Quick fix: Open Windows Fax and Scan. Click New Scan. Set scanner’s ADF (document feeder) for multi-page, or use flatbed and manually swap pages. Scan all pages. Then select all scanned items → click Forward as E-mail → PDF format. Save the email’s PDF attachment. Or use NAPS2 for native multi-page PDF.
Most scanners scan one page at a time, producing separate image files. Combining them into a single PDF takes extra steps. Windows’s built-in tools (Windows Fax and Scan, Snipping Tool) don’t natively support multi-page PDF output. Third-party tools or workarounds do.
Affects: Windows 11 (and Windows 10) with flatbed or ADF scanners.
Fix time: ~10 minutes.
What causes this
Windows Fax and Scan produces JPEG or TIFF files, one per scanned page. Converting multiple to one PDF requires either: ADF-equipped scanner with multi-page PDF output, third-party scan utility (NAPS2, vendor app), or post-scan PDF combiner.
Method 1: Use NAPS2 for native multi-page PDF (recommended)
The best free tool.
- Download NAPS2 (Not Another PDF Scanner 2) from naps2.com. Free, opensource, lightweight.
- Install. Launch.
- Click Scan. Choose your scanner (NAPS2 supports both WIA and TWAIN).
- For ADF scanners: load all pages, click Scan once — all pages scan into the queue.
- For flatbed: scan each page one at a time. Each adds to NAPS2’s page list.
- Reorder pages by dragging in the page panel. Delete unwanted pages.
- Click Save PDF. Pick location and name. Choose:
- Quality: High for archival; Medium for email.
- OCR: tick to make PDF searchable.
- Password: optional protection.
- Click Save. PDF generated.
NAPS2 is the right tool. Free, no ads, no bloat.
Method 2: Use the printer/scanner manufacturer’s app
Each major vendor has a multi-page PDF feature.
- Install vendor app:
- HP: HP Smart from Microsoft Store.
- Canon: Canon IJ Scan Utility.
- Brother: Brother iPrint&Scan.
- Epson: Epson Scan 2.
- Launch. Pick Document or Multi-page PDF mode.
- For ADF: load pages, click Scan. Pages scan sequentially into one PDF.
- For flatbed multi-page: scan first page. App prompts for next page. Place next, scan. Repeat. Click Done.
- Save to PDF. App handles compression and layout automatically.
- For HP Smart specifically: Scan tab → Source: Auto Detect → Save as PDF.
Vendor apps are tightly integrated with the scanner; often the easiest path.
Method 3: Combine separately-scanned files into PDF
For scanners without multi-page features.
- Scan each page with Windows Fax and Scan or any scan app. Save as JPEG or PNG.
- Open File Explorer to the folder with scans.
- Select all files. Right-click → Print.
- In Print dialog: Printer = Microsoft Print to PDF. Pick layout (1 image per page, etc.).
- Click Print. Save as combined PDF.
- For more control: install PDF24 Creator (free) or use online tools (smallpdf.com, ilovepdf.com) to combine images into PDF.
- For OCR: scan images and run through Acrobat OCR or NAPS2’s OCR (free, uses Tesseract).
This is the fallback when you don’t want to install a dedicated scan tool.
How to verify the fix worked
- Open the generated PDF. All pages appear in order.
- File size is reasonable: typically 100 KB–1 MB per page depending on quality.
- For OCR-enabled PDFs: search inside the PDF (Ctrl+F). Text from images should be findable.
If none of these work
If multi-page PDF still fails: Scanner doesn’t support TWAIN: Windows Fax and Scan uses WIA. Some scanners only have TWAIN drivers. Use NAPS2 (supports both) or vendor app. For ADF that misfeeds: clean the ADF rollers. Worn rollers cause page skipping or double-feeds. For paper sizes mixed in one scan: pages of different sizes produce inconsistent PDF layout. Scan same-size pages together. For network scanners requiring authentication: ensure credentials are correct. Test with single-page scan first. For very large PDF (50+ pages): scan in batches (e.g., 25 pages per PDF) then combine PDFs separately. Avoids memory issues. For low-quality output: increase scan resolution (300 DPI for text, 600 DPI for fine details). Higher DPI = larger files.
Bottom line: NAPS2 is the best free tool for multi-page PDF scanning. Vendor apps (HP Smart, Canon IJ) are good alternatives. As fallback: scan separately, use Microsoft Print to PDF to combine.