Abstract: In a network-based input scanning system, wherein a sender scanning a hard-copy document at a scanner sends the resulting image data to an electronic mail address, the scanner appends an electronic mail address of the sender in the “From:” space of the electronic mail message. In this way, status messages or other responses to the electronic mail message bearing the image data are directed to the sender's computer, and not only to the scanner itself. The identity of the sender is determined by a network-login step the sender uses to access the scanner.