Fax machines are a thing of the past! Document scanners now allow us to convert a physical paper document into an electronic paper document which can then be emailed to its destination faster than ever. This is extremely important in a work environment because documents are always being sent around for informational purposes, or in my professional case, being routed for signatures from the senior leaders in my command to approve various documents I need for my job. It is also very helpful for employees who telecommute, or work from home, and need to send in any documents to co-workers that are in other physical locations. I hope you enjoy this instructable.

By the end of this instructional, you should be able to scan documents, which can be very useful in your work section.

DISCLAIMER

CAUTION: Document scanners use electricity – be careful when plugging it into a wall outlet, make sure there are no exposed wires coming from the electrical cord to avoid electrical shock.

NOTE: This instructional is specifically for the HP DeskJet 2640, however the same steps may apply to other document scanners.

Supplies

The following is a list of materials you will need:

- Document scanner (HP DeskJet 2640 used in this instructable)

- Wall outlet / Power Strip

- Document to be Scanned

- Wifi Internet

- Computer linked to Document Scanner

- HP Smart App on Computer

Step 1: Plug Document Scanner Into Power Strip

Plug in the document scanner into either a power strip or a wall outlet directly if possible. This will give the machine the power and ability to operate.

Step 2: Turn on the Document Scanner

Turn on the document scanner via the power button located on the upper left hand side of the scanner.

NOTE: Some different printer/scanners may have different placement of power buttons, so refer to the owner's manual if you cannot locate this.

Step 3: Open the Document Scanner

Opening the top of the scanner will allow you to place your document on the scanning glass.

NOTE: Make sure not to touch the glass with fingertips to avoid getting oils on the scanning glass, which could hinder functionality.

Step 4: Place Document on Glass

Place the document you wish to be scanned face down on the scanning glass. Make sure the top of the paper is on the right side on the scanning glass as shown on the picture where it is annotated as "Top".

NOTE: This scanner does not support two sided scanning capability, however the scanner you may use might support this, which can be beneficial if you have many documents to scan.

Step 5: Close the Document Scanner

Closing the scanner on top of the document allows the scanner to clearly scan the image into the computer. If it were to not be closed, there would be too much outside light which would interfere with the scanned image quality.

Step 6: Open HP Smart Application to Scan

On the computer that is linked to the scanner, open the "HP Smart" application. Once the application is open, click on the scan button.

NOTE: If you take too much time to get to this step, the scanner has a tendency to turn off for energy saving purposes. If this happens, repeat step 2, then return to step 6 to continue the scanning operation.

Step 7: Click "Scan" Button

Once you are to this screen, click on the "Scan" button on the lower, right hand side of the application screen. Refer to the picture if there is any confusion as to which button is to be clicked.

NOTE: You may edit the settings on this screen before hitting "scan" depending on what size document you are scanning in and how you want the document to look once it is scanned.

Step 8: Save Scanned Document to Computer

Once the document is scanned, it will appear on the HP Smart application. You will then be able to save this document as a .pdf or .jpeg, whichever you decide to choose. You can also rename the document and are able to save the document in the area of your computer hard drive that you wish.

From this point, you can now email the document to others, or simply store in your computer hard drive for records keeping.