I have a printer/scanner and when I scan it scans every thing into a Tiff???. If I alter it to save in a different format it always asks what I would like to open it with. It won't let me scan directly into word (for Mac). every thing scans into My Documents (mac).....So whats a Tiff, jpeg ect ect.........:confused:

Mac book pro and a HP deckjet printer/scanner.

Tagged Image File Format - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

JPEG - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

BMP file format - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Basically just different image formats (types). JPEG (jpg file extension) is usually the most commonly used - it is a compressed file (can use varying compression amounts to suit users) and is used a lot on tinternet because of small file sizes.

PDF - Adobe Portable Document - for users with different computers / operating systems to view a document, basically.

Someone will help out with Mac image conversion software I'm sure.

Edited 10 October, 200916 yr by anonymouse
fergot

what software are you using? the scanner wouldn't determine the file type

...It won't let me scan directly into word (for Mac)...

Sounds to me that what you're after is not a picture of the scanned document, but moving the text content into a word document for further editing? Or in other words an OCR scan?

As andypandypoos says, it's all about the software. There are freeware OCR software out there, and most likely you'll find software for OCR scanning on the CD that came with your printer/scanner.

Just don't expect a perfect rendering with a cheap software, some characters might come out as anything (especially symbols and double letters such as double ls)

If you're trying to import (place) the picture into a Word doc then 1st save the scanner file to My Documents.

Then, got in Word, go to Insert menu, then to Picture, then select From File.

The file selector will popp up and just point it the picture saved from the scanner and click OK.

As a by the bye, whilst saving from the scanner check if at the bottom of the file selector (may be different cos you're using a Mac) there is a drop down tab where it says 'Files Of Type'. Selecting,say, JPG should enable you to save the scanned file under a different format - in this case JPEG (*.jpg extension).

I'm using the software that came with the printer, ( cheap hp f380 ). I loaded nothing on I just plugged in my mac (usb) and away we went. The mac loaded the drivers automatically.

I'm playing around with the scanner and scanning some text documents. then trying to open them up in word but it saves them all as Tiffs which according to my mac it's the wrong format. I've tried to save them as .doc but to no avail. There doesn't seem to be an option when trying to save them other than tiffs :confused:

Do you think I need another scanning program, if so what do you recommend

Thanks

I

Do you think I need another scanning program, if so what do you recommend

Thanks

No you should not need another scanning program.

Scan them, save as TIFFs to My Documents.

Word (Word 2003 PC will accept TIFF so your Mac Word should too).

Open new document in Word.

Go to Insert Menu, then to Picture, then to 'From File'.

File selector pops up.

At the bottom of the file selector go to the bottom bar 'Files Of Type' and click on the right hand 'button' which will bring up a drop down area showing files of different types.

Select TAG Image Format tif, Tiff.

Now because you've 'refined' the view mode (filtered out everything but tif and tiff files) you should be able to select the TIFF file you wish to insert in your Word doc.

Select it, click on OK and Word will insert it in the document.

And, BTW, Word docs are different than image files. Word docs can contain images and much much more.

If MacWord doesn't recognise tiff format another (but clumsier) way of handling them is to install a image editor that handles tiff - Gimp comes to mind (freeware). Then you could open the tiff file and save it in another format.

The user's manual (found on the www) is not very informative but suggests that you can "scan text from an article into your word processor and quote it in a report". Nothing said about how you do it, though :P but should be possible to find an option in the scan menu?

BIG thanks to all, I'll have a play later, Rugby's on, Leeds v St Helen's. I've a couple of bottles of Red and some Tinnies............"COME ON YOU LEEDS ".........."COME ON YOU LEEDS " ...

The wife's away, back tomorrow........"COME ON YOU LEEDS "

Just as confirmation

Supported Graphics Formats in MacWord - from Microsoft (link below)

WD: Supported Graphics Formats in MacWord

There are a couple of provisos similar to -

"NOTE: The appropriate converter must be installed in the Graphic Filters Folder in order to use this method. "

so check you've MacWord set up properly.

--------------------------------------------

Found this which may be of use (instructions for PC and Mac on Photosmart software) - click on link to download the PDF file.

http://www.library.northwestern.edu/music/lab/Scanning.pdf

If you want to scan text documents & then edit them in Word you need to use OCR software.

Your scanner will work with the drivers included in Mac OS X but I believe to use OCR software you will need to install the software that came with the scanner.

If you save as a TIFF (or JPG, or PDF) you will be able to include it as a picture in MS Word but you will not be able to edit the text.

As an aside, if you click once on a file you can then click 'File' > 'Get Info'. This will bring up a window relevant to that file. From here you can tell the OS which application to use to open the file when you double-click it. You can also tick a box to tell it to open all files of this type with this application. i.e you can tell it to open all files of type '.doc' with 'Microsoft Word'.

HTH