Ultimate Guide to the Art of Sending Faxes

Even though sending a fax might seem like a realistically outdated method of sending information around, there are actually quite a few organizations that would prefer you to send a fax rather than an email. This is mainly because faxing is crucial for regulated industries and it also prevents cybercrimes. Legal firms, government bodies, pharmaceutical companies and other highly regulated industries would rather opt for faxing as a tried as a tested method of file-sharing for a number of logical reasons.

Sending a fax can be somewhat confusing to most of us, especially if you are used to sending emails. Luckily, you don’t always have to use a fax machine to send a fax as there are apps available for you to send a fax online such as FaxBurner, providing you with the option to send a fax in a more modern manner.

Attempting to use a fax machine to send a fax can lead to some amusingly unexpected situations, especially if you are not so sure how to operate it. We have compiled a simple guide to help you send a fax, without embarrassing yourself too much.   

The Printer At Work Could Be Disguised As The Fax Machine

If you are required to send a fax at work, you might get lost looking for the fax machine. Most office printer-scanners actually also have a faxing function. So you could end up getting lost in the office looking for the fax machine when it is actually right in front of you. Additionally, all the setting options could be quite intimidating, especially when taking into account that fax machines tend to be quite unresponsive.  

The Recipient Could Be Busy

When sending a fax, you really do need to ensure that the recipient is responsive otherwise, you may think you are doing something wrong. Unlike emails, faxing does not rely on the internet and the recipient will need to respond to your fax in order for it to reach its destination. This can be extremely frustrating and practising the patience of a saint can spare you a lot of embarrassment.  

You Need A Landline, Not The Internet

As mentioned, faxing does not operate from an internet connection but rather, a landline. You will want to ensure that the landline extension cable is connected properly to the fax machine, before attempting to have an argument with the office equipment. Additionally, if you are sending a fax internationally, you should include the international code into the fax number, otherwise, it just won’t send.  

Paper Jams

Just like with a printer, you should take care when placing the paper documents in the tray to prevent a frustrating paper jam that could damage the documents. However, if you have used a printer this should be an easy step. Fanning the paper before setting it in the paper tray can help to prevent them from sticking together.

Can You Send That Fax In Color?

This might come as quite a shock, but you can actually send a fax in color. This ag old technology really is capable of sending a color document, granted the machine does have color ink and toner. It would be wise not to underestimate the capabilities of this age-old file-sharing technology. 

Why Would Anyone Prefer A Fax?

Despite the convenience and popularity of emailing documents and files, faxing provides the recipient with a hard-copy of your documents and prevents cybercrimes and hacking, proving far more secure than an email with regards to malware. Even though it is an age-old technology, faxing is a surprisingly fast method of sending a document and it is the best way to send a signed document. Additionally, faxing is also undeniably less expensive when compared to alternatives such as secure email.

Sending a fax is actually not as outdated as you may think. Most companies tend to be somewhat resilient where change is concerned and opt for faxing as a reliable method of file-sharing. It is also a fantastic backup communication system that is used in most corporations. Statistics show that faxing is not about to disappear either, so you really should grasp the basics of sending a fax.