Found two ways to create PDF from HP laserjet 3200m printer

[Fred James]

Combining recommendations from three sources, I was able to create a PDF
for free from my HP printer using these tolls:
1. C:\programs\scanners\scan2pdf\Scan2PDF.exe
2. C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\LaserJet All-in-one\hppcopy.exe
3. CutePDF

As always, I searched the usenet newsgroups to find these recommendations
for creating a PDF out of paper when all I have is WinXP & a HP laserjet
3200m black-and-white printer, used as a 'scanner'.

First, in alt.comp.freeware, I found the suggestion to use Koma code
Scan2PDF 1.7 (www.koma-code.de) freeware - which works only if you already
have TWAIN drivers for the HP printer.

I then found out, much to my chagrin, that TWAIN drivers are NOT the normal
printer drivers found on the HP website!

I'm not sure 'why' TWAIN drivers are not part of a normal driver download;
but the fact they aren't, made me search comp.periphs.printers for help.

Luckily, in comp.periphs.printers, I found a pointer to HP LaserJet
programs (not drivers, per se) called "hp_laserjet3200m_twain_driver"
version 1.1 (16 Sep 2008) from HP LaserJet 3200 All-in-One Printer series -
TWAIN Drivers and Utilities at
h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareDescriptio... (lost the
rest of the URL unfortunately).

Once I installed the TWAIN drivers, the scan2PDF worked - but - I belatedly
found a BETTER way.

Back in alt.comp.freeware, I saw mention of using "cutePDF" as a printer.

Voila!

It's non-intuitive ... but it works well!

Here's what I use now (muuuuch better than scan2PDF for example).

a) I run the "HP LaserJet Copier" program (which came with the TWAIN
drivers)
b) I check the dialog box asking [x] I want to copy to another printer...
c) I select CutePDF Writer as my 2nd printer! <--- this is the secret
sauce!

Voila!

The HP printer begins to scan the documents (multiple pages OK), and then
cutePDF prints them to PDF.

Works like a charm (improvements always welcome).

I love the fact that combining the recommendations from TWO newsgroups
provided the answer to me!

 

[H-Man]

Combining recommendations from three sources, I was able to create a PDF
for free from my HP printer using these tolls:
1. C:\programs\scanners\scan2pdf\Scan2PDF.exe
2. C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\LaserJet All-in-one\hppcopy.exe
3. CutePDF

As always, I searched the usenet newsgroups to find these recommendations
for creating a PDF out of paper when all I have is WinXP & a HP laserjet
3200m black-and-white printer, used as a 'scanner'.

First, in alt.comp.freeware, I found the suggestion to use Koma code
Scan2PDF 1.7 (www.koma-code.de) freeware - which works only if you already
have TWAIN drivers for the HP printer.

I then found out, much to my chagrin, that TWAIN drivers are NOT the normal
printer drivers found on the HP website!

I'm not sure 'why' TWAIN drivers are not part of a normal driver download;
but the fact they aren't, made me search comp.periphs.printers for help.

Luckily, in comp.periphs.printers, I found a pointer to HP LaserJet
programs (not drivers, per se) called "hp_laserjet3200m_twain_driver"
version 1.1 (16 Sep 2008) from HP LaserJet 3200 All-in-One Printer series -
TWAIN Drivers and Utilities at
h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareDescriptio... (lost the
rest of the URL unfortunately).

Once I installed the TWAIN drivers, the scan2PDF worked - but - I belatedly
found a BETTER way.

Back in alt.comp.freeware, I saw mention of using "cutePDF" as a printer.

Voila!

It's non-intuitive ... but it works well!

Here's what I use now (muuuuch better than scan2PDF for example).

a) I run the "HP LaserJet Copier" program (which came with the TWAIN
drivers)
b) I check the dialog box asking [x] I want to copy to another printer...
c) I select CutePDF Writer as my 2nd printer! <--- this is the secret
sauce!

Voila!

The HP printer begins to scan the documents (multiple pages OK), and then
cutePDF prints them to PDF.

Works like a charm (improvements always welcome).

I love the fact that combining the recommendations from TWO newsgroups
provided the answer to me!

I think HP started to use Wia drivers for their scanners some time ago.
Most manufacturers provide both Twain and WIA drivers. Many free programs,
including my own Scan2PDF (an unfortunate name choice there), sees only
Twain drivers.

