Scan to PDF files too large! - Why?? Solution for Windows - How about Mac? (HP-8630)

[JosephWit]

Scanning a document to a PDF file of reasonable size has been addressed many times - it is always an issue! My wife is a realtor and frequently needs to scan multiple page documents. I found an actual solution last night:

27 page letter-size B&W document - Scan to PDF on my HP-8630 AIO using HP software at 300dpi, small file size, BW: 27MB! Too big to email.

Solution (in Windows 7 at least), if you have Adobe Acrobat:

Open Adobe Acrobat, go to File Menu -  Create - PDF from Scanner - Configure Presets. Select and configure "Black and White Document": 

Select TWAIN device (NOT WIA) as the scanner; black and white, 300dpi, file size one notch to left (smaller) from center, check "optimize after scan". Select paper size and one- or two-sided scanning. Uncheck "make searchable". Save the preset. (The TWAIN driver was apparently installed with the HP installer, since I did not have to look for it.)

After placing pages in the Doc Feeder,  go to File Menu, Create - PDF from Scanner - Black and White Document. Watch the magic!

File size 768k!  Quality indistinguishable from the 27MB version, sharp and clear, all 27 pages! Really!

Using the HP software, using a lower resolution or sliding the file size slider to smaller makes a muddy scan, and the file  is still huge compared to the Acrobat technique. MUCH worse quality than the Acrobat 768k version.

Interestingly, using Acrobat to open the 27MB scan and "PRINT" it to the PDF Printer reduced the size to 10MB, with no change in appearance. "Save as smaller PDF" did not reduce the size further.

What gives, HP?? What can Acrobat do  to scan from your AIO that you can't do?

I tried on my Mac as well - we use both. No go. On Mac OSX 10.10.1 with latest HP drivers, Acrobat does not see any TWAIN or other driver from within the dialog box described above. Scanning from HP software again yields about 1MB per page.

Anyone know how to make Acrobat see the scanner on Mac?

[Gemini02]

Hi @JosephWit ,

I see by your post that you are having issues with the PDF scanning size being too big. I will do my best to assist you with this issue.

The drivers for 10.10 are installed by the Apple Updates. Did you install the 10.9 drivers or are did up run the Apple Updates to install the printer?

Uninstall the 10.9 printer software and run the Apple Updates to install the proper drivers. Then you can scan with the Apple Software.

Connect the printer to the Mac by a USB cable and run the Apple Updates to install the printer drivers.

Go to the Apple, About this Mac, click on the Overview tab and select Software Updates.

Go to the Apple, Printers and Scanners, delete the USB drivers and disconnect the USB cable.

Then add the wireless printer as a Bonjour printer if the printer is networked.

Click on the + sign, highlight the printer, below beside Use: make sure just the printer name is listed. (you might have to click on the drop down to select your printer from the list)

Here is a document for Scanning in OS X v10.10 Yosemite Without HP Software.

If you are having issues with Adobe, run the updates. Product updates.

If you need further assistance, just let me know.

Have a nice day!
Thank You.

[JosephWit]

Gemini02, I appreciate your detailed reply.

I am able to scan using Apple software, including Preview, Image Capture, and Print and Scan. All of these methods produce a black and white 300dpi PDF scan of 1.4-1.7MB in size for a single page.

I am not able to scan from within Adobe Acrobat, which, at least in Windows, is capable of producing files of 1/5 the size with no visible loss of quality. The dialog box is there, but the scanner driver is not seen by Acrobat.

The HP software I originally installed was 12.32.0, which is still listed online as the current driver. Apple Update shows no updates.

I honestly don't remember if I installed the printer before or after the OSX 10.10 release. I don't see why uninstalling the software would help, but I can certainly try - but how do I uninstall it? The README says to click on the UNINSTALLER in the Applications/HP folder, but I have no UNINSTALLER in that folder. How can I completely uninstall the software, and will it really help with Acrobat?

I have removed the installed printers and reinstalled the printer with USB connection (I normally use wi-fi). I added the printer as USB, and Apple Update showed no updates.

I found a lame workaround - I can run a virtual windows installation on my mac, and run Acrobat from within Windows on the mac - that does work, and gives the same small files that I need. But I don't see why there shouldn't be an HP driver that Adobe Acrobat, a mainstream program, can see.

Thanks again! I await your comments!

Joe

[Gemini02]

Thanks for providing that information JosephWit.

If there was no unistaller listed, then the HP drivers probably didn't install.

Did you check the driver name installed for the printer?

It should just show Officejet Pro 8630.

Did you run all the Adobe Updates?

Since the Apple Software and the HP Software is scanning, then I would contact Adobe for further assistance.

Thank You.

[JosephWit]

In Printers and Scanners, there are two Bonjour drivers:

HP OfficeJet Pro 8630 (9D41EB) which I believe is the network name of the printer, and

HP OfficeJet Pro 8630 (9D41EB)(Fax).

Under details, it says "HP OfficeJet Pro 8630 e-All-in-One".

These were installed with the latest HP installer. Apple Update has no additional updates, and Acrobat is also up to date.

(Again, this is Mac OSX 10.10.1 Yosemite.)

unfortuantely, Adobe says it is up to HP to provide a driver for its devices. I have seem other threads that indicate that no solution has been found.

Of course, this is only a problem because using the current HP drivers with Apple software produces huge scan files. I see no threads indicating that any HP drivers have solved this. No other reason to need to scan within Acrobat.

Still hoping...

Thanks,

JW

[Gemini02]

Hi JosephWit,

I not sure what else to suggest, since you are able to scan with the HP Software and Apple Software.

Make sure the proper driver was installed from the Printers and Scanners window and not the preinstalled driver from Apple. Please double check the driver name. Here are some screen shots.

Here is a document for more on this issue for scanning through Adobe Software.

Acrobat Help / Troubleshoot scanning problems | Mac OS.

You could always try downloading and installing the HP Printer Drivers v3.0 for OS X.

It is provided by Apple's website.

Let me know how you make out.

Thank You.

[brianb1]

I fought this for years with my 8600, followed by an 8630, and you are correct, HP did not have a solution.  I bought an Epson that was similiar and the scans are 1/10 the size.  But the Epson is Noisy so that was not the greatest solution.

Here was the best soulution that I found, although not really practical all the time:

Scan to a memory device like a usb flash drive using the port on the front of the printer.  Select PDF Color (compressed).  This will compress the file to about 1/5th normal size,  Use even for B&W text.  Then plug the flash drive into your PC and transfer.  On rare occassion the characters can get scrambled with compressed, but very very rare.

Hope this helps.