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eFax How-Tos
How Does a Fax Machine Work?
Although fax machines may seem like complicated pieces of hardware, their functionality is actually quite straightforward. Here’s a quick step-by-step process on how they work.
What is a Fax Machine?
A fax machine is a device that enables users to scan and share documents using a phone line. Before the invention of the internet, the fax machine was the primary method for sharing documents with clients, colleagues, and friends. Today, it remains a vital tool for many organizations.
A fax machine is comprised of a scanner device, a telephone connection, a paper tray, and an output tray. These components allow users to scan and send their documents and receive incoming fax messages. After scanning a document, the sender enters the recipient’s fax number and hits the Send button. The fax machine will then process the document and send it to their contact telephonically.
How To Set Up A Fax Machine?
Modern fax machines are typically easy to set up. They feature intuitive user interfaces and clear menus that make it simple to send and receive documents. Fax machines also have features like personalized greetings, which enable users to recognize legitimate transmissions, and remote monitoring, ensuring sent documents arrive on time.
How Do Fax Machines Work?
Fax machines work by converting the text and images on a piece of paper into a series of audio tones. These tones are sent as digital data through phone lines to the receiving fax machine. The receiving machine decodes the audio tones back into the original text and images, which are printed out for the recipient.
The fact that today you might still have a need to send a fax is amazing when you consider that faxing has been around for literally 150 years, easily making it the oldest technology you have in your office. (Unless you do your book keeping with an abacus.)
Granted, you may not even know how to use a fax machine. And today, you can use modernized versions of this 19th century communication technology—you can send a fax online, fax by email, and even fax on your phone with a mobile fax app. But you’ve got to admit: Fax has proven that it has staying power.
So it’s probably worth learning how the underlying technology works, right? It’s actually pretty cool.
How a Fax Machine Reads Your Fax Document
Before your fax machine can transmit your paper document to your recipient’s fax machine, it first needs to “see” the document and record what’s on it.
We use the term “see” because, when you feed your document into a fax machine, it uses a built-in photo sensor to view the page as a series of tiny squares (maybe just a hundredth of an inch each), and then records each square as either black or white. The reason older fax machines often used a rotating drum for paper-feeding was so the machine could record a single line’s worth of these tiny squares at a time, then rotate to the next line.
Once the fax machine has recorded a page’s contents, it converts each of the squares into a sequence of audio tones, using different tones to signify that a square is either white or black. (Cool, huh?)
With the page’s info recorded on your fax machine, now it’s ready to transmit.
How a Fax Machine Sends Your Fax
To send your fax, your fax machine (in most cases) actually uses the plain-old telephone network. When you dial your recipient’s fax number on the machine’s keypad, and the two machines connect, your machine starts sending those audio tones over phone lines.
This is what you’re hearing as your fax machine makes those horrible screeching and beeping noises. It’s screaming to your recipient’s fax machine, telling it what to print: “Black square! White square! Black! Black! White, white, white! Black, white, black!”
In other words, you’ve probably listened to many of your faxes translated into “telephone-ese” without ever realizing it.
Step-by-Step Guide of How Fax Machines Work
Although fax machines may seem like complicated pieces of hardware, their functionality is actually quite straightforward. Here’s a quick step-by-step process on how they work:
Step-by-Step Breakdown of How Fax Machines Work
1. Documents are Created or Scanned
To start faxing, you first need to prepare or scan the document you wish to transmit. Typically, this is achieved using a computer or a digital scanner.
Documents are converted into a digital signal made up of 0s and 1s so that the information can be transmitted over a standard phone line.
3. Recipient’s Information Is Entered
After the document is prepared, the fax machine is set up with the recipient’s fax number or email, as well as a cover letter.
After the fax is prepared and submitted, the fax machine will dial the recipient’s number and transmit the digital signal to another fax machine.
5. Document Receipt and Printing
The receiving fax machine decodes the digital signal and reconstructs the document. The document is then printed out on the receiving end.
Can Documents Be Sent Securely Through A Fax Machine?
Yes, sharing documents via a fax machine is secure if users use encryption of password-protect sensitive files. Users should also avoid leaving critical data or documents on public machines in case someone else picks up the printout. Most modern fax machines offer security features like PIN codes and user logins, which makes the process of faxing a document highly secure.
