We’ve compiled this list of types of fax machines to help answer these questions:
- Do people still use fax machines? (Yes.)
- How does a fax machine work? (Read on.)
- Are there different types of fax machines? (Yes, we describe 6 below.)
- What else does a fax machine do? (Some copy and print. Keep reading.)
- What’s the best fax machine? (Online faxing, to be honest.)
- What does a fax machine look like? (We’ve got photos!)
A fax machine is short for “facsimile machine” because it’s a device that can transmit facsimiles, or copies, of a scanned image or document over a telephone line. A fax machine essentially converts documents to signals that can be transmitted through a phone line.
Learn more about what a “fax” is before diving into what a fax machine is. For now, understand that a fax machine is the device that’s required to receive and transmit a fax.
But, fax machines have been around far longer than you may have thought! The invention of the fax machine goes back to the 1800s when the telephone was still being developed. Over the years, there have been many types of fax machines as the technologies have evolved and improved.
In this article, we’ll cover the different types of fax machines, answer whether they’re still commonly used, and briefly explain how they work.
Thermal Print Fax Machine
Thermal print fax isn’t as common today with fax machines, but the paper is regularly used with receipts and labels at stores. A thermal print fax machine works the same as all other fax machines for receiving and transmitting faxes. The main difference is how thermal print fax machines print documents and images. They use thermal print paper, which is heat-sensitive paper, in two ways: direct thermal printing and thermal transfer printing.
Direct thermal printing applies heat and pressure onto a piece of heat-sensitive thermal paper with a texture similar to a receipt. The paper reacts to the heat, resulting in readable text.
The other method, thermal transfer printing, is where heat is instead applied to an ink ribbon with wax on it. The wax melts a little and is then pressed onto the paper.
Although still used in some industries, many early model fax machines used thermal printing instead of more modern methods. Direct thermal printing doesn’t require ink, just thermal paper. They’re also less complex, which is likely why they were one of the first methods that fax machines used.
However, cheaper direct thermal printing has a known problem where the text will fade over time. This is fine for receipts and other disposable information, but bad for long-term documents. Ask anyone who worked in an office back in the ‘80s and thermal paper was very wasteful. Because thermal print-outs degrade over time, you had to make physical copies using a copy machine. So, in a sense, every fax used 2 pieces of paper per page!
Thermal paper is also heat-sensitive and only can print in black and white.
Laser and Injected Fax Machines
Laser and injected fax machines are commonly seen in offices with high volumes of faxes. When these fax machines receive an incoming fax, they print out the document using a printing drum and toner instead of something like ink or thermal paper.
A laser fax machine receives telephone signals about a faxed document and then transfers this information onto a printing drum. The drum then spreads toner powder onto a piece of paper in the patterns corresponding with the fax you received. Finally, rollers inside the fax machine apply pressure and heat to bind the powder to the paper, resulting in a slightly warm document or picture with information on it.
If this sounds complex, that’s because it is! Laser fax machines quickly perform all of their actions in just a few seconds in very high volumes. Laser printers don’t need ink — just toner — and usually have a high paper capacity to handle a lot of faxing jobs.
However, laser printers are pricier than other types of fax machines and aren’t justified in buying if you don’t expect to receive a lot of faxes.
Fax-Copy Machine Combo
Fax-copy combo machines work as normal fax machines, but also have a built-in copier that can copy and print documents. If you receive a faxed document or image, you can immediately use the fax-copy machine to print as many copies as you need. You can also use the fax-copy machine just for copies.
A beam of light moves across the paper, reflecting the white areas of the paper and sending that data to something like the printing drum that we described in the laser printing section. It prints an accurate copy of that paper by reading the “blank” areas of your document and printing everything in between.
A fax-copy machine may use any of the above methods of printing as well as color ink jet printing, where colored ink is applied to paper. These all-in-one devices are useful for homes or small offices because of how much functionality is bundled into a single device.
Fax-Printer Combo
Fax-printer combos are how almost every standard modern fax machine works. These devices receive faxed documents or images and print them out using thermal printing, laser printing, or ink jet printing. The fax-printer combo is the most modern and common device on this list because they’re compact and work as printers and fax machines. If you find a fax machine near you, odds are it’s probably a fax-printer combo.
This device is usually an ink jet or laser printer. Ink jet printers are cheaper, but the ink can be more expensive to replace.
A laser printer is more expensive and uses a drum of toner for fast printing speeds.
If you buy a new printer today, there’s a good chance that it also can work as a fax machine. While you may not necessarily have a separate phone line for this device, you’ll always have the possibility if you find yourself needing to fax a lot of documents in the future.
Phone Fax
A phone fax machine isn’t as common today as it was in the late 1900s, but it is compact, easy to set up, and inexpensive. This device is instantly recognizable because it has a built-in phone that can actually be used!
Phone fax machines usually let you send and receive faxes via a document feeder that’s built into the device. They have several dial buttons, just like a phone, and a corded phone attached. However, phone fax machines only have the most basic features that a corded phone has.
It’s only meant for basic home or office use and is outdated these days. This is because if an office is expecting to fax documents a lot, they’re better off getting a fax-printer combo rather than a phone fax. The only extra functionality that a phone fax has is the capability to call someone with the attached phone. Corded landline phones have become obsolete with the advent of smartphones, and you won’t be able to use the phone if the fax machine is actively faxing or receiving a fax.
Online Fax
Online fax services like Fax.Live don’t require any physical hardware (other than a computer or smartphone) or fax machine. No printer, scanner, or landline. All you need is an internet connection to use online fax services. Faxing over the internet works similarly to using a fax machine.
The main difference is that you upload a digital version of your document to the fax service, which handles transmitting your document over telephone lines. The fax is still sent and received via the telecommunications system, but the fax service handles that instead of you. To learn more, read about how to fax without a fax machine.
Online fax services are good for a person or organization that works with digital versions of documents. If you’re required to fax documents instead of sending them over the web, it’s much more convenient and cost-effective to fax with an online fax service than buying a scanner-fax combo and a lot of ink to print out and scan documents that you receive.
You can try Fax.Live’s services today for free. To learn more about sending a fax for free over the internet, check out this article. If you want to understand how to receive faxes for free online, check out this article instead.