This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Travis Boylls. Travis Boylls is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. Travis has experience writing technology-related articles, providing software customer service, and in graphic design. He specializes in Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and Linux platforms. He studied graphic design at Pikes Peak Community College.
The wikiHow Tech Team also followed the article's instructions and verified that they work.
This article has been viewed 1,455,961 times.
Do you have a Canon All in One printer, such as a Pixma TS, TR, MX, or MG model, and need to scan a document or photo? As long as your Canon printer has a scanner, it'll be incredibly easy to scan from your printer to your computer! This wikiHow article will show you how to use Canon's IJ scanning utility, as well as the scanning features built in to Windows and macOS, to quickly scan any document with your Canon All in One printer.
Part 1 of 4:
Make sure that your Canon printer can scan. If your printer is an "all-in-one" model, it can scan. Some other printer models can scan as well, though you'll need to check the printer's documentation or product page to ensure that this is the case.
Connect your printer to your computer. Most Canon printers that can scan will also be able to connect wirelessly via a touch-screen panel, but you may need to connect your printer to your computer via USB cable.
Tip: Most printers include a USB cable that you can use in case the wireless feature doesn't work. Advertisement
Turn on your printer if necessary. Press the printer's "On" button. If the printer won't turn on, make sure that it's connected to a working power source.
Launch the IJ Scan Utility. It has an icon that resembles a document next to a scanner. Click the icon in the IJ Scan Utility folder.
Click Document . It's the second option in the IJ Scan Utility window. It has an icon that says "PDF" next to a document. This starts scanning your page. It may take a minute to finish.
Insert the next page and click Scan . If you have more than one page to scan, place the next page on the glass scanner or in the automatic document feeder. Make sure the document is lined up with the arrow in the back-left corner of the glass scanner. Click Scan when you are ready to scan the next page.
Click Exit . Once you are finished scanning every page of your document, click Exit. Your document will be saved as a PDF file inside your Documents folder, or wherever you chose to save your documents. [3] X Research source
Advertisement Part 3 of 4:
Click New Scan . This is in the upper-left side of the Fax and Scan window. Clicking it opens a new window.
Make sure that your scanner is correct. You should see the word "Canon" and your printer's model number. If you see something else here, click Change. and select your Canon printer.
Select a type of document. Click the "Profile" drop-down box, then select the type of document (e.g., Photo) in the drop-down box.
Select a file type. Click the "File type" drop-down box, then click the file type (e.g., PDF or JPG) that you want to use to store the scanned document on your computer.
Tip: Since you're scanning a document, you'll usually select PDF here.
Change any other options on the page. Depending on your scanner, you may have other options (e.g., "Resolution") that you can modify prior to scanning your document.
Click Preview . It's at the bottom of the window. Doing so will bring up a preview of your document in the scanner.
Tip: If your document appears crooked, uneven, or chopped-off, you can readjust the document in your scanner and then click Preview again to see if your adjustment fixed the problem.
Click Printers & Scanners . This printer-shaped icon is on the right side of the System Preferences window.
Select a file type. Click the "Format" drop-down box, then click a file type (e.g., PDF or JPEG) that you want to use to save your file.
Tip: When scanning anything other than a photo, it's best to select PDF.
Select a storage location. Click the "Save To" drop-down box, then click a folder in which you want to save your scanned document (e.g., Desktop).
Change other options on the page. Depending on the type of file that you're scanning, you may want to change the "Resolution" value or the "Orientation" value here.
Click Scan . It's in the bottom-right corner of the window. Your document will begin scanning into your computer. When it finishes, you'll be able to find it in your selected save location.
AdvertisementWhen you start the scanner wizard, or whatever you choose to use, you will notice the resolution set to a number (ie: 300pixel/inch). Increase that for a better resolution and size. Keep in mind that this will also increase the scanning time.
Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Once you have scanned the document and saved it to your computer, open up a blank email and use the attachment icon to attach the document file to the email.
Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
If you have a smartphone you can download the Genius Scan app. It allows you take a picture of a piece of paper and then it converts it to a .jpg that looks like a scan. From there you can send it to your computer through email or dropbox.
Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
3 Simple Ways to Print on Both Sides of the Paper
How to Connect a Printer to Your Laptop or Desktop
How to Set Up a Wireless Printer Connection
4 Easy Ways to Fix a Print Spooler Error
4 Simple Ways To Add an HP Printer to a Wireless Network
Easy Ways to Find the WPS PIN for Printers: Common + Specific Models
How to Find Your Printer's IP Address
How to Add a Wireless Printer to Your iPad
Simple Guide to Thoroughly Clean Epson Printer Heads
How to Connect a Canon Printer to Wi-Fi on Windows or Mac
4 Simple Ways to Clean Your Printer’s Printhead
