Scanners that allow Acrobat DC to initiate and control the entire scanning process

I have used Acrobat Pro and now Acrobat DC with 2 Fujitsu scanners that are Windows only scanners at work for over 22 years. [fi-4220C and fi-6240z]. I am able to initiate and control the scanner from within Acrobat DC and not have to start/control the scan using the bundled scanning software provided by Fuijisu. I have not been able to identify a single flatbed or document scanner that will do the same in the Mac OS. Are there any scanners that allow Acrobat DC to create the PDF from start to finish? Asking scanner companies tend to give no response other than their scanner works with Acrobat, but scanner software has to make the PDF first using the scanner's software...........not letting Acrobat control the scanner. I am currently running Acrobat DC version 2025-001.20476 on a MacStudio running 14.6.1. I assume that the issue is whether the scanner company provides a TWAIN driver that is written such that Acrobat DC can communicate directly to the scanner. Appreciate any Acrobat DC user on a Mac who can provide a scanner model they have been able to do this with, so I can consider purchasing the same scanner, if compatible with my MacOS. This maybe something that only Windows users of Acrobat DC are able to do with their scanners.

Mac Studio, macOS 14.6

Posted on Jun 1, 2025 09:11 PM

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13 replies

Jun 2, 2025 06:52 AM in response to denskipooh

Since your two scanners were supported only on older releases of Windows, there are no purpose-built macOS ICA or TWAIN drivers available to support these scanners on any version of macOS or to be found in Acrobat's scanner selection window on macOS.


Options:

  1. Continue using VueScan Professional for the scanning process on macOS
  2. Confer with Adobe about per seat licensing cost of Acrobat and if your license is good within a Parallel's Windows guest.
    1. Parallel's Desktop Pro runs about $120/yr subscription.
    2. You will need an ARM version of Windows 11 Pro to run on your Apple Silicon Studio.
      1. Does the JSE TWAIN solution work ok in an ARM Windows 11 Pro 64-bit compatibility box?
      2. Does Adobe make a version of Acrobat compatible with ARM Windows 11 Pro?
    3. I keep my Parallel's guests on an external fast SSD (Crucial X8) via USB-C->TB port.



Jun 3, 2025 04:58 AM in response to denskipooh

Adobe provides a Scan Documents to PDF link that was updated in 2024 and provides a Scan & OCR section. In that section is a Troubleshooting section that shows one can select either a TWAIN or ICA driver version for a supported scanner in macOS. That ICA is the vendor's driver to support Apple's Image Capture scanning software, but apparently, Adobe Acrobat will use it if present. Such is not your current case.


Long before I would invest in a current Parallel's Desktop Pro solution (in your case), or new scanners, I would just use your existing scanners and VueScan Professional to automatically scan and output an OCR'd PDF with search capability. I do this with my Canon LiDE 400 scanner and no reason, other than Adobe Acrobat fixation :-) that you cannot do this too. No vendor driver support required. Keep it simple.

Jun 2, 2025 06:59 AM in response to VikingOSX

What I meant to say before the hosting software interrupted:


Since your two scanners were supported only on older releases of Windows, there are no purpose-built macOS ICA or TWAIN drivers available to support these scanners on any version of macOS or to be found in Acrobat's scanner selection window on macOS.


Options:

  1. Continue using VueScan Professional for the scanning process on macOS
  2. Confer with Adobe about per seat licensing cost of Acrobat and if your license is good within a Parallel's Windows guest.
  3. Parallel's Desktop Pro runs about $120/yr subscription.
    1. You will need an ARM version of Windows 11 Pro to run on your Apple Silicon Studio.
    2. Is the JSE TWAIN solution supported on ARM Windows 11 Pro?
    3. Does Adobe make a version of Acrobat compatible with ARM Windows 11 Pro?
    4. I keep my Parallel's guests on an external fast SSD (Crucial X8) via USB-C->TB port.


Microsoft licenses for Windows 11 Pro are platform agnostic and can be used on Intel or ARM versions of it. Windows 11 Pro licenses can be had for as little as $15 (while supplies last) on StackSocial dot com.

