How Do You Send a Fax?

How Do You Fax

The basic fax process is the same whether you’re using a 1990s office machine or a modern multifunction printer: prepare your document, enter the recipient’s fax number, initiate the send, and wait for confirmation. Physical fax machines scan and transmit over a phone line. Online fax services convert your file to the fax protocol and send it over the internet. Either way, the receiving end gets a printed copy.

How to Send a Fax from a Fax Machine

Here’s the full step-by-step for sending from a physical fax machine:

1. Prepare your documents (1 minute): Remove staples, paper clips, and sticky notes. Don’t feed folded, wrinkled, or torn pages through the automatic feeder—they’ll jam. Flatten everything.
2. Load into the feeder or on the glass: Most machines have an automatic document feeder (ADF) on top for multi-page jobs. Place pages face-down with the top edge feeding first. For single pages or delicate originals, lift the lid and place the document face-down on the glass.
3. Add a cover sheet if needed: Some industries require a fax cover sheet with recipient details, sender info, date, page count, and a brief message. If you’re faxing sensitive information, a cover sheet with confidentiality language is often mandatory.
4. Enter the fax number: Dial the full number—include the area code and any outside-line prefix (like 9) if you’re on a company phone system. For international faxes, add the country code first.
5. Press Send (or Start, or Fax): The button varies by machine—HP models often say “Black” or “Color,” Canon uses “Send,” older machines just say “Start.” The machine will scan your document and begin transmission.
6. Wait for the confirmation page: Don’t walk away yet. Most machines print a report when the fax completes, but some only display a brief on-screen message or print a report when there’s an error. Wait 30 seconds to verify.
7. Check the confirmation: A successful transmission shows “OK” or “Completed” next to the recipient’s number. If you see “Busy” or “No Answer,” the recipient’s fax machine was offline or already receiving another fax. If you hear a human voice after dialing, you may have reached a voice line by mistake.

If transmission fails, double-check the fax number and try again. If it fails repeatedly, the recipient’s machine may be out of paper, turned off, or disconnected.

How to Fax a Scanned Document

You can fax a scanned document two ways: scan it first and send through an online fax service, or use a multifunction fax machine that scans and faxes in one step.

Method 1: Scan, then send via online fax service

• Scan your document to PDF using a scanner, multifunction printer, or phone app
• Upload the PDF to an online fax service (most accept PDFs, JPGs, and Word docs)
• Enter the recipient’s fax number
• Click Send and wait for confirmation

Method 2: Scan and fax in one operation

• Load your document in the feeder or place it on the glass
• Select “Fax” mode on the machine’s control panel
• Enter the recipient’s fax number
• Press Send—the machine scans and transmits automatically

Both methods produce the same result at the receiving end. Online services are faster if you already have a digital file. Multifunction machines are convenient when you’re starting with paper.

How to Fax a Number

“Fax a number” means entering the recipient’s fax number correctly before transmission. Fax numbers follow the same format as phone numbers, but you need to be precise—one wrong digit sends your document to the wrong person (or nowhere at all).

Formatting rules:

• Include the area code — In most U.S. regions requiring 10-digit dialing, you must dial the area code even for local faxes
• Dial 1 for long distance — If you’re faxing to a different area code from a landline-based fax machine, dial 1 first
• Add country codes for international faxes — Dial the international prefix (011 in the U.S.), then the country code, then the number
• No dashes or spaces — Enter numbers as a continuous string: 2125551234, not 212-555-1234

If you’re on a company phone system, you may need to dial 9 or another prefix to get an outside line before entering the fax number.

How to Write a Fax

“Write a fax” refers to creating a fax cover sheet—the first page that accompanies your document and tells the recipient what they’re receiving and who sent it.

Essential elements of a fax cover sheet:

• Recipient name and fax number — So the recipient knows it’s for them (especially in shared office environments)
• Sender name, company, and fax number — So they can reply or call with questions
• Date
• Total pages including the cover sheet — Helps the recipient verify they received everything
• Subject line or RE: — Brief description (“Contract for 123 Main St” or “Medical records for Jane Doe”)
• Message or notes — Optional instructions, deadlines, or context

Many online fax services generate cover sheets automatically. FedEx Office provides complimentary cover sheets for in-store faxing.

When is a cover sheet required?

Cover sheets are mandatory when faxing sensitive information like medical records, legal documents, or financial data. Healthcare providers must use cover sheets with confidentiality notices and misdirected-fax instructions. For casual business documents, a cover sheet is optional but still recommended for professionalism.

What Do You Need to Fax Something

Here’s what you need to send a fax:

• The document to be faxed — Paper original, or a digital file if using an online service
• Recipient’s fax number — Verify it before sending, especially for sensitive documents
• Access to a fax machine or online fax service — Physical machine, in-store fax (like FedEx Office), or an online platform
• Cover sheet — Required for sensitive material, optional for routine business documents
• Phone line — Only if using a traditional fax machine; online services work over your internet connection

For one-time faxing, you don’t need a subscription or an account. ThirtyFax lets you send a fax instantly—upload your file, enter the number, pay €4.99, and it’s sent. No sign-up required.

How to Send Something to a Fax Number

Sending to a fax number is different from sending to a regular phone number. A fax machine “answers” automatically and receives data instead of voice.

The process:

• Verify the fax number before sending — HHS recommends confirming the number with the recipient if you’re faxing sensitive information to an unfamiliar destination
• Enter the number exactly as provided — Include area code, country code if international, and any necessary prefixes
• Initiate the send — Press Send, then wait for the confirmation page or on-screen message
• Check the transmission report — Successful faxes show “OK” or “Completed”; failed faxes show error codes like “Busy” or “No Answer”

If you accidentally dial a voice line, you’ll hear a person answer or a voicemail greeting instead of the high-pitched fax tone. Hang up, double-check the number, and try again.

Written by

Bernard Bado

I created ThirtyFax after needing to send a single fax and refusing to pay for a monthly subscription to do it. I write here about faxing, document workflows, and the surprisingly stubborn role fax still plays in modern business.

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