Free fax software is available for sending and receiving faxes, with some programs able to convert documents into image files or editable text. Some freeware relies on online services for faxing, while others require a phone line or modem. Comprehensive freeware suites can handle multiple numbers and formats, with additional features like email notifications and image editing.
There are several types of free faxes available for multiple operating systems. Most freeware is designed simply to send an image file to a fax machine and negotiate communication protocols over a modem and standard phone line or Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) connection. Some freeware is only designed to receive faxes the same way, or can handle both sending and receiving. More comprehensive free fax software can convert documents into image files that can be sent to a fax machine, or it can use open source optical character recognition (OCR) programs to convert incoming faxes into editable text files. A slightly different type of freeware fax machine acts only as a management tool, instead relying on free online services to do the actual faxing, although these freeware programs may have advertisements on the cover page of the fax machine.
One of the more commonly available types of freeware faxing is a program that sends a fax to another machine in some way. These can be very simple, with only the ability to compose, connect and send an image file, or they can be more feature-rich, using forms to convert text documents to images before being sent. In general, a standard phone line and modem are required for a fax program to work, although some free software allows you to use a VoIP connection to send your fax.
Less common are freeware fax programs designed to receive faxes via a modem. This is in part because it can be difficult or impractical to poll a modem for a fax signal without interrupting other devices, such as answering machines, which also poll the line. Many versions of receiving software rely on the user to indicate when a fax is incoming, making it necessary for the user to remain in front of the computer until the call arrives.
There are a handful of comprehensive freeware fax suites available that make sending and receiving faxes easier. These programs can sometimes handle documents, convert them between formats, and automatically send faxes to multiple numbers in an address book. Other useful features that can be implemented include sending converted fax documents via email, email or instant messenger notification of received faxes, and basic image editing to allow adding signatures or seals