Can't scan to computer on Mac

[ufohouse]

I'm trying to scan something to my computer for school and it keeps giving me errors.  I need to fix this ASAP!!  My computer is a Mac OS X 10.11 El Capitan. My printer is a HP Envy 4500. It keeps giving me these two errors.

Scanner communication cannot be established. Ensure your device is powered on, check the connection, and ensure your network is functioning properly. If these conditions are correct, restart the device and try scanning again.

and 

HP ENVY 4500 series is currently unavailable. Please check if it is turned on and connected, or try again later. 

It's turned  on and connected to my computer and I downloaded HP Easy Scan and HP Utility.

[RnRMusicMan · Accepted solution]

Hi @ufohouse, 

Thank you for joining the HP Forums! 

I saw your post on how you cannot scan to computer with your HP Envy 4500 on Mac OS X 10.11. And, I am happy to help! 

How is the printer connected, wireless, or USB? 

To confirm the printer's hardware is functional, are you able to make a copy with the printer's scanner glass?Copying Documents. 

What happens if you try scanning from Apple Image Capture? 

Figure : Apple Image Capture

1. Place the document or photo printed side down on the scanner glass, then close the scanner lid.

   If your printer has an automatic document feeder (ADF), you can use it to scan multiple page documents at one time. Do not load photos in the ADF to prevent damage to the photos and the printer.

2. Open Finder , click Go in the top menu bar, click Applications, then double-click Image Capture.

3. Click your printer name in the Devices or Shared list.

    NOTE:

   If a Software for this device is not installed message displays after you select your printer, click Install, then follow the instructions to complete the installation.

4. Click Show Details at the bottom of the screen.

   A preview of the scan displays, then change any of the following settings:

   • Scan Mode: Select the scanning bed or automatic document feeder, depending on where you loaded the original on the printer.

   • Kind: Set scan as color, black and white, or optimized for text only documents.

   • Resolution: Higher resolution produces better quality images by using more dots (pixels) per inch. Higher resolution increases the file size of the scan. Use a higher resolution for scans with graphics or items that require the best detail. If you are scanning black and white text, higher resolution is not necessary.

   • Size: Use a standard paper size, or select the Use Custom Size option.

   • Scan to: Select the folder you want scans to save to.

   • Name: Type a name for the saved scan file.

   • Format: Select the file type for the scan.

      NOTE:

     Select the PDF or TIFF format, then select the box next to Combine into single document to save multiple page documents or multiple images into a single file. This feature is only available with these formats.

   • Image Correction: Click the pop up menu, then select Manual to display color change options such as brightness and saturation.

5. Click Scan.

   The scan saves in the selected Scan to folder.

Source: Scanning from a Mac Computer (OS X).

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Hope to hear from you soon! 🙂