The concept of scanning is a difficult one for some to grasp. I’m really not sure why that is, because it’s actually quite simple. To scan is to take a physical document, and turn it into a digital form for the purposes of archiving or e-mailing. The file type of choice for documents is typically the PDF. When needing a program to view these PDFs, many turn to Adobe’s Acrobat Reader. Today we’re going to show you how to make Acrobat Reader the default program to open PDF files, and how to e-mail those PDFs with the click of a button.
We’ve covered the how’s and why’s of scanning before with our post entitled, “Scanning the Globe”. If you need a refresher, click here. The most important takeaway of scanning (aside from knowing how to do it obviously), is to know exactly where your scanned files are saved on the hard drive. Scanning a document does you no good if you can’t find it afterward! Windows 10 made that a little easier with the introduction of “Quick Access” to the File Explorer. Click the folder icon on the taskbar to open the app, then click “Quick Access” on the top left of the screen. Your most recent files are listed at the bottom of the window under (appropriately) “Recent Files”. Double-click a file to open it, or right-click on the desired file and click “Open file location”. You’ll see at the top of the screen in the address bar the exact location of the file. So, if there’s any question where scanned files are being saved, that’s an easy way to find them. You’ll have to hunt a little more in Windows 7 or 8. If you know the name of the file you just scanned, in Windows 7 click “Start”, then type the file name in the search bar at the bottom of the Start Menu and press “Enter”. When the file is found, right-click on it, and click “Open file location”. In Windows 8, hover the mouse over the very right edge of the screen. When a magnifying glass appears, click on it, and type the file name. Repeat the same step as above to open the location of the file.
Our post “Take Me to Your Reader” introduced you to Acrobat Reader, and included the link to download the free version. If you need that link or would like to learn more, click here. After downloading and installing the program, you’ll want to make Acrobat Reader the default program to view PDF files. What this means is, any PDF files that are saved on your hard drive will automatically open in Reader. When you first install the program, you’ll be asked if you’d like to make it the default. If you’ve had the program for a while, you have a little more work to do. In Windows 7, click “Start” then, to the right of the Start Menu, click “Default Programs”. Next, click “Set your default programs”. Find “Adobe Acrobat Reader” in the list and click on it. At the bottom of the window, click “Set this program as default”, then click “OK”. In Windows 8, again, head to the far right side of the screen and click on the magnifying glass. Type “default programs”, and click on the top result. Follow the same steps as we did with Windows 7. In Windows 10, type “default app settings” in the search bar to the right of the “Start” button. Scroll down to the bottom of the window, and click on “Choose default apps by file type”. Scroll down again until you see “.pdf” on the left side of the screen. Click the corresponding box to open the “Choose app” pop up, and then click on “Adobe Acrobat Reader”.
Now that we know where our scanned files are, and we have Acrobat Reader ready to go, open one of the PDF files on your computer. Adobe Acrobat Reader will open. If you wish to e-mail that document, simply click on the envelope on the menu at the top of the screen. Next, click “Send File”. You’ll be asked to enter your e-mail address and password. Click “Sign In” when you’re finished. If you’re asked to allow Adobe Acrobat to Read, Send, Delete, & Manage your email, as well as manage your contacts, click “Allow”. It’s not as scary as it sounds, and you don’t really have a choice if you want to send PDFs easily. By the way, you’ll only need to do these things once. An e-mail will pop up on the screen with the filename listed in the “Subject” field, and the PDF document listed as an attachment. All you have to do now is enter a recipient, type a message, and click “Send”! It doesn’t get much easier than that.
We’re routinely asked to scan and send. While it can be difficult to find and attach files to an e-mail, Adobe Acrobat Reader is one way to save time and steps so your e-mail can be on its way faster than ever. If you need to send multiple PDFs in one e-mail though, you’ll have to attach them to the newly created e-mail the old fashioned way.