Sending and receiving faxes is an important part of many businesses and individual workers.  To this day it is the preferred method to send and receive documents, so it is very important to learn how to send a fax successfully.

To send a fax, you have two basic options.  The first one is sending fax through a fax machine; this option is now viewed as the “traditional” faxing method, and it requires you to have a special fax machine. He technology used on such machines is now several years old.

Your other option is to use Internet faxing or computer faxing.  This way of sending and receiving faxes has proven to be faster and more effective.  Slowly but steadily, many big companies have integrated this solutions thanks to integrated fax server technology, and these days even individuals can take advantage of it thanks to Internet faxing services.

The first thing you’ll want to do is create a cover page for your fax. This cover page has the function of providing info on the recipient, the intended number and your number.  Thanks to these cover pages both ends will keep faxes organized and delivered pretty quickly. Print your cover page.

Next, you will need to use the machine and enter the recipient’s number.  This is pretty easy because it works just like a phone.  However, there’s a difference with traditional fax: you won’t know if you’ve dialed the wrong number, so go ahead and double check it.

Place your pages on the fax machine feeder in order, and then push the Send button.  This should be a large button on the fax machine.  After pushing the button the sending process will begin and hopefully you won’t run into problems, like paper jams for example!

From there you just need to wait for each page to pass through the machine and be delivered.  After finishing most fax machines will notify you with a “beep”.

Sending a fax through the Internet is faster than using traditional faxing, and you won’t run into visibility problems and paper jams.  The process is very similar to sending an e-mail, that’s why it is called often “email faxing”. 

First you’ll need to sign up with an Internet fax service and set up your account.  Check out for services that offer 30 day free trials to get started.  Once you’ve linked your fax account to your email account, compose a new e-mail.

You will need to enter the recipient’s fax number on the “To” field, it will be entered in the form of an email like this: faxnumber @ faxserviceprovider.com.  Replacing faxnumber for the recipient’s number and faxserviceprovider.com for the company of your choice.

The data in the cover page will be entered on the “Message” field. Again, include all the information needed to ensure proper delivery.  Type directly into your email software.

Next, attach the desired document to be faxed in the e-mail.  It can be any file supported by your faxing service provider.  Common files are doc and pdf files.  After attaching them, just click on the send button.

From there, the fax servers will automatically convert your document to a file readable by other computers and fax machines, all while keeping the best document readability.

EXTRA – Some Internet fax services simplify the process even more, thanks to a program they provide to their users.  This software installs a toolbar on common used applications, so by pressing a button you can instantly open the email software, open a new email message and attach the file.  A real time saver!

Although some people may have preferences over fax machines, the truth is that electronic faxing is currently the best way to send a fax.  The development of this technology has saved people hours they would spend dealing with paper jams, poor document clarity and busy phone lines.  Business on the other hand have reported huge savings by integrating an Internet faxing solution, since they don’t need to spend on dedicated fax lines, supplies and maintenance.

Current web faxing service providers go beyond the basic faxing capabilities and let you enjoy added features such as mobile notification, fax broadcasting and scheduling of documents to be faxed.