How To Use a Fax Machine – How To Send

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A fax machine uses a phone line to transmit and receive images electrically to another machine. It transfers the precise information to the recipient’s machine by scanning printed texts and images from the original paper used by the sender. The original document is accurately copied using this process.

You can send documents via fax right away to a client or colleague instead of mailing them to them. A duplicate of that document would be sent to that person right away. If you’re using a fax machine, you’ll need the following:

enough space for the machine
a dedicated telephone line
ink or toner paper

Even though neither of these names is used frequently anymore, fax machines can also be referred to as telecopiers or facsimile machines.

Table of Contents

How A Fax Machine Works

What Mechanisms Did Early Fax Machines Use?

Using short and long codes, fax machines transmit text and images over telegraph lines. Each line is read line by line by a sensor inside the sending fax machine, which then encodes the data and transmits it to the receiving fax machine. The latter then prints this data on paper, one line at a time.

What Is The Process Of Modern Fax Machines?

While using the landline telephone network, modern fax machines operate in a similar way. Data transmission begins once the connection has been made.

Before sending the information to the receiving machine, a fax machine scans and encodes the content of the document. The data sent will then be decoded by the receiving device. When the information is printed on paper by the telecopier, another name for a fax machine, the faxing procedure is complete.

Sending A Fax: What Happens?

When scanning texts and graphics repeatedly with a charge-coupled device (CCD), modern fax machines perceive a piece of paper as a sizable grid of squares.

There are 1,728 photosensors in every row of this scanner inside the fax machine. Depending on the scanned spots on the paper, the photosensors emit a range of low and high voltages. Until the fax machine has finished encoding the text, this process continues in a loop.

To send faxes, follow the steps below:

Make sure the device is turned on and plugged in. Position the documents so that they are facing up on the feeder.
Put the pages in the order that you want people to see them.
Remember to complete the fax cover sheet and place it on top of the documents. This guarantees that it will be the first page to emerge from the recipient’s fax machine.
Press Fax or Send after entering the recipient’s correct fax number.
You should hear handshake tones as the machine works. These tones indicate that your telecopier is faxing the documents successfully.

Once finished, you ought to receive a confirmation message on the LED display or a printed confirmation page. Depending on the design of your fax machine.

When You Get A Fax, What Happens?

The recipient’s phone number is dialed by compatible fax machines to establish a connection. The device accepts your handshake and begins beeping when you are on the receiving end before taking your documents. These beeps signal to the receiving device that a fax transmission request is being made by the sender.

This procedure demonstrates how two fax machines are connecting to one another. Additionally, it allows the sending device to identify the other line as a fax line rather than a phone line. A confirmation receipt will be sent to the sender by the receiving fax machine once it has decoded the documents. If the transmission was successful or not, this receipt would indicate that.

To ensure that you receive error-free faxes, follow these tips:

Make sure the device is turned on and plugged in.
Make sure your telecopier has enough paper loaded. The same is true for toner or ink.
Hold off until the fax machine phone rings. Do not pick it up when it rings. The tones of the handshake won’t come until then. Your device should also begin printing out fax pages, as you should observe.
Check the fax cover sheet after it stops printing. Check to see if the number of pages you are receiving is correct.
When you receive a fax, it’s customary to immediately notify the sender.
Never leave your fax machine unattended while the documents are still in the process of being secured if they contain sensitive information.

How To Set Up A Fax Machine

Depending on the model, there may be differences in how to set up a fax machine. But the following steps would apply to most machines:

Fax machine must be plugged in or connected to a power source.
Connect your machine to your active landline.
Verify that the printer has been properly loaded with toner or ink. Ensure there is sufficient paper as well.
As soon as the machine is turned on, check the phone for a dial tone. The fax machine is ready if the dial tone is present.

How To Send Faxes Through A Fax Machine

It is simple and takes only a few minutes to send a fax using a fax machine.

Here is how you do it:

As well as being connected to a working phone jack, your fax machine should also be powered and have a dedicated fax line or a regular phone line. Start the fax machine.
The person or business you want to fax documents to must have their fax number available.
The pages of the document you wish to send should be gathered and arranged in the order you desire the recipient to receive them.
Specify the recipient’s contact information on the fax cover sheet (if necessary), including their name, last name, fax number, phone number, etc., as well as a short information about the document like the number of pages.
Dial the recipient’s fax number on the fax machine after placing the documents correctly in the document feeder tray. Depending on what type of fax machine you have, press either the “fax” or “send” button.

The fax machine will scan and store each page after you do that. Following the completion of the entire document scan, you’ll hear a number of noises that essentially indicate that the sending and receiving machines have established a communication link. The fax will send in a few moments. Wait for the confirmation that the sending has been successful if your fax machine has a small display screen. A brief report that confirms the faxing process has been completed is also printed by some fax machines.

How To Receive A Fax Through A Fax Machine

As simple as sending a fax is, receiving one is almost as simple. Here is a step-by-step guide to receiving a fax:

Make sure your fax machine is plugged into a working phone jack and a power source; the latter can be a regular phone line or a line specifically for faxes. As long as the sender has the right fax or phone number, it doesn’t really matter what kind of communication it is.
Make sure the fax machine’s toner cartridge has enough ink; typically, you should be able to tell when the ink level is low. Modern fax machines can also alert the recipient.
Ensure there is enough paper in the paper tray. Run your thumb along the bottom of the paper to separate individual pages and stop paper jams from happening. The term “fanning the paper” also applies to this practice.
The phone will eventually ring if the fax machine and phone are on the same line. Allow it to ring without responding.
A series of sounds indicating a connection between two fax machines should be waited for.
The document will be printed out automatically by your fax machine.
To ensure that you received every page that was expected of you, check the cover sheet. Calling the sender to confirm receipt is a good idea if the documents are important.

Conclusion

Fax machines aren’t used as frequently as they once were because of new technology and the availability of companies that offer online fax services. Knowing how to use one, though, can definitely be useful. Understanding how to use a fax machine in particular is highly valued in an office environment.

You don’t have to be an expert who is familiar with all of the features of the gadget; simply knowing how to receive and send a fax should be sufficient.

The best option is FaxBurner if you don’t like using traditional fax machines but still want to benefit from faxing. By using email and/or your smartphone in its place, this mobile fax app does away with the need for a fax machine. The mobile app is user-friendly, dependable, and secure. – and let’s not forget that it lets you save your files in the cloud, and pull documents from Dropbox or even your computer’s camera.