The Convenience and Benefits of Online Faxing: Why Faxing Remains Relevant
In spite of the increasing popularity of email and digital messaging, faxing is still a great tool for sending documents quickly and securely. With the growing popularity of cloud-based faxing services, faxing is also now more convenient and accessible than ever. These online faxing services offer affordable options for both personal and business use, making them highly scalable. Additionally, they provide features such as document storage, digital signatures, and even mobile faxing options.
Send Faxes From Anywhere
Even without a traditional phone line, you can take advantage of the convenience offered by online faxing solutions like eFax. With eFax, you can send faxes from anywhere with an internet connection, whether through your laptop, tablet, or even your smartphone. This allows you to send important documents from any internet-enabled device you want, freeing you from the physical restrictions of a fax machine.
Unlimited Fax Storage and Lower Costs
Using online fax services, you get to keep all your faxes securely stored in the cloud, which means you no longer have to concern yourself with depleting paper or toner supplies. This convenience allows for quick retrieval of previously sent or received documents, saving you from sifting through piles of paper files. Solutions like eFax offer unlimited cloud storage with all subscription plans, freeing you from the hassles of long-term contracts and the recurring costs associated with maintaining a traditional fax machine and a separate phone line.
Streamline Your Workflows and Increase Efficiency
Traditional fax machines can be time-intensive and cumbersome. Switching to online faxing streamlines your fax management, making the process much more efficient. It eliminates the steps of printing, manually operating the fax machine, and waiting for fax transmissions. With online faxing solutions like eFax, you send dispatch multiple faxes at once with just a few clicks from your mobile device. Try eFax today to experience the simplicity and efficiency of managing your faxes online.
Fax Machines vs. Online Fax Services
Fax machines are physical devices that require the use of ink, toner, paper and a telephone line to submit documents telephonically. Whereas online fax services use the internet to send and receive fax messages.
Online faxing makes fax messaging far simpler and more cost-effective. Maintaining a fax machine can become costly, as it needs to be stocked with ink, toner, and paper and repaired when problems occur. However, online fax services only require an internet-enabled device, like a laptop or mobile phone, and an internet connection, enabling users to access their faxes anywhere and anytime.
Online fax services enable users to keep their existing fax numbers or they can allocate a new one. This allows users to send and receive fax messages from their computer or phone and send hundreds of documents per month.
“eFax is one of the most feature rich and well-known online fax services on the market and includes features like mobile apps, e-signature capabilities, …compliance and unlimited fax storage…”
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“Sending fax over internet to a local or toll free number is extremely easy using its simple interface integrated with your email account. Enhanced features like digital signature and integration with mobile apps are like icing on the cake.”
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“What I like about eFax is that it includes a share extension, so I can fax from almost all iOS apps that support sharing. This makes it easy to fax a document from almost all of my apps.”
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Move Beyond Outdated Fax Machines
Are you still using a traditional fax machine, wondering if there’s a better way to send and receive faxes? Watch our video comparison between eFax and the old-school fax machine to find out which method is truly the best.
Related FAQs
No, with online fax services like eFax, a traditional phone line isn’t necessary. As long as you have an internet connection, you can send faxes directly from your device.
Definitely. With online fax services like eFax, you can easily send faxes from your computer or any internet-enabled device, eliminating the need for a traditional fax machine or phone line.
Yes, it is. With services like eFax, you have the capability to get faxes straight to your email inbox, which makes it easier to manage and store your documents for later use.
eFax provides an email notification once your fax has been sent successfully. This feature allows you to efficiently track your sent faxes and confirm their receipt by the recipient.
Fax machines typically use regular plain white paper. The type of paper used for faxing may differ depending on the type of machine, as some may require specialized thermal paper to prevent data loss or distortion. However, most fax machines should be compatible with plain white paper.
Printers are used to print hard copies of documents, whereas fax machines are used to send documents electronically. Both machines can create digital versions of documents, but the difference is that fax machines enable users to share documents with contacts in different locations.
Yes, you can connect your computer to a fax machine. Most modern fax machines have software solutions that enable you to connect your computer to the fax machine. Others have USB ports that allow you to plug your computer into the fax machine directly.
No, fax machines use a phone line rather than an internet connection. A fax machine sends data digitally via a phone line, which means there’s no need to connect to the Internet. However, some fax machines do offer WiFi capability.