Questions
- How do I scan a document and send it to my email?
- Can I scan to my Bowdoin email from a campus printer?
- Do I need to set up anything before I can scan to email?
- How many pages can I scan to email at once?
- Why is my scanned document too large to send by email?
- How do I scan more than 20 pages to send by email?
- Where does my scanned document go after I scan to email?
Environment
This article applies to all Bowdoin faculty, staff, and students scanning from a PaperCut-enabled multi-function device (MFD) on campus. Scan to email requires no special setup by IT — it is available to everyone by default. Documents are sent to the Bowdoin email address associated with your account.
Resolution
Page limit: At default settings, scan to email supports approximately 15–20 pages per scan. Bowdoin's Microsoft 365 email system has a 35 MB attachment size limit, and OCR processing increases file sizes beyond what you might expect. For documents longer than 20 pages, scan to OneDrive instead — see How to scan to OneDrive from a PaperCut device in the Related Articles section.
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Go to a PaperCut-enabled MFD and sign in using your Bowdoin OneCard ID or your Bowdoin username and password.
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Tap Scan on the printer's touch screen.
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On the Scan screen, tap Scan to My Email.
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On the Scan to My Email screen, you can optionally change the file name or email subject. To adjust scan settings such as DPI or color mode, tap Settings. The default settings are:
- File type: PDF
- Color: Color
- Sides: 1-sided
- Paper size: Letter
- Orientation: Portrait
- DPI: 300
To have PaperCut prompt you to add more pages after each batch, check the box next to Prompt for more pages.
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Tap Start Scanning. PaperCut will process the document and convert it to a searchable PDF. This may take a few minutes.
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You will receive the scanned document as an email attachment. If there is an error, you will receive an error message email instead. If errors persist, contact the Service Desk with the error message text.
Reducing file size: If your document exceeds the email size limit, try scanning again with a lower DPI (such as 200) and black and white color mode. Both changes significantly reduce file size and allow more pages per scan.
Additional Help
If you need further assistance, you have several options:
- Bowdoin Bot: Chat with Bowdoin Bot directly from any KB page for instant answers.
- Phone: Call the Bowdoin College Service Desk at (207) 725-3030.
- In person: Visit the Tech Hub in Smith Union during business hours.
- Submit a ticket: Request assistance through the Service Catalog.