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- HP Community
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- How can I create a desktop shortcut to scan with my HP Envy?

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09-29-2023 01:08 AM
I used to have a desktop shortcut on my Mac to quickly access my HP scanner.
Since I moved to MacOS Ventura this link doesn't work anymore and I can't find a way how to set up a new one.
Without this shortcut it's quite complicated to do scans. I have to go through to whole menu each time to find the printer, then the scanner and so on.
And hints?
Solved! Go to Solution.
Accepted Solutions
10-05-2023 09:51 AM
Hi @fredaut,
Thanks for writing back.
Creating a desktop shortcut to scan with your HP Envy 7920e on macOS Ventura may require a few steps, as macOS doesn't natively support creating shortcuts for scanning like it does for applications. However, you can create a workaround using Automator to create a custom workflow that opens your scanning application and places it on your desktop. Here's how you can do it:
Open Automator:
- Go to your Applications folder and open "Automator."
Choose a Document Type:
- When Automator opens, it will ask you to choose a document type for your workflow. Select "Application" and click "Choose."
Search for "Run Shell Script":
- In the Automator workflow, use the search bar on the left to search for "Run Shell Script."
Drag and Drop "Run Shell Script" into Workflow:
- Drag the "Run Shell Script" action from the left pane to the right pane of the Automator workflow.
Configure Shell Script:
- In the "Run Shell Script" action, set "Shell" to "/bin/bash."
- In the script box, enter the command to open your scanning application. The exact command may vary depending on your scanning software. Here's an example using the "HP Easy Scan" app:
Save the Workflow:
- Go to "File" in the menu bar and choose "Save."
- Name your application, select the location where you want to save it, and click "Save." The application will have a .app extension.
Create Desktop Shortcut:
- Go to your desktop or Finder and find the newly created application with your chosen name.
Drag to Desktop:
- Click and drag the application to your desktop. This will create a shortcut.
Now, you should have a desktop shortcut that, when clicked, will open your scanning application. Please make sure to adjust the shell script command based on the specific scanning software you are using.
If this does not help, you may have to contact Phone support.
Keep me posted for further assistance.
Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!
Nal_NR-Moderator
I am an HP Employee
10-02-2023 03:00 AM
Hi @fredaut,
Welcome to the HP Support Community.
I'd like to help!
There are many ways to create a shortcut for any app on your computer. Before creating a shortcut make sure that the printer software is installed on your computer.
The simplest way to create a desktop shortcut for your favorite program.
· Click the File Explorer icon from the taskbar.
· From the opened File Explorer window, navigate to locate the object whose shortcut you want to create.
· Once located, right-click the object.
· On the displayed context menu, move the mouse pointer to Send to, and click the Desktop (create shortcut) option from the submenu that appears.
Refer below document on how to scan from the computer.
Hope this helps! Keep me posted for further assistance.
Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!
Nal_NR-Moderator
I am an HP Employee
10-04-2023 09:23 AM
Hi Elohi_NR,
I mentioned in my original posting that I'm using MacOS . Your reply covers a solution for Windows. So unfortunately that's not going to solve my problem.
And by the way: as I've said in my post I'm not looking for a way to create a shortcut for the HP Smart-program. I know how to do that. I'm looking for a way to create a shortcut just to do a scan with my HP Envy (without going through all the submenus). I used to have such an intelligent shortcut but it's not working anymore since I upgraded my OS to MacOS
Wish you a good day
@fredaut
10-05-2023 09:51 AM
Hi @fredaut,
Thanks for writing back.
Creating a desktop shortcut to scan with your HP Envy 7920e on macOS Ventura may require a few steps, as macOS doesn't natively support creating shortcuts for scanning like it does for applications. However, you can create a workaround using Automator to create a custom workflow that opens your scanning application and places it on your desktop. Here's how you can do it:
Open Automator:
- Go to your Applications folder and open "Automator."
Choose a Document Type:
- When Automator opens, it will ask you to choose a document type for your workflow. Select "Application" and click "Choose."
Search for "Run Shell Script":
- In the Automator workflow, use the search bar on the left to search for "Run Shell Script."
Drag and Drop "Run Shell Script" into Workflow:
- Drag the "Run Shell Script" action from the left pane to the right pane of the Automator workflow.
Configure Shell Script:
- In the "Run Shell Script" action, set "Shell" to "/bin/bash."
- In the script box, enter the command to open your scanning application. The exact command may vary depending on your scanning software. Here's an example using the "HP Easy Scan" app:
Save the Workflow:
- Go to "File" in the menu bar and choose "Save."
- Name your application, select the location where you want to save it, and click "Save." The application will have a .app extension.
Create Desktop Shortcut:
- Go to your desktop or Finder and find the newly created application with your chosen name.
Drag to Desktop:
- Click and drag the application to your desktop. This will create a shortcut.
Now, you should have a desktop shortcut that, when clicked, will open your scanning application. Please make sure to adjust the shell script command based on the specific scanning software you are using.
If this does not help, you may have to contact Phone support.
Keep me posted for further assistance.
Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!
Nal_NR-Moderator
I am an HP Employee