Scanning to searchable PDF not available

[ScubaMarky]

I have had an HP Envy 5640 printer/scanner for some time and have always been able to scan to "searchable pdf" documents using the HP Printer Assistant software. I have recently purchased a new laptop and have installed the same HP Printer Assistant software, but for some reason the searchable PDF option is not available.

Does anyone have any idea why this might be? Am I missing a driver or has this option been removed from the latest version of the software (although it is still available on my old laptop)?

I have obviously search this forum and the wider web but all I can find is many references to "install the HP Scan Extended" application, but this appears to be nothing more than a standalone version of the Scan feature available thorugh the HP Printer Assistant software, i.e. it is identical and does not provide the searchable pdf option.

Thanks for any help.

Mark

[ShlomiL]

Hi Mark,

The HP Envy 5640 does not offer OCR capabilities and never offered any such in the past, you may find its specifications and manual below:

http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c04421686

https://www8.hp.com/h20195/v2/GetDocument.aspx?docname=4AA5-3931EEE

A searchable PDF is only offered when OCR is available as part of the HP software.

It is possible you been used an older version, incorrectly included OCR in the past, or you may have the OCR software installed from a previous printer, which was detected by the HP software.

Out of curiosity, when you open the control panel on your old PC and select Uninstall a Program, then search for HP.

Were the IRIS OCR and the HP Envy 5640 Basic Device software were installed on the same date? I will not be surprised the OCR software was installed much earlier than your printer, which will explain why you had these capabilities.

Anyway, RTF or Searchable PDF are not supported formats for your printer.

You may try to install and use NAPS2, a freeware scanning software which offers OCR capabilities too:

https://www.naps2.com/

Shlomi

[ScubaMarky]

Hi Shlomi

Thanks for the response. The IRIS software was actually installed a couple of months after the printer software. I was always aware that the OCR technology was provided by the software on my pc rather than the hardware, so to say that the "printer" does not support it is maybe a little misleading, as it implies that it should not be possible, hoever it is clear that OCR is supported via the software. Maybe it's more accurate to say that the printer does not come with a licence for the OCR technology?

In any case, semantics aside, I have no idea how I came to have an activated version of the IRIS software on my pc, but given that this would seem to be nothing more that an issue of activating/licensing the IRIS software, is there not some way I can activate the IRIS software without having to buy a whole new printer? I have managed to download the IRIS software but if my understanding is correct it is activated when you install the printer software, and it seems the printer software does some check against the printer being used to see if the IRIS software is licensed by the printer model.

I have tried the NAPS2 software but the pdf files created by it are significantly larger that those created by the HP printer software, hence I'd rather try to find a way to use the OCR features of the HP printer software as I was able to on my old laptop. Thanks for your help.

Regards

Mark