How do I scan several pages into one PDF?
The setting that turns a stack of separate image files into one document, on a flatbed and on a feeder — plus what to do when your scanner refuses and you have twenty files already.
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Time
- 15 min
- Read
- 4 min
Short answer
In the scan software, set the file type to PDF rather than JPEG, and look for an option called multi-page, combine into one file, or add page. On a flatbed you scan a page, choose add another, and repeat before saving. If the software will not do it, scan to separate files and combine them afterwards in a PDF tool or your operating system's own preview.
Almost every scanner can do this and almost every scanner hides it somewhere different. The underlying rule is simple: PDF is the only common format that holds multiple pages, so the first thing to change is the file type. Choosing JPEG or PNG guarantees one file per page no matter what else you set.
Step by step
- Set the file type to PDF first.Everything else depends on this. Image formats cannot hold more than one page, so a multi-page option will either be greyed out or will silently produce numbered separate files.
- Find the multi-page option.It appears as multi-page, combine into a single file, save all pages to one file, or a prompt after each scan asking whether to add another page. On the printer's own touchscreen it is often under scan settings or a separate multi-page scan mode.
- Use the document feeder if the printer has one.A feeder scans a stack automatically and almost always produces one file. Fan the pages, remove staples and paperclips, square the stack, and set the guides to the paper width.
- On a flatbed, use the add page prompt.Scan the first page, then choose add page or scan next rather than save. Repeat for every page, then save once at the end. Saving too early is the mistake that produces twenty files.
- Set a sensible resolution.300 dpi is right for text documents and produces a file that will actually send by email. 600 dpi doubles the size for no benefit on ordinary text. Use higher only for photographs or for text that will be enlarged.
- Scan in greyscale or black and white for documents.A colour scan of a black text document produces a far larger file and often looks worse, because paper texture and shadows are captured too. Greyscale is the sensible default for paperwork.
- Combine afterwards if the software will not.On macOS, open the first file in Preview, show thumbnails, and drag the others into the sidebar, then save. On Windows, several free tools and the print-to-PDF function will merge. On a phone, the built-in scanning function in the notes or files app produces multi-page PDFs directly.
- Check the page order and orientation before you send it.Feeders occasionally pull two pages together and flatbed scans can end up upside down. Open the finished PDF and page through it once.
Tips
- A phone is often the better scanner for a few pages. The built-in document scanner in the notes or files app on both platforms detects edges, corrects perspective, and produces a multi-page PDF in one go.
- If you need to find text in the document later, you need optical character recognition as well — a plain scan is a picture of a page and cannot be searched.
- For anything you are sending to an official body, check whether they specify a maximum file size. 300 dpi greyscale keeps most documents comfortably within typical limits.
If it doesn't work
Every page saves as a separate file
Cause: The file type is an image format — Fix: Change it to PDF. This is the cause almost every time.
The feeder pulls two sheets at once
Cause: Static, or worn separation rollers — Fix: Fan the stack before loading and reduce the number of sheets. If it persists, the separation roller is worn and is a serviceable part.
The file is enormous
Cause: Colour scanning at high resolution — Fix: Rescan at 300 dpi in greyscale. For an existing file, most PDF tools have a compress or reduce file size option.
Scanned pages are crooked
Cause: Guides not set, or pages not squared — Fix: Set the feeder guides to touch the paper, and square the stack on a hard surface first. Many scan tools also have an auto-straighten option.
Questions people ask
Why is there no PDF option in my scanning software?
Some basic drivers offer only image formats. Use the manufacturer's scan utility, the operating system's own scan tool, or scan to images and combine them afterwards.
Can I add a page to a PDF I already saved?
Yes. Open it in a PDF tool or in Preview on macOS, and insert the new scan at the right position. You do not have to start again.
How do I make the scanned text searchable?
You need optical character recognition, which adds an invisible text layer behind the image. Some scanner software includes it and there are free tools that add it afterwards.