Before video calls, text messaging, and smartphones, there was faxing. As one of the first ways to send information electronically, the fax was vital for the development of wired and, eventually, wireless communication. Even in the modern day, the fax is still an important part of how we send and receive documents. Many institutions such as hospitals, insurance companies, and schools still commonly use the fax.
The fax, or “facsimile” originates back in 1843 when an inventor named Alexander Baine created the electric printing telegraph. This device could simulate a 2D image based on information from a telegraph. Several iterations of this device followed over the next hundred years or so. By the 1970s, fax machines were finding their way into most business offices. As simple as it seems today, the fax used to be one of the best ways to efficiently run an organization across any distance.
Documents are the most common piece of information to be sent via fax. When someone faxes a document, a machine (usually a fax machine) scans it and converts it into an image file called a bitmap. Bitmaps are files that, importantly, are just a series of very small colored squares called pixels. Up close, these pixels don’t look like much. But when viewed as a whole, bitmaps have the illusion of a full image.
The special thing about bitmaps is that they can be transmitted electronically in a series of audio-frequency tones over the telephone. These electronic signals give very quick information about each pixel in an image, allowing an accurate recreation of that data to be transmitted remotely, rather than by something like mail.
So What Is A Fax, Then?
If the document is transmitted as an image via audio frequency tones, and the document is still a document, then what is a fax?
People use the word “fax” to refer to both the machine and the message being transmitted.
A fax device can interpret those tones and produce an image based on what it “hears”. Fax machines started off as devices that could print and scan documents. They also had buttons on them for dialing phone numbers, as in the 1970s, ‘80s, and ‘90s, telephones over landlines were still the most common form of communication.
Perhaps you’ve never faxed something before or just aren’t experienced with the best way to fax something in the digital age. This is completely understandable! The fax has changed as technology has advanced, and fax machines aren’t a common household or office device anymore. Fax machines have stayed the same in a few key ways that make them the preferable form of communication for some institutions.
What Is a Fax Machine?
Larger fax machines can scan, send, and print documents all in one place. They’re generally larger, expensive, and definitely clunky to use. (Ask anyone of a certain age, who was around in the 1980s and 1990s what it was like to use a fax machine. They were generally not user-friendly, and often required manuals or special skills to operate!)
What does a fax look like?
Here are three typical fax machines.
Today, we tend to take sending information over the web for granted (email attachments, for example). It’s simple to email someone a document, or use an online fill form to submit information. But some institutions prefer the security of faxing. That’s where the digital fax machine comes into play.
What is an efax?
Digital fax machines have modern, intuitive interfaces that make faxes as easy to send as emails. They still function the same as traditional fax machines — you upload your document, and the electronic machine scans it and sends it to somewhere via phone number. However, with an electronic fax machine, you don’t need a clunky piece of equipment. All you need is an internet connection and an electronic device with your document on it.
Are Fax Numbers Different from Phone Numbers?
We mentioned that phone numbers are how fax machines send documents electronically, but it’s not like just anyone’s phone can receive a fax. Fax numbers are phone lines that a fax machine uses to send and receive faxes. Some fax numbers also work as phone numbers, but a lot of times in the modern age, the landline will just be used for faxing.
If you were to call a fax number, you’d probably just hear nonsensical tones that are only meant for two fax machines to be able to “talk” to one another. You’ll need your sound to be turned on to hear this 16-second clip of a fax-line tone:
In the old days, some offices and homes shared lines between their telephones and fax machines (talk about frustrating!). However, most fax machines have a dedicated fax number for a fax machine, so they can send and receive documents without interrupting telephone communications.
Who Sends Faxes? Why?
Certain industries such as healthcare, financial and legal still take advantage of the fax. Almost every hospital, doctor’s office, and pharmacy prefers to communicate with fax. So why?
Many sectors have been using the fax since the 60s. Laws, regulations, and systems were built around the fax as the primary way to send documents. Additionally, almost anyone can send a fax (including internationally!). For example, HIPAA compliance involves using encrypted faxes to send documents.
Emails can contain potentially dangerous viruses and malware. It’s also possible for an email account to be hacked, resulting in hundreds, if not thousands, of personal documents being leaked.
Quick Q&A About Faxes
What is an e fax? The “e” stands for “electronic,” which involves an online facsimile service (Fax.Live, for example). The sender uses a computer or internet-connected device and uploads a document to the faxing service, and sends the document to the recipient’s fax machine (or, if they use Fax.Live, to their account).
What does “faxed” mean? Ready for some grammar? The past-tense verb means a document was sent through the fax transmission process. For example, “The doctor faxed your prescription to the pharmacy,” means the physician’s office used either an online efax service or a physical fax machine to send your order to the pharmacy.
What does a fax do? A fax machine scans and transmits messages over telephone lines. An online electronic fax uses the same process, but instead of a machine, you use a computer or internet-connected device to upload, scan and transmit documents.
What is fax used for? A fax is used to transmit messages. Typically, in the modern era, a fax is used to transmit sensitive information, especially in healthcare, legal and financial sectors. However, it can also be used in human resources, order fulfillment, international communications, and a host of other uses!
Images:
Large copier/printer/fax from Jumpstory
White desktop fax machine 5386299 | Fax Machine | Igor Lovrinovic | Dreamstime.com
Black desktop fax machine Photo 13100453 | Fax Machine | Avesun | Dreamstime.com