There are various ways to print to a fax machine, depending on its connection to the computer. If connected, it can be used as a standard printer. If not, fax software and a modem are needed to send documents. Some fax machines are multipurpose and only require appropriate drivers. Older models may require a fax modem to print. Remote fax machines require a fax modem and telephone line. Fax software can convert documents to images for printing.
There are several methods that can be used to print to a fax machine, depending on the type of fax machine and its relationship to the computer being used. If the fax machine is connected to the computer, the operating system or fax driver will usually allow the unit to be used as a standard printing device, just like a normal computer printer. In the case of a fax machine that is not connected to your computer via cables or a wireless signal, or is located in a completely different location, you must use fax software and a fax modem to dial the machine and send the document using the fax protocols standard. Alternatively, if the fax is part of a remote network, it may be possible to connect to the external network and print to a remote fax. There are also online sources that will accept digital documents or images and send them to a fax machine, eliminating the need for a fax modem to print to a fax machine.
Many fax machines are part of a multipurpose office machine, which means the machine is designed to function as a standard printer, fax machine, or scanner. To print to a fax like this, all you need are the appropriate drivers for the unit. For many operating systems, printing to a device is abstract, so as long as fax is selected in a print dialog as the output device, it can be used as a standard printer.
It can be more complex to print to a fax machine that is not designed as a multipurpose device. Some models, especially older models with serial connections, do not support printing directly from a computer. In these cases, the only way to print to the machine is to call it via a fax modem.
In cases where the computer is not connected to the fax machine, or the machine is in another area, it will be necessary to call the fax machine. To print to a remote fax machine from a computer, you need a fax modem and a standard telephone line. Most modems have fax capabilities, which means they are capable of performing the hardware handshake needed to send and receive fax information. Telephone lines may have problems if they carry a digital subscriber line (DSL) signal or if they are Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) lines, which do not always use the necessary standard dial tones and may require filtering to work. Through the use of fax software, documents can be converted into images and then sent to the fax machine, which will print the image once received.
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