Windows 11 ships with an app called Scan to help you scan files and images and save them to your computer. While it covers all basic features, it does not allow scanning multiple pages into a single PDF, even though it allows saving scanned documents as PDF files. As you likely know, the classic Windows Fax and Scan does not support PDF format at all.
Users need to manually combine scanned PDF files with the help of third-party software such as PDFgear.
If you own an HP printer and scanner, however, you can use the official HP Smart app to scan and combine multiple pages into one PDF file for free. The only catch is that it does not support printers/scanners from other brands.
Use the HP Smart app to scan multiple files into one PDF in Windows 11
This guide shows you how to use the HP Smart app to scan multiple pages into one PDF on a Windows 11 PC.
Step 1: Ensure that your HP printer/scanner is connected to your Windows 11 PC and is turned on.
Step 2: Install the HP Smart app from the Windows 11 Store if it’s not already installed.
Step 3: Launch the HP Smart app using the search box on the taskbar.
Step 4: Once launched, ensure that your printer/scanner is showing up in the app. If not, click the Add button and then follow the on-screen directions. If the HP Smart app fails to detect your printer/scanner, you can manually download the HP printer driver from the official website and install it.
Step 5: On the home page of the HP Smart app, click the Scan button.
Step 6: Here, on the right side, select Document or Photo from the “Presets” drop-down depending on what you need to scan, select “Color or Grayscale” from the “Output” drop-down, and then change the DPI setting from the default 300 to one of the available options. We recommend 600 dpi for photos and 300 dpi for documents.
Step 7: Finally, click the Scan button to begin scanning the inserted document/picture.
Step 8: Once the scanning is complete, you will see the scanned image/document on the screen. Because you need to scan multiple files and make one PDF instead of multiple PDFs, click the Add button.
Step 9: Place the next document/photo you would like to scan next.
Step 10: Click the Scan button again to scan the inserted document/photo. Note that you can change the DPI and other scan settings if you wish to do so before clicking the Scan button.
Step 11: Repeat these steps for all your documents/pictures that you want to include in the PDF file.
Step 12: Finally, after all documents are scanned, click the Save button.
Step 13: Ensure that “Basic PDF” is selected and then select the compression type (low, medium, or high) if you wish to reduce the size of the PDF file. Click the Save button.
Step 14: Select a location to save the PDF file and then click the Save button to save the PDF file. That’s it! You may now open the PDF file to view it. Since the app allows you save scanned file wherever you want, please remember where you have saved it!
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