IJ Scan Utility not recognizing PDF files

[Ralphie]

imageCLASS MF656cdw

When scanning a document into a pdf file, the file is created, but when specifying to open it with the Canon IJ scan utility, I get an error message that it can only open PDF files.  It is a PDF file.  I close the IJ scan utility, then open the pdf file with the IJ scan utility.  Do not understand why the IJ scan utility does not recognize the PDF extension and open the file.  Works fine with my Canon MX8300 IJ printer.

[normadel]

Huh?  First you can't, then you can, then you can't.

Inkjet Scan Utility doesn't OPEN existing files.  It CREATES files....like JPEGs, or PDFs. If you want to open a PDF (view it) you use a PDF reader program...like Adobe Reader, or some web browsers, or others out there.

[Ralphie]

Yes, it will open existing PDF files.  The ones created by the MF656cdw printer.  But on the settings screen for the printer, opening with IJ PDF editor does not open it, says that it will only open in PDF format.  The file is created in the PDF format.  If you close and open IJ PDF editor and select the file you just opened it works. IJ PDF allows the deleting of pages and changes in orientation free of charge.

[rs-eos]

What operating system are you using on your computer?

Note that simply having a file extension of ".pdf" may not actually represent a PDF file.  What matters is the file's contents.  I don't know if you have access to any developer tools, but in inspecting the first few bytes of a PDF file, it should be something like "%PDF-1.3"

Note that when scanning documents, unless some kind of text-recognition or line-art recognition is done, the PDF will basically just be an image.  So as an alternative, you can scan the document and save as a PNG, JPEG or other image format.

[Ralphie]

Two desktops, Windows 10 Windows 10.  The Canon IJ Scan utility works great with my Canon MX8320.  Opens the PDF created after scanning automatically.  Will not work with MF656cdw with the same settings.