 

[Dave Doe]

Combining recommendations from three sources, I was able to create a PDF
for free from my HP printer using these tolls:
1. C:\programs\scanners\scan2pdf\Scan2PDF.exe
2. C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\LaserJet All-in-one\hppcopy.exe
3. CutePDF

As always, I searched the usenet newsgroups to find these recommendations
for creating a PDF out of paper when all I have is WinXP & a HP laserjet
3200m black-and-white printer, used as a 'scanner'.

First, in alt.comp.freeware, I found the suggestion to use Koma code
Scan2PDF 1.7 (www.koma-code.de) freeware - which works only if you already
have TWAIN drivers for the HP printer.

I then found out, much to my chagrin, that TWAIN drivers are NOT the normal
printer drivers found on the HP website!

I'm not sure 'why' TWAIN drivers are not part of a normal driver download;
but the fact they aren't, made me search comp.periphs.printers for help.

Luckily, in comp.periphs.printers, I found a pointer to HP LaserJet
programs (not drivers, per se) called "hp_laserjet3200m_twain_driver"
version 1.1 (16 Sep 2008) from HP LaserJet 3200 All-in-One Printer series -
TWAIN Drivers and Utilities at
h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareDescriptio... (lost the
rest of the URL unfortunately).

Once I installed the TWAIN drivers, the scan2PDF worked - but - I belatedly
found a BETTER way.

Back in alt.comp.freeware, I saw mention of using "cutePDF" as a printer.

Voila!

It's non-intuitive ... but it works well!

Here's what I use now (muuuuch better than scan2PDF for example).

a) I run the "HP LaserJet Copier" program (which came with the TWAIN
drivers)
b) I check the dialog box asking [x] I want to copy to another printer...
c) I select CutePDF Writer as my 2nd printer! <--- this is the secret
sauce!

I use the free PDF Creator, because (IIRC) Cute PDF does not work via
remote desktop (RDC).

http://www.pdfforge.org/

 

[Ralph Peterson]

I use the free PDF Creator, because (IIRC) Cute PDF does not work via
remote desktop (RDC).
http://www.pdfforge.org/

Do you scan paper sheets from your printer to the free PDF creator?

How?

 

[occam]

I'm not sure 'why' TWAIN drivers are not part of a normal driver download;
but the fact they aren't, made me search comp.periphs.printers for help.

Luckily, in comp.periphs.printers, I found a pointer to HP LaserJet
programs (not drivers, per se) called "hp_laserjet3200m_twain_driver"

Fred

I had a similar problem with my HP PSC 1500. Can I ask, where (in which
thread) did you find your pointer?
(I had a look in comp.periphs.printers, I only see one post from you,
not hint of where else you may have looked. )

Thanks

 

[Dave Doe]

Do you scan paper sheets from your printer to the free PDF creator?

How?

See the OP's post. My reply to him is not about that.

 

[Fred W. James]

in which thread did you find your pointer?

I don't remember.

To still help you, I just now redid my search (using create + pdf + HP +
printer). Luckily, that found it but the lousy Google groups search engine
doesn't help much (you'd think Google would be able to search newsgroup
posts better).

Anyway, I digress. I'm not sure how to properly quote usenet posts so all I
can give you is the google groups web search url:
https://groups.google.com/group/alt...00eaf68?hl=en&q=create+PDF+HP+printer&lnk=ol&

Yuck. Sorry about that long URL. Here's a tiny url to the same thread:
http://tinyurl.com/7kstzk6

Somewhere in that thread of over 100 posts from about 50 authors are a
couple of links to large HP software downloads. They are really large, and
unreliable though. It took me four or five tries (on my slow connection) to
be successful. I had to give up on one of them. Finally the second one
worked.

So, when you do find what you need, save it for posterity because they're
hard as hell to come by (HP really should make downloading the basic
software much easier).

Let us know if it works, for you too!

 

[Fred W. James]

http://tinyurl.com/7kstzk6

I'm re-reading that thread. It's very confusing because nobody seemed to
understand the Op's problem (least of all the OP, at least initially) - and
then - everyone - for scores of posts - pointed the OP in the wrong
direction.

It turns out that HP does not supply the necessary TWAIN drivers anymore.

So, you don't find this out until the OP has exhausted every suggestion
provided and he/she finally finds the answer somewhere else and posts that
answer for all to see in the results.

To read that thread is both an exercise in faith (many people helped out)
and futility (most didn't understand the problem, least of all the OP).

