The basic path: scan first, then print from your computer

Once you have scanned a document into your computer, printing it is straightforward — you open the file, choose Print from the File menu, select your printer, and click Print. The document comes out looking like the original, or better, depending on your scanner quality and printer. Most people scan documents to create a backup copy or to send them by email, but printing that scanned file is useful when you need a fresh copy without the wear of the original, or when you want to print multiple copies at once.

The process takes the same steps whether you scanned the document yourself or received it as a file from someone else. A scanned document is just an image file — usually a PDF or JPG — so your printer treats it the same way it treats any other file you print.

Key Takeaways

  • Open your scanned document file (usually a PDF or JPG) on your computer, then use File > Print to send it to your printer.
  • Check the printer settings before you print — you can choose color or black-and-white, single or double-sided, and how many copies you want.
  • If your scanned document looks blurry or too dark, you may need to rescan it rather than print a poor copy.
  • Most printers can print multiple pages on one sheet of paper, which saves paper if you are printing a long document.

Finding and opening your scanned file

When you scanned the document, your scanner software saved it to a folder on your computer. The most common location is your Documents folder or a subfolder called Scans. Check your scanner's software to see where it saved the file — the software usually shows you the file name and location right after scanning finishes.

Open the file by double-clicking it, or by right-clicking and choosing Open With, then selecting a program that can read the file type. PDFs open in Adobe Reader (free) or your web browser. JPG files open in your computer's default photo viewer. If you cannot find the file, search your computer by file name — on Windows, use the search box in the taskbar; on Mac, use Spotlight (the magnifying glass in the top right corner).

Choosing your printer and basic settings

Once the file is open, go to File > Print (or press Ctrl+P on Windows, Command+P on Mac). A print dialog box will appear. At the top, you will see a dropdown menu showing your available printers — select the one you want to use. If you have only one printer connected, it will be selected already.

Below the printer name, you will see options for how many copies you want and which pages to print. If you scanned a 10-page document but only want to print pages 3 through 7, you can specify that here instead of printing the whole thing. The number of copies field lets you print multiple copies in one go — type the number you want.

Color, paper size, and single-sided versus double-sided

Look for a section labeled Preferences, Properties, or Settings (the name varies by printer). Click it to open more detailed options. Here you can choose whether to print in color or black-and-white — black-and-white is faster and uses less ink. You can also select your paper size (usually Letter, which is 8.5 by 11 inches) and orientation (Portrait for tall pages, Landscape for wide ones).

If your printer supports double-sided printing, you will see an option for it here, sometimes labeled Duplex or Two-Sided. Choosing this option saves paper by printing on both sides of each sheet. If your printer does not support it, you can print odd-numbered pages, flip the stack, and print even-numbered pages, but this is tedious and error-prone — single-sided is simpler unless you really need to save paper.

Scaling and multiple pages per sheet

Some print dialogs let you fit multiple pages onto a single sheet of paper — useful if you scanned a document with large margins or want to reduce paper use. Look for an option called Fit to Page, Scale, or Pages Per Sheet. If you choose 2 pages per sheet, your printer will shrink each page to half size and print two on one sheet. This makes the text smaller, so only use it if the original document has large text or wide margins.

You can also use the Scale option to enlarge a document if the original was small or hard to read. Scaling to 110% or 120% makes text larger without changing the page count much. Experiment with a test page first if you are unsure — it is cheaper than printing a whole document at the wrong size.

When your scanned document does not look right

If the scanned file looks blurry, too dark, or too light on your screen, printing it will not fix those problems — the printer will just reproduce what you see. Before you print, check whether the issue is the scan or your screen. Open the file in a different program (try your web browser if you have a PDF, or a different photo viewer for JPG files) to see if it looks better.

If the document still looks poor, you have two choices: rescan the original document with better settings, or print it anyway and accept the quality. Most scanners let you adjust brightness and contrast before saving — if you have the original document, rescanning takes 5 to 10 minutes and usually produces a better result than printing a bad scan. If you no longer have the original, printing the scan as-is is your only option.

Troubleshooting common printing problems

If you click Print and nothing happens, check that your printer is turned on and connected to your computer. On Windows, go to Settings > Devices > Printers & Scanners and look for your printer in the list — if it is not there, your computer does not see it. On Mac, go to System Preferences > Printers & Scanners. If your printer is listed but offline, click it and look for an option to resume or wake it.

If the document prints but looks wrong — pages are cut off, text is tiny, or margins are huge — go back to the print dialog and check the Scale and Page Setup options. Most printing problems come from scale being set to something other than 100%, or from the paper size being wrong. Set scale to 100% and paper size to Letter (or whatever size paper you are actually using) and try again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I print a scanned document without opening it first?

Yes. Right-click the file, choose Print (or Print To if you see that option), and select your printer. This skips the preview step but sends the file straight to the printer. Use this only if you are sure the document is correct, since you will not see the print dialog to adjust settings.

What if my printer is not showing up in the printer list?

Make sure the printer is turned on and connected to your computer by USB cable or network. On Windows, go to Settings > Devices > Printers & Scanners and click Add a Printer. On Mac, go to System Preferences > Printers & Scanners and click the plus sign. Your computer will search for available printers and let you add one.

Why does my printed document look different from the scanned file on my screen?

Screens and printers show color differently, and your printer may not have the exact same colors available. This is normal and usually not noticeable. If the printed version is much darker or lighter than the screen version, try adjusting brightness in the print settings and printing a test page.

Can I print just one page from a multi-page scanned document?

Yes. In the print dialog, look for a field that says Pages or Page Range. Type the page number you want — for example, type 3 to print only page 3, or 3-5 to print pages 3 through 5. Leave this field blank to print all pages.

Is it better to print in color or black-and-white?

Black-and-white is faster and cheaper, and works fine for most documents like contracts, receipts, and letters. Use color only if the original document has important color information — like a map with color-coded regions or a photo you need to preserve. Check your printer's color ink cost before printing large color documents.