Mac Making an Applescript for my HP scanner/printer

[ToddJ]

I bought an HP Photosmart C4580 All in One Printer a couple of years ago. When i would press the button on the printer, it would automatically scan whatever documents i had in it and then open the HP software on my computer. However, when Snow Leopard came out, that functionality was disabled. Eventually HP came out with an update and now when pressing the button it will start an Applescript and then scan the document with preview (which is very, very basic when it comes to editing) instead of the HP software. Is there any easy way to make an Applescript (i have no experience with these mind you) so that when I press the scan button on my printer, it will automatically start scanning it with the HP software again? I have tried contacting HP about this, but they were no help whatsoever.

 

[ToddJ]

Doesn't anyone know how to do this?

 

[neutrino23]

Presumably there is a reason HP did this. Writing this script was easier than rewriting their application.

I'm guessing that what you really want is more flexibility during scanning.

Try looking at Silverfast. This is a great third party software that works with virtually all scanners.

http://www.silverfast.com/product/HP/572/en.html

 

[ToddJ]

Presumably there is a reason HP did this. Writing this script was easier than rewriting their application.

I'm guessing that what you really want is more flexibility during scanning.

Try looking at Silverfast. This is a great third party software that works with virtually all scanners.

http://www.silverfast.com/product/HP/572/en.html

thanks for the link. I looked at it, but it doesn't list my printer/scanner, plus the software only works for Windows, not Mac.

Anyone else have any suggestions? Does anyone from HP read this?

 

[ToddJ]

Anyone?

 

[ToddJ]

Help?

 

[neutrino23]

I don't use Silverfast but they do have a great reputation. According to their site they do support OS X

http://www.silverfast.com/show/sysreq/en.html

However, I don't see your model supported.

1. Can you see the Applescript that is launched when you press the button on the scanner? If you double click it does it open in Script Editor? It's possible that they have supplied a compiled script. That means we can't see the code so we can't see what they are doing.

I guess this begs the question, how do you know it launches an AppleScript?

2. If you launch the HP software does it still talk to the scanner? Is there any reason it won't run?

3. If it runs and if you can see the code in the script it might be possible to write a script that will invoke the HP sofware.


Again, I'm suspicious that there is some problem here. If the software would run they would have used it. There was some reason it wouldn't run and their easy solution was to write a script invoking Preview.