OfficeJet 5740 Flatbed Scanner Scaling - Found the solution

[DorisSpiel]

As described by Peter three years ago in the Question with - almost the same title - I have been facing the same - scaling/cut-off issue with my scanner, when used in the flatbed mode. All fine in top feed mode. Read on for the 10 second solution, which does not involve throwing the 5740 out the window. I was close though. 

Problem: 

I tried scanning my passport or other smaller things I only can use the flatbed for. Each time, no matter what resolution I chose, or PDF vs jpg, or extending the rails on top of the printer to it's widest, each time the scan would cut off the picture at the edge of the passport, slightly cutting off part of the document. 

I disconnected the device from the computer,  so it wasn't a question of drivers on my laptop, or any settings, and scanned to the USP stick. Same result. 

The scanner was simply scaling to the edges of the object I wanted to scan and slightly cutting off, other times massively cutting off, depending where on the glass flatbed I placed it.

Non of the suggestions provided by HP staff in the other post helped. I almost lost my will to live, extremely annoying, as it is COVID and I can't just get a scan of my passport anywhere. And it's urgent. And this piece of equipment should work when you need it!

After two hours of despair and reinstalling drivers, reading the forum, taking 20 test scans after each change I made - I had the enlightenment:

Solution:

I took an A4 page of white paper, and put it over the back of my passport, closed the lid on the flatbed, and scanned. And.... low and behold it then scanned to the edges of the A4 paper and gave me a high resolution of the passport. 

So if the scanner cuts off the edge of your Letter or A4 page, or anything smaller, just cover the whole flatbed with a couple of sheets of plain white paper.