Appearance
Summary
This guide shows you how to scan a paper document and send it as a PDF — either to your email inbox or to a USB drive — using the office copier. The exact screen layout varies by brand, but the overall workflow is the same on every modern multifunction printer.
Before You Start
- Access to a network-connected office copier or multifunction printer (MFP)
- Your work email address (for scan-to-email)
- A USB flash drive (for scan-to-USB, if your copier supports it)
Instructions
1. Place Your Document
How you load the pages decides whether the scan comes out in the right order and the right way up.
- For single pages or photos: Lift the copier lid and place the document face-down on the glass, aligned with the corner guides (usually top-left).
- For multi-page documents: Load the pages face-up into the Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) — the tray on top of the copier. Adjust the paper guides so they touch the edges of the stack.
TIP
The ADF scans pages in order from top to bottom. Place page 1 on top of the stack. If your document has staples or sticky notes, remove them first to avoid jams.
2. Scan to Email
This sends the scanned document directly to your email inbox as a PDF attachment.
- On the copier's touchscreen, tap Scan (or Scan to Email).
- Enter your work email address in the To field. Some copiers let you search an address book — look for your name.
- Optionally, add a Subject line (like "Scanned Contract 07-10") so you can find it in your inbox.
- Choose the file format. Select PDF for most documents. Some copiers also offer JPEG (for photos) or TIFF.
- Tap Start, Send, or the green button to begin scanning.
- If you used the ADF, the copier feeds each page automatically. If you used the glass, the copier may ask "Next page?" — place the next page and tap Yes, or tap No / Done when finished.
- Check your email inbox for the scanned document within 1–2 minutes.
3. Scan to USB Drive
Use this method if your copier supports USB scanning or if email scanning isn't configured.
- Insert your USB flash drive into the USB port on the copier (usually on the front or side panel).
- On the touchscreen, tap Scan and then select Scan to USB (or USB Media).
- Choose the file format — PDF is recommended.
- Tap Start or the green button.
- Wait for the copier to finish, then tap Done or OK before removing the USB drive.
- Plug the USB drive into your computer and find your scanned file in the root folder (or a folder named "SCAN" depending on the copier brand).
4. Adjust Scan Settings (Optional)
The defaults suit most documents, and these are the settings worth changing when they do not.
Before pressing Start, most copiers let you adjust these settings:
| Setting | Recommended Value | When to Change |
|---|---|---|
| Color Mode | Black & White | Switch to Color for photos or branded documents |
| Resolution | 200–300 DPI | Use 300 DPI for text you need to read comfortably; use 150 DPI for quick drafts |
| File Format | Use JPEG for single images; PDF for everything else | |
| Duplex / 2-Sided | Off | Turn On if your document has printing on both sides |
| File Size | Standard | Choose Compact if you need to email the file and it's many pages |
5. Verify Your Scan
Check the file before you send it — a missing page is harder to explain afterwards.
- Open the PDF from your email or USB drive.
- Confirm all pages are present and in the correct order.
- Check that text is legible — if it's blurry, rescan at a higher DPI (300 or above).
Troubleshooting
WARNING
If the copier says "SMTP error" or "Email delivery failed," the copier's email relay settings need attention from your IT team. Use the scan-to-USB method as a workaround until IT resolves it.
| Symptom / Error | Potential Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| "Authentication failed" when scanning to email | Copier credentials expired | Contact your IT team to update the copier's email relay configuration |
| Scanned PDF is blank or all-black | Document placed face-up on glass | Place the document face-down on the glass with the printed side against the surface |
| Pages are skewed or crooked | Paper guides not aligned in ADF | Adjust the ADF paper guides so they snugly touch the edges of the paper stack |
| Scan is blurry or unreadable | Resolution too low | Rescan at 300 DPI or higher |
| USB drive not detected | Unsupported format or drive too large | Use a USB drive formatted as FAT32 (most copiers don't support NTFS or drives over 32 GB) |
| Email never arrives | Caught by spam filter | Check your Junk or Spam folder; add the copier's sending address to your safe senders list |