Here is a relevant quote which should point you in the right direction.


Thanks Peter.

I found out the LaserJet 3200 TWAIN drivers are NOT on the HP web site
http://www.hp.com/support/lj3200

Turns out someone posted the entire HP 271Mb CDROM as a zip file here:
http://forums13.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?admit=10...

A few of those HP CDROM links and torrernts didn't work but this one worked
on the 3rd try:
http://s197185871.onlinehome.us/hpdownloads/

So now I have the HPLJ3200 "TWAIN" drivers installed (these files were from
2000 which predates my printer mfg date of 2001 though).

The hp laser jet 3200m printer is still not scanning to PDF (yet) but at
least the printer is recognized as a scanner (which it wasn't before).

---

The only known solutions for the HP LJ 3200m are the following:
a) Find the original CDROM that came with the HP LJ 3200m in 2001
b) Order from HP the WinXP replacement CDROM TWAIN drivers (at some cost)
c) Find where someone has kindly made the CDROM available for download

To report back to the team, the TWAIN drivers are definitely not on the HP
support pages: http://www.hp.com/support/lj3200

Warren Block confirmed that in this URL:
http://forums11.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?admit=10...

Most of the links in that URL were dead but this one worked on the 3rd try:
http://s197185871.onlinehome.us/hpdownloads/

The software is huge and OLD (it predates the printer mfg date) but once I
installed the 271 Mbytes, it added something called "HP LaserJet Device
Configuration", and "Scandrivers and Copier Software", and "Screen Fonts",
and "Readiris Pro 6.0 OCR Application", etc.

Now Scan2PDF recognizes the printer as a scanner.

I still haven't gotten the setup to scan to PDF but now the problem is
muuuuuch simpler. It's just to find which freeware to use to scan a
document to PDF (which was the original question).

---

The only reason the complete HP package didn't work at first to create a
PDF from scan2PDF freeware was that I needed to reboot the PC (I'm always
reluctant to reboot as I wonder what the PC does during the reboot that it
can't do w/o a reboot.)

Anyway, after the PC reboot I did the following and it worked just fine:

1. I put the piece of paper to be scanned to PDF into the printer
2. I started scan2PDF freeware
3. I checked that the HP printer was a scan2PDF source (it was)
4. I pressed the scan2PDF scan button which initiated a scan on the printer
5. The result was a PDF in scan2PDF that I simply saved to my hard disk.

Wow. How simple it all is once the TWAIN drivers were installed!
(OCR will be a whole 'nother ball game ... I'll look for freeware OCR
software separately.)

---

You'll realize, after all this, the OP still didn't realize that he didn't
even need the scan2PDF since he could now use the HP software to choose to
forward the paper copy to a second printer which he could set up as
cutePDF.

So you see, in the end, I tied together two solutions from two forums and
it works great, for me!

 

[Fred W. James]

Now that I've re-read all 107 posts of that thread over and over, I must
commend the OP for summarizing in the end what the solution was.

So, I will try to summarize similarly for what I found to be my solution.

FIRST INSTALLATION STEP: Install CutePDF as a printer on your windows PC.
SECOND INSTALLATION STEP: Install the "HP LaserJet Copier" program
(hppcopy.exe)

To scan to PDF:
a] Insert original document in the HP LaserJet 3200m printer
b] Start the "HP LaserJet Copier" program
c] Select "[x] I want to copy to another printer..."
d] Choose "CutePDF Writer" as that printer & press "Start Copy"
e] The printer will begin to scan the document & then ask where to save the
PDF.

It's that easy.

The hardest part is obtaining the HP LaserJet Copier program. It took a lot
of clicking on links and even then, the entire HP support site was revamped
so I had to search on the revamped site to find the actual link (which I
can no longer find so I gave up this second time since I had just
downloaded it recently so I myself didn't need it anymore).

If others follow in these footsteps, please post better URLs than I did so
others can follow us in the future.

 

[occam]

It turns out that HP does not supply the necessary TWAIN drivers anymore.

yep, I've discovered that too.

Here is a relevant quote which should point you in the right direction.

Thanks for your pointer and follow up. I appreciate it. I'll start
trawling through the links soon.

 

[tahitibub]

Hi,

All the download links for the "LaserJet 3200 CDROM" file are down.

Could someone upload this HP3200.zip file somewhere ?

Regards