How do you create a PDF by copying a page in an HP printer/copier?

I don't think HP printers can scan directly to PDF.

This is the description of your printer.

Maybe there is WinXP freeware to scan to PDF for an HP3200m B&W printer?

Maybe ScanToPdf will work for you.

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I guess you get what you pay for but I did locate these listed as 'free downloads' that I can try.

It might be nice to see what others use to scan to PDF from an old HP 3200m black and white laser printer.

Wow. That was a funny thing to say, considering where you cross-posted.

Download and install a "pdf printer" and you'll be able to save anything as a pdf. There are a lot of good, free ones around but I'm most familiar with pdf creator at . It's free and open source so you can use it legally for private and commercial purposes.

After installation, pdf creator will look like any other printer on your system. Just open the file that you saved and select "print." The print dialog pops up and you'll see "pdf creator" as one printer option. Choose that and away you go.

One caveat. During install, PDF Creator give you the option of opting out from installing a "browser toolbar." I recommend you do that. Unclick it and the toolbar will not install.

hth,

I'm not trying to print to PDF.

I'm trying to scan to PDF from an HP 3200m laserjet printer.

I tried all the scan2pdf programs listed but none worked because none could find the printer as a scanner.

Each time they asked to select the scanner device, they all hung and did not see the printer.

Funny though. The printer works fine as a printer so it's connected to the WinXP PC by the serial port.

I wonder if there is some trick to get the Windows XP PC to recognize the HP 3200m printer as a scanner?

The print to PDF is a way to print a file to a PDF file .. it's strange terminology but it gets past some legal issues I believe.

If you have Open Office it lets you save to PDF, place the image into a page and click the button "Save Copy To PDF" I do this often for my resume and it works well.

It may sound obvious, but have you tried re-installing the scan drivers from HP? They *are* different from the printer drivers, yes?

hth

Ron Moore

You need a program that will create a .pdf file from the scanned image. Adobe Acrobat is the most widely known, but it'll cost ya. You can get a freeware program called PDF Creator from:

Really! I'm reading on alt.home.repair [and wondering how the OP thought it was on topic] and almost replied that I've had better luck with freeware than a whole bunch of paid programs over the years.

When I saw that it was crossposted I killed my reply without looking to see where it was cross-posted to.

Add 'open source' to the software & I challenge anyone to come up with a scenario where there is a better commercial option.

Jim

| I'm not trying to print to PDF.

| I'm trying to scan to PDF from an HP 3200m laserjet printer.

| I tried all the scan2pdf programs listed but none worked because none could | find the printer as a scanner.

| Each time they asked to select the scanner device, they all hung and did | not see the printer.

| Funny though. The printer works fine as a printer so it's connected to the | WinXP PC by the serial port.

| I wonder if there is some trick to get the Windows XP PC to recognize the | HP 3200m printer as a scanner?

You are mising the boat !

IFF the HP all-in-one is able to scan then you *MUST* have TWAIN Drivers for said device.

ANY TWAIN compliant program will then be able to use the HP All-in-One and be able to use ANY of the PDF software suggested.

My suggestion: Use XnView as a free graphics program that has a scanner interface and is TWAIN capable.

Use PDFCreator on SourceForge to to take any scanned objects in XnView and create a PDF.

| Really! I'm reading on alt.home.repair [and wondering how the OP | thought it was on topic] and almost replied that I've had better luck | with freeware than a whole bunch of paid programs over the years.

| When I saw that it was crossposted I killed my reply without looking | to see where it was cross-posted to.

| Add 'open source' to the software & I challenge anyone to come up with | a scenario where there is a better commercial option.

| Jim

Adobe Acrobat Professional. There.... A "better commercial option." :-)

For this scenario a TWAIN capable program that will scan and create a PDF.

My inexpensive USB Cannon scanner came with PDF software that I have even used so your HP might well have also.

You label yours as a printer copier. Does it offer the option to save the scan somewhere on your computer?

Colbyt

Complaint sent to above. Abuse of newsgroup. I hope they yank your Internet access, *you spamming asshole!!!*

Then f*ck off.

I know what your printer looks like but have never fooled around with one of them. I have a Lexmark printer/scanner and the software for it allows me to save anything scanned as a PDF. The software for your HP printer may have a similar function built in to the HP software. With my printer, I scan a document then click "save as" from the file dialog box and choose PDF. I have to upload a lot of work orders and invoices via The 'net and most folks want a PDF document. You may have already looked at the driver software for your printer but I would guess that the full software suite from HP will give you more functionality. The HP page I found is here:

Thx Zaphod... Much better than the way I put it.

David, I don't understand the TWAIN part. I tried all the suggested programs but none could find the printer.

Which side do I need the TWAIN software?

On the PC side where I run the application to talk to the printer?

It has a "scan" button (along with "print", "copy", and "fax" buttons).

The print button works. The copy button works. The fax button works. But I never used the scan button and that one button does not work. It just says "waiting for PC" in the display when I hit the scan button.

On the PC side, whenever I use the suggested programs, they ask for the "source" but the source box is empty.

What am I missing?