Jun 2, 2025 09:11 PM in response to VikingOSX

Not to give up, but after much searching, it appears that the consensus is...........there is no current scanner that can be purchased that allows the Mac version of Acrobat DC to control the entire scanning process. This may have been possible in earlier versions of Acrobat and older scanners made to run in the Mac OS, but that ability has apparently gone away due to scanner companies not wanting to spend the time to make a Mac Twain driver for their scanner. The same scanner companies are willing to make a Twain driver, but only for Windows [if they make a Twain driver at all]. I was giving the example of the Fujitsu scanners, because I knew they worked with Acrobat DC, and the newer scanner is running in Windows 10. This was just a demonstration that direct access by Acrobat to a scanner still exists, in the Windows systems. See image of how that actual appears when selecting scanner when creating a new PDF in Acrobat. Whatever Twain driver that Fujitsu wrote is still working with the old scanner even though I have had to go from Acrobat Pro to the DC version. I have not intentionally had to update the Twain driver that came with the older scanner. So, it is ironic, that the Mac version of Acrobat DC even bothers to have the 'scanner' choice as an option in the software, when there are no scanners capable of being used in the Mac OS.

So to at least be able to use my Mac Studio [and not have to buy a Windows PC that will not have the same horsepower], and if I want direct scanner control with Acrobat DC that I currently enjoy at my job as a medical librarian but using a Windows computer..........1. need to use Parallels [which I have an older version circa 2017, so will need to get a silicon version. 2. Buy a current Windows compatible scanner from a company that still makes a Twain driver for their Windows only scanner [Fujitsu is where I will probably start with their fi-series document models]. The scanner companies will unlikely make that evident in their specifications, so will have to research the support downloads for each scanner to find those that have a Windows Twain driver to use 3. Get a Windows license for Parallels that the scanner is compatible [and also the scanner Twain driver. Then, unless I have missed a crucial step, I can take a scanner, even one that works both in Mac OS and Windows, and use it because their is a Windows Twain driver allowing the direct scanning to be done. The JSE alternative Twain could potentially be used, since that is a Windows only program that works for many scanners that do not not have a Windows Twain driver..........but may not be needed. Learning Parallels will be the biggest hurdle, as I have not ever consistently used it, so quite out of practice. Originally bought it to install a Snow Leopard server OS to run very old Mac software, not to install Windows. NOTE: One of the scanners I tried, that had a Mac Twain driver to install was an Epson DS-770 II, which is one of their newer document scanner. Acrobat DC did see and identify the scanner correctly while in the create new PDF from scanner. When the 'scan' button was chosen, Acrobat did nothing. Attempts to cancel just brought up an error statement that made no sense. Acrobat DC was also locked up and I could not 'quit' the program and had to force quit Acrobat. An hour with Epson tech support and two 1 hour tech support sessions with Adobe..........no one could figure out what was wrong. My suspicion is the Epson Mac Twain driver was not as compatible with Acrobat expectations of Twain. I returned that scanner and waiting on a refund. Appreciate all of the feedback for how this might be possible if I use a Windows emulator. If I am smart should buy a current Windows and Mac compatible document scanner, and use the Windows side just for direct Acrobat scanning [which I need], and then use my other Mac scanning programs with the same scanner [including using the Mac bundled scanner software] for other stuff where I am not making PDFs. For a select few, there is a Mac Twain software fScanX Home Edition I found on the App Store. It works with a select number of older Fujitsu/Scansnap units, and appears to work in 10.11 and up. Unfortunately the cost varies a lot based on the specific Fujitsu you want to resurrect and use again with your current Mac. The $40 version works only with 2 models, other models are in the $150 range and up. It also does not make is so Acrobat DC can use the scanner and just make basic scanning possible again with the fScanX software interface.

