How to Set Acrobat X Pro to Scan Only One Side of a Page
Question details
The user needs to configure Adobe Acrobat X Pro to scan only the front side of a physical document, bypassing the automatic duplex scanning behavior.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat X Pro
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Scanning physical documents into PDF format using Acrobat X Pro and a duplex-capable scanner (such as a Brother scanner).
- Observed behavior
- Acrobat X Pro continues scanning both sides of the page even after the Configure Presets option is explicitly changed from 'Both Sides' to 'Front Sides'.
Ensure your scanner is powered on, properly connected to your computer, and that you have installed the latest TWAIN or WIA drivers from the manufacturer's website.
Disable Duplex Scanning via the Scanner's Native Interface
Override Acrobat's default presets by turning off two-sided scanning directly within the scanner manufacturer's TWAIN or WIA driver properties.
In many cases, the scanner's hardware driver dictates the scanning behavior, effectively overriding the basic presets set within Adobe Acrobat X Pro. By accessing the scanner's native user interface, you can manually disable duplex scanning to ensure only the front side of your document is captured.
Launch Adobe Acrobat X Pro. Navigate to 'File', select 'Create', choose 'PDF from Scanner', and then click on 'Custom Scan'.
In the Custom Scan dialogue box, select your scanner from the 'Scanner' dropdown list. Check the box labeled 'Show Scanner's User Interface' or 'Use Native Interface'.
Click 'Scan' to open the scanner manufacturer's specific TWAIN/WIA settings window. Locate the 'Duplex', 'Two-sided', or 'Document Feeder' setting and change it to 'Simplex', '1-sided', or 'Front Side Only'.
Proceed with the scan to save this preference in the scanner preset. Restart Adobe Acrobat X Pro and perform a test scan to verify that the scanner now only captures the front side of the page.
Scan and Convert Documents to PDF with WPS Office
If you continue experiencing driver conflicts with Acrobat, you can use WPS Office to effortlessly scan physical documents straight into high-quality PDFs. WPS PDF offers a straightforward interface that makes single-sided and batch scanning incredibly easy.
- 1. Launch WPS Office: Open the WPS Office application and click on the 'PDF' tab on the home screen.
- 2. Access the Scanner Tool: Navigate to the 'Tools' menu and select the 'Scanner' or 'Picture to PDF' option.
- 3. Configure Scanning Preferences: Select your connected scanner from the device list and choose the single-sided (Simplex) scanning mode.
- 4. Scan and Save: Click the 'Scan' button. Once the pages are imported, review the document and save it directly as a standardized PDF file.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my scanner ignore Acrobat's 'Front Sides' preset?
Some scanner drivers (especially TWAIN and WIA drivers) prioritize their own hardware settings over the software presets found in Adobe Acrobat. To resolve this, you must change the duplex setting in the scanner's native properties window.
How do I access my scanner's native settings in Acrobat?
When setting up a scan in Acrobat X Pro via the 'Custom Scan' menu, ensure that you check the box labeled 'Show Scanner's User Interface'. This forces Acrobat to open the manufacturer's control panel before scanning begins.
What is the difference between TWAIN and WIA scanner drivers?
TWAIN is a widely used interface standard that typically provides more advanced, manufacturer-specific controls (like detailed duplex and color management). WIA (Windows Image Acquisition) is a basic Microsoft driver that is simpler but sometimes lacks advanced scanning options.
