If the connection is made with the other modem, the fax will be sent. The fax message compiles, the modem dials. You will be asked to provide the recipient's fax number and other assorted information as with a fax program. Instead of printing to your default printer, look for an option that allows you to Print to Fax.
Some software products, such as Microsoft Word, allow you to fax a document without opening your fax software.įrom the File menu, select Print. When the connection is made, the fax will be sent. The fax will begin to compile the information and, when ready, will dial the remote fax machine. When asked to attach the file, follow instructions to attach the file that you want to fax. Indicate whether you wish to send a cover sheet.
Be sure to include area codes and long-distance information if needed. Click on that item.įollow instructions for entering the fax number of the recipient and any other requested information. Look for an icon or menu command that allows you to send a fax - such as Send New and Send Fax.
For professional use, HIPAA compliance was a deciding factor, because even if you don’t work in the health care industry, an HIPAA-compliant service has privacy and security safeguards in place to protect customer data.Open your fax software - such as Microsoft Fax or Microsoft Exchange. Features that give users control over their data, like letting you set how long a fax is stored and the ability to delete old faxes, provide added peace of mind. So we examined the privacy and security policies for all the services we tested, and we asked the companies how they secured their customers’ faxes during transmission and when stored. A strong security policy: In many cases, the kind of documents people need to fax contain sensitive information, such as phone numbers and even social security numbers.The most robust fax services offer support for Microsoft Office files, different types of image files, plain text files, and more. We preferred those that could fax more formats, so you don’t have to convert files before sending them.
A variety of supported file formats: Some fax services support only one or two file types, such as PDF and TIFF.We knocked off points for fax services that buried important settings or required us to click through multiple screens to send a fax. You can also create the document by tapping Scan a Document or Write Text. Select where the document/image is located. Tap Scan/Add Document to attach the document you want to send. Cover-page templates and the option to save fax numbers in an address book also simplified faxing for us. Fill in the details like the recipient’s fax number, name, and any comments you have. We appreciated when services made uploading a file as simple as dragging and dropping or connecting your cloud-storage account. User-friendly interface and convenient fax features: Sending a fax should be as easy as sending an email.The 25-page fax we used was a version of tax instructions from the IRS (PDF), with different type sizes, tables, and simple graphics.) To test fax receiving, we faxed our top contenders using HP’s fax testing service and also faxed twice from a laptop with a fax modem connected to a VoIP line. (Specifically, we used the AIIM scanner test chart (PDF) for the single-page tests to gauge fax resolution, because it offers a variety of grayscale details that serve as good stand-ins for text, charts, and other graphics. For each service we considered, we sent three test faxes to a virtual Kall8 phone number: a one-page PDF, a one-page DOC, and a 25-page PDF. Fax reliability and quality: There’s no point in trying to send a fax if it’s not going to be delivered or the quality is so poor that you have to resend it.
We avoided services with confusing price tiers, sign-up fees, or extra charges for features that a freelancer or small-business owner would regularly need to access. For professional use, we focused on options that had straightforward subscription pricing.