Jun 2, 2025 06:12 AM in response to Owl-53

I do have/use Vuescan, but in this situation I want Acrobat DC to control the scanning process. Vuescan is a substitute that controls the scanning, does the scan, makes a PDF...........then I can take that and open the PDF in Acrobat DC. I am trying to cut 'out' the middle man in the process, and have Acrobat DC do the entire scanning process, as I know is possible in Windows with those 2 specific Fujitsu scanners [and possible other manufacturer scanners made for Windows only]. I am looking for the comparable experience, but on a Mac. Looking for anyone who is able to use a scanner that Acrobat DC can initiate the entire scan just with that software. Other alternative TWAIN programs like ExactScan are also not what I am looking for. If direct scanning by Acrobat has never existed for the Mac OS since the birth of that program, I am trying to confirm I will have to buy a Windows computer. If no one has ever been able to scan directly with Acrobat in the MacOS.........I may have to consider using Parallels to emulate Windows, connect to a Windows only scanner like a Fujitsu. Not sure if my licensing to Acrobat DC will extend to using it within Parallels on my Mac Studio. The JSE TWAIN solution does allow Acrobat DC to control a scanner directly, but the software is only written for Windows and not the MacOS.

Jun 16, 2025 08:50 PM in response to Oriskim

Third time apparently is the charm. Returned two scanners Epson DS-770 II had twain driver for MacOs, but would freeze up when pressing scan from create PDF in Acrobat DC. Scansnap ix1400 is a nice Ricoh, but I bought it not realizing it had no Mac Twain driver. So returned that. My advice, is not to contact technical support at a scanner for compatibility with a particular scanner............but to contact sales at that company, and have 'sales' verify just which models of scanner they sell that can be controlled directly by Acrobat DC. Recommendation was Fi-8040 document scanner which has a Mac ICA driver that was quick to install. Started Acrobat DC, went to create PDF, chose 'scan', selected the device [the 8040 was recognized] and started to do a scan with acrobat. The ICA driver appears to not have grayscale settings, but I need to read the manual in more detail. That could be a setting only when using Windows to connect to the scanner. Basic ICA gave text, black/white and color, resolution up to 600 to select, and Acrobat DC has the usual OCR and optimize PDF functions to select. There are more screen settings related to text that I need to investigate, as text and also photos/illustrations within journal articles are what I need the scanner for. I did take the advice of VikingOSX..........and bought Parallels and installed Windows 11 Pro on this Mac Studio running OS 14. So I also can try the Windows Twain/Isis driver for this scanner. The Ricoh sales agent I was connected to was very helpful, and I explicitly explained how I was not going to use the Richoh scanning software, but needed Acrobat DC to do the entire scanning process, from start to finish in creating a PDF. I also sent a screen shot, that I used in earlier responses, so that the agent knew what I meant by 'controlling' the scanner. He then went to Ricoh tech support to find the direct Acrobat DC scanning was possible and suggested the Fi-8040 model. I suspect that all of the Ricoh models in the 8000 family have both Mac and Windows drivers.......that would also work with Acrobat DC. Hope this helps someone else looking to use the 'scan' function in Acrobat DC..........but in the MacOS environment. Will report back, when I get to try the Parallels/Windows Twain driver, how it compares to the MacOS ICA driver as far as being able to adjust scanning settings.........which is the type provided by Ricoh. Special note: Adobe did finally admit that the Epson DS770 II should have worked in the MacOS, but there was a glitch most likely caused by Acrobat DC [not Epson] causing a scan to freeze up Acrobat DC completely. I did not have time to wait for Adobe to fix the glitch.........so returned that scanner. If Adobe fixes the problem with the Epson ICA driver........I would probably recommend that for direct scanning by Acrobat DC..........but they need to fix the problem first. I posted a similar query in the Adobe Acrobat community, and will update that one with this Fi-8040 success.

Jun 17, 2025 08:45 PM in response to VikingOSX

I agree. Very familiar with the Twain driver for Acrobat DC in Windows. There are plenty of settings in the Ricoh ICA driver for the Mac version that I need to explore by trying them on a know document [scanned over and over but changing setting] to see how it affects text and graphics, since my goal is to create PDFs that approximate the original printed page. After doing testing in the MacOS with the Ricoh ICA interface to Acrobat DC, will see how different it is to use the Windows Twain Ricoh driver and Acrobat DC [running in Windows 11 with Parallels]........and seeing how similar the scanning interface with the ancient Fujitsu scanners at work, and then using this new model.

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Scanners that allow Acrobat DC to initiate and control the entire scanning process

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