How to Scan Multiple Pages Into One PDF File

Written by Darlene Antonelli, MA

Last Updated: April 3, 2024 Fact Checked

Do you have a multi-page paper document that you want to scan into one simple PDF file? No matter the scanner, it's easy to scan more than one page and save all of the pages as one PDF. This wikiHow guide will walk you through scanning any multiple-page document to a PDF using your PC, Mac, Android, iPhone, or iPad.

Quick Guide to Compiling a Scanned PDF

Use your scanner to scan the first page, then consult the dialogue box on either your computer screen or printer screen. Select "Save and continue scanning" to scan additional pages into the document. Or, use an app like FineScanner to combine multiple pages.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Using a Computer and Scanner

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You can place your document in either the tray where it will feed automatically into the scanner, or you can open the lid and place each paper on the glass. The scanner you have should tell you in the manual how to best scan documents.^{[1]
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Scan your document. In most cases, you can press a Scan button on your physical scanner to begin scanning. Your computer, whether Mac or Windows, should also have a corresponding software that you can open that will also let you initiate the scan. For example, if you have a Brother scanner, you'll find a software called "Control Center 3" in either your Start Menu or Applications folder.^{[2]
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- When the scan is complete, whether you used the scanner glass or the automatic document feeder (ADF), you'll see a window pop-up with a preview of the scan.
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If you put your document in the automatic document feeder and the scan finishes satisfactorily, you can click to save the file and skip the rest of the steps.^{[3]
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Change the page on the scanner glass (if you're not using the ADF). If you're lifting the lid and placing a page on the scanner glass, you'll need to scan each page individually. If you're not satisfied with the scanning on the previous page, you can readjust it and re-scan before continuing.^{[4]
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- If you're using an HP scanner, make sure the box next to "Single Page Files" is not checked. If you're scanning with the automatic document feeder, all the pages in the document will automatically save in the same PDF.
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Click to add another page on the scan preview. Some scanners, like the Brother and HP scanners, if you scan by setting your document on the glass, will display a scan preview after each scan. You can click the icon that looks like a plus sign in a piece of paper or Start to scan a page on the glass.^{[5]
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- When the preview window pops up again, you can repeat the previous steps to change the paper and click Start to add as many pages as you need.
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Click Cancel or Save when you're done. If you want to edit your pages, click Edit page and you can change the settings of the page before saving the final file.^{[6]
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- After clicking Save, you can choose where to save the PDF and what to name it.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Using a Mobile App

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Download "FineScanner: PDF Document Scan" from the Google Play Store
or App Store
. FineScanner: PDF Document Scan is a highly rated, downloaded, and suggested mobile app that offers both free and paid subscriptions to use the service.^{[7]
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- It is developed and offered by ABBYY.
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Open FineScanner: PDF Document Scan. This app icon looks like a red scanner that you can find on one of your Home screens, in the app drawer, or by searching.
- When you open the app for the first time, you need to give the app permissions to use your camera and access your storage.
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Scan your first page. Line up your camera to the first page of what you want to scan, then tap the red icon at the bottom of your screen.^{[8]
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- The image you captured goes into your media and you can either continue adding pages.
This will take you to the next step in creating a PDF.
The image will display in the top half of the screen while the editing bar is below.
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Tap Save. You'll see this in the upper right corner. All the pages/camera captures will save into one PDF document.^{[9]
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- You'll find this document in "Documents" within the app; you can share the PDF by tapping ⋮ > Share.