and then the ‘Select Device’ section to sync your printer or scanner to the PC: HP DeskJet, LaserJet, etc. The available machines will be presented in the tab.
If you see the title of the accessory in the upper left corner of the UI, then the HP gear is correctly connected. You can place the sheet of paper on top of the glass before you select either ‘Capture Photos’ or ‘Capture Documents’ to scan the paper. If you want to receive photos and images, then you can tap ‘Capture Photos’.
The ‘Capture Documents’ option lets you collect pages of brochures, presentations, etc. The scanning tool will immediately begin retrieving the media. You can see the step that is being executed in the top left corner. The preview image will appear beneath the note that the scan was successful. There are buttons at the bottom window that let you modify the file.
You can crop and rotate the page left and right. If you are not satisfied with the transfer, then you can click on the ‘Remove’ icon to delete the paper. You can scan more files by pressing on the ‘Scan’ button in the lower right corner of the screen.
The ‘Save’ button will let you determine the file type, name, and location from the popup browser. The default file format is ‘PDF file’.
Why won’t my HP printer scan to my computer?
If you do not see your preferred accessory, then you can click on the ‘Not finding your device?’ link to give you more information. You can refresh the external device list by pressing on the rotating arrows button next to ‘Available’. The HP and PC equipment will be automatically linked when you click on the preferred printer or scanner name.
While the HP driver utility has been developed specifically for HP printer driver systems, the software still supports a variety of printers and scanners. However, HP Scan and Capture is not compatible with Mac nor Linux operating systems.
Alternative HP scanning platforms
HP Print and Scan Doctor and HP Smart are popular productivity programs. If HP Scan and Capture does not work, then you can use the HP Print and Scan Doctor to detect the issue. The HP Doctor will automatically screen your scanning device and PC for connectivity problems, missing drivers, etc.
If the Doctor detects errors, then you can fix the concerns by following the descriptions that the program gives you at the bottom of the screen. HP Smart is an all-in-one app that can replace the HP Scan and Capture and HP Print and Scan Doctor applications. You can create a device connection, print, scan, and troubleshoot with HP Smart.
All of the apps are from the same developer: Hewlett-Packard. While you can only download HP Scan and Capture and HP Doctor on a Windows device, HP Smart is cross platform and available on iOS and Windows computers, laptops, mobile phones, and tablets.
A simple scanning solution
HP Scan and Capture is a lightweight freeware that lets you connect an HP accessory to your PC to scan and save photos and documents. The HP service has an intuitive user interface that lets you easily scan and save multi or single page PDF files. You can either get your media from the HP device or your PC webcam.
HP Scan and Capture is becoming a dated app that has been replaced by utilities that can complete an extensive list of tasks: copy, print, scan, troubleshoot, etc. The platform still gets regular updates that add to the features, fix defects, etc.
