I bought a multifunction printer a few years ago for printing from my Mac, but now I’d like to take advantage of the scanner to digitize some documents. It is not immediately obvious how to use the scanner part of the printer, though. Do I need to download software?

Best for: Document Scanning in Small to Midsize Offices. Best Scanners Featured in This Roundup. Feature-rich, easy-to-deploy software. Very fast scanning and saving to PDF. Any of these best free Mac antivirus programs can scan and remove malware, adware, and protect your Mac from security threats.

When you installed the driver software that originally came with the multifunction printer/scanner, you may have also added a utility program for scanning. Take a look in your Mac’s Applications folder for programs from your printer’s manufacturer. For example, if you have and installed the default programs when you were setting it up, check for a Hewlett-Packard folder containing “HP Scan” and other software for use with the printer. You can also download updated versions for your model from the support area of the manufacturer’s website.

Most recent versions of the Mac operating system (macOS Sierra and earlier editions of OS X) can use the system’s feature to automatically download the necessary software for scanning. When your software is ready to go and the printer/scanner is connected and powered on, you can also scan from the Printers & Scanners box — select the Scan tab above the model name and click Open Scanner to get the scanning controls.