Scanner Output is Black

[costaricagal]

Good afternoon!

My scanner has recently had technical issues.  When I scan a document and try and save or email..the information shows up black.  The preview of the output shows the information has scanned, but the issue is when I try and email or save the information as a pdf.  Anyone else experience this?

[MKazi]

Hi @ costaricagal,

Welcome to the HP Forums! 🙂 I would like to take a moment and thank you for using this forum, it is a great place to find answers.

Do not worry I would be happy to help you with your HP Photosmart C4780 All-in-One Printer.

I understand that you are having scanner issue with your printer.

We need to first identify whether the issue is hardware or is it a software issue.

I also would like to know what happens when you make a color copy using the printer?

If you have not sure please make a color copy. Click on the link to know how to make a color copy.

If the color copy comes out fine please check the scan setting.

HP Easy Scan (Mac OS 10.9 and later)

Load the item on the scanner glass, in the document feeder slot, or in the automatic document feeder (ADF), depending on your printer type and features.

Search the Mac for a scan, then click HP Easy Scan in the list of results.

In HP Easy Scan, select your printer name from the Scanner drop-down menu.

Select your scan type from the Presets menu.

To change any basic settings to the preset you selected, such as scan color, orientation, or quality, click Edit Settings.

Click Scan.

Click Scan Next Item to add additional pages, or click Done.

Click the thumbnail version of the scanned item in the left panel. The item displays in the right preview pane.

Click Edit to adjust colors, straighten the scan, or crop the size.

To save your scans to a folder on the Mac, click Send in the bottom right corner of the window, then click Folder.

In the window that displays, click the Where menu to browse to the folder you want to save the file to, then click Save.

To view your scan, open the folder in which you saved the scan, then double-click the file.

Let me know how it goes.

Have a great day! 🙂

[costaricagal]

Hello! Thank you MKazi for the information.  Unfortunately, the file that I saved is still all black.  I was able to make a color copy.  I went to the Adjust screen and put it in color mode...it was in black and white mode.  I'm not really sure what to change for exposure and noise.  I have never touched these settings even when the scanner was working.   Any other things I can try? 

[costaricagal]

Also, Mkazi, when I tried emailing the file, this is the message I received:

"An error has occurred saving the file because it could not be written to.  Check the properties for the file to make sure it is not read-only."

[MKazi · Accepted solution]

@costaricagal

You're welcome. 🙂

I appreciate the steps you have performed and have certainly done a good job.

The successful color copy indicates that the scanning hardware is perfectly fine. I suggest you to scan using the HP Easy Scan app and check how the output is from the printer.

If the issue persists then I suggest you to reset the printing system in Mac and then try to scan. Resetting the printing system in Mac fixes any issues with the print and scan drivers.

I sincerely hope this fixes the issue. Let me know how it goes. All the best! 🙂

[costaricagal]

Thank you MKazi! I reset the printers and even re-installed the printer software.  I was unable to get the HP Scan Wizard  (which accesses both the Photosmart and also my HP 1022 Laser printer) to work...I was still getting black scans and the error message that I mentioned before.  When I used the Scanner window directly from the HP Photosmart printer, I was able to scan from there.   So, it is a different process from before but at least it now works.  Any sense why the HP Scan Wizard no longer works? Thank you for your assistance.  

[MKazi]

@costaricagal

You're welcome. 🙂

Glad to know that the scanning is working fine now. I must say that technical solutions can only be provided, but it was you who implemented the steps to perfection.

The HP Scan Wizard does not look like it is compatible with Mac Sierra. You may try the HP Easy Scan app or the Apple Image Capture program to scan in Mac.

Happy Scanning! 

[jianji]

When Clicking the thumbnail version of the scanned item in the left panel, the item does not display in the right preview pane.

Am I missing a step?

[kevin-t]

Hello,

Thank you for posting in this thread. Unfortunately based on when the last response was made, I have closed this thread to help keep comments current and up to date. We recommend starting a new thread for your issue by clicking here.
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