Third party scanning software

[yeltommo]

I tried using the HP scanning software for the first time last night (I'd used the basic Window Scan software previously with the HP driver), and it's so bad and slow that I can't use it. It's like using a computer in the late '80s. Do you know if there's any way to use third-party software with an HP printer? The problem with Windows is that it doesn't allow many adjustments. In particular, I'd like to adjust the level of jpeg compression, but using the HP software is just too slow, ugly, and painful.

[sabretooth04 · Accepted solution]

Scanning issues…

Please try this scan solution:
 
HP Scan Extended

For Windows:   ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/scanners/HPScanExt/HPScanExt.msi

Once it's downloaded and installed, go to Start > All Programs > HP > HP Scan Extended > Run "HP Scan Extended"

Make searchable PDF scans with this free scanning software -   https://www.naps2.com/

Let us know.

[yeltommo]

Thanks. I'll try. Perhaps your solution will make the post I just wrote moot, but here it is anyway:

Well, I finally found a way that *appears* to change jpeg compression. If I click "Scan picture" in HP Solution Center and then...."Change Settings" and then.... (so slow!)... "Save to file save options" and then "JPEG Settings," there's a slider for Image Quality ranging from low to high. Only problem is that the file size is exactly the same no matter what I choose, about 5 MB in the specific case I'm dealing with. How could that be? 

It's been so slow and frustrating using the HP software (I'd always used Windows Fax and Scan with the basic printer driver) that I figured it wasn't worth it, but when I tried the exact same scan using Windows Fax and Scan, the resulting file was about 2 MB. So clearly the (apparently unchangeable) default jpeg compression in Windows Scan is much more aggressive than the (apparently changeable but actually unchangeable) compression provided by the HP software, which I assume is the minimal jpeg compression. I'd like a file size/quality somewhere between 2 MB and 5 MB....  

I've googled my butt off trying to find a way to adjust the jpeg compression level in Windows 7 without any luck. And even if someone could explain how to *actually* change the compression level in the HP software, the software is so annoying and slow that I'd prefer a third-party option. Is there such a thing? I have to use the basic HP printer driver, but I don't have to use the entire HP software suite. If Windows can piggy-back on it (albeit with limited features), couldn't a third-party option do it? 

[yeltommo]

**bleep**, that HP Scan Extended is exactly what I needed. Fast and effective at adjusting jpeg compression. Why would this be considered "extended" software instead of the basic software that does what the D110 software suite tries but fails miserably to do?

[yeltommo]

Addendum

Despite the huge improvement over the original software, I've noticed two problems so far:

1) The auto-exposure feature is horrible. It should be called over-exposure, as it turns all flesh-colored faces a ghostly white. I can't imagine it was designed to work this way. Any suggestions, other than not using it?

2) I don't see any option for saving a scan in a Tiff-compressed format. Just the regular uncompressed version. Am I missing something, or am I supposed to use another program for that? Given that even the POS original program allowed LZW compression for TIFF it's surprising HP Scan Extended doesn't provide that option along with ZIP compression. (Btw, I'm a bit confused by the latter option. Is it a photo-specific ZIP, or is it the same thing one uses to compress multiple files into a ZIP folder?) Do you recommend anything in particular? I suppose PGN may be more useful anyway, as it's also lossless and seems to be smaller than the equivalent TIFF-compressed file (at least the LZW versions).  What do you think?

Thank you.

[sabretooth04]

1.  I don't know.

2.  Select Everyday scan for Tif format.

[yeltommo]

I had no problem creating a (regular) Tiff file; my problem was creating a compressed Tiff.  As far as I can tell, choosing Everyday Scan doesn't solve that issue. I simply don't see any options for Tiff compression--LZW, ZIP, or otherwise.

[sabretooth04]

Did you try the NAPS2 software.  If has TIFF format and what appears to be some type of compression.  

[Niceguy4873]

I just bought my HP all in one printer but i cannot seem to scan. I tried downloading scanner software but still connot scan.

[tanal]

hi thanks! is there an extended scan for macs. This doesn't seem to work on macs and I need to scan double sided documents but there doesn't seem to be a way to do this from the HP Easy Scan software that I have already downloaded. Using the Macs scanning software results in very low resolution docs not sure why.