Fax machines were once the flagship of corporate communications. Thanks to the fax it is in fact possible to send, practically instantaneously, documents, contracts, images and information through telephone lines, anywhere in the world. Despite the arrival of the internet and the development of e-mail communications, the fax has not completely disappeared and in some cases it still remains a very efficient means of communication. If you want to get rid of your fax, or if you don't want to buy one, know that there are many ways to send a document at a fraction of the price, or even for free. Let's see how to do it.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Use your computer as a Fax
Step 1. Prepare your documents for sending
If you want to use your computer as if it were a traditional fax, connected to the telephone line, using the appropriate software on your computer.
Step 2. Using Windows 7:
- Open the menu Start, select the item All programs and click Fax and scanner.
- Select the button New Fax, is located at the top left of the toolbar. Follow the wizard and connect the twisted pair to the computer.
- Fill in the fax form, enter the recipient's telephone number, write a short explanatory message and attach the documents to be sent.
- Once the compilation is complete, click the button Send.
Step 3. Using OS X:
- Open the document you want to fax and make any necessary changes.
- From the menu File select the item Press.
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Select the PDF button and, from the drop-down menu, choose the option Send PDF by Fax.
FaxPDF - In the appropriate field, enter the recipient's fax number, making sure to include all the prefixes necessary for sending, both national and international and, if you are in the office, remember to include the number that indicates an external call to the company switchboard.
- In the modem selection field, select Internet Modem.
- If your fax has a cover page, select the item from the drop-down menu Cover page and fill in the related options according to your needs.
- Click the button Preview to preview the complete document before sending. After checking, select the 'Submit' button.
Method 2 of 3: Use an online service
Step 1. Choose a fax service
On the web there are countless sites that offer this type of service, here is a list of the main ones.
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PamFax. If you have a Skype profile, check out the PamFax service. Allows you to use Skype as a tool to send faxes around the world. In many countries of Europe and North America the price is around 11 cents per page and the sending of the first three pages, after registering, will be free. It is a service with no monthly fixed costs, free of advertising and which supports Dropbox and Google Drive.
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MyFax. MyFax is a service for sending and receiving faxes via the internet, e-mail or smartphone. It has a small fixed monthly cost of € 9, which includes free sending of 100 pages per month and free receiving of 200 pages per month. Even if MyFax uses your e-mail account to send and receive faxes, it will also provide you with a physical number, to which your customers, especially if they are fond of those old faxes with the numeric keypad that emit strange noises similar to static discharges, they will be able to send you their documents.
MyFax Online Fax -
eFax. It is similar to the other services, it gives you a fax number and offers you a free trial period of 30 days. It is quite inexpensive and gives you the added ability to store all your sent faxes, which may come in handy in the future
Efax
Method 3 of 3: Useful tools for the office
Step 1. Replacing your fax is a very simple procedure
Think and ask yourself what a traditional fax is made of: a simple black and white scanner, a connection via a telephone line and a thermal printer, which by 1984 was an obsolete technology. Today around you, at home or in the office, you can find state-of-the-art tools such as: computers, high resolution color inkjet printers, low cost flatbed scanners, as well as a broadband internet connection. It's just like having a big super doped fax!
- You may not even need a printer, as today there are many documents that do not need to be printed to be used, so why should you have one? Today's printers have many advantages. They achieved very high print quality, while remaining very economical. They are no longer the old black and white dot matrix printers, today, with the right paper and with a little talent, you could print your color photos perfectly, easily from your living room.
- The same goes for a scanner. If you don't need to scan documents, owning one may not be necessary. Know, however, that a scanner can also be useful for other functions, for example just to send a fax, or to scan old photos or old slides to post on Facebook. In your free time, you may also decide to more simply scan your pretty face by pressing it against the scanner glass. A scanner is useful for scanning your signature, or for scanning old documents you want to use without spoiling the originals.
- If you want to save some money and some space, you can buy a multifunction printer that incorporates a scanner and a modem. This way, you'll have a printer, a scanner, a fax and, consequently, a copier, all in one small device. You will hardly need anything else! (Except a working phone line).
- Many online fax services also have an additional application, which allows you to use the service directly from your mobile device, for Android via Google Play and for iPhone via the Apple Store. Using one of these applications you can send and receive faxes wherever you are, just needing an active data connection on your mobile device. At this link you will find a comparative list of some of the applications for sending and receiving faxes via mobile devices.
Advice
- You can edit the scanned image using Photoshop, or simply convert it into a PDF document.
- If you don't own a multifunction printer, and don't want to buy one, using your digital camera might be a good option.
- When scanning documents digitally, for best results, use a resolution of 300 dpi in an A4 size.
- Try scrapping your old fax machine at a computer store.
