Turn separate printer and scanner into a photocopier & How to scan several PDF documents into a single PDF document
Printer and scanner problem
Is it possible to make a separate printer and a separate scanner make copies of documents like an all-in-one printer-scanner-copier?
Answer
A printer and scanner can be made to work together to copy documents. First, check to find out if your scanner came with copying software. If so, installing and using it is usually a very simple matter. If not, you can use the free iCopy. The link to its website page comes up first when you perform a web search for it. Install iCopy and then just run it and select your printer and scanner. Then all you have to do is use its iCopy button to make copies.
How to scan several PDF documents into a single PDF document if your multi-function printer’s software can’t do that
Problem
The software that came with my MFP, a Brother DCP-J315W, can’t scan several pages into a single PDF file. Otherwise, it is an excellent device that uses four inexpensive cartridges. You can buy third-party software that does the job. Is there any free software available. I don’t see why I should pay for it when the cheap HP PSC 1410 MFP I had, dating back to 2005, could do that in colour or black or greyscale beautifully.
Answer
There are many applications that can produce a single multi-page PDF document from multiple scans and free software that can do the job is available. You need to obtain two free utilities. 1. – CutePDF Writer from cutepdf.com, which installs itself as a printer that can create a PDF document in any application via its Print menu. 2. – iCopy (the link to its website page comes up first when you perform a web search for it), which is designed to link a separate printer and scanner in order to photocopy, but can send a printout image from a scanner to the CutePDF printer you will have installed that allows you to save the scans into a single PDF document.
There is also a website that can do the job for you online – https://foxyutils.com/mergepdf/. You have to upload the original PDF documents to the site in the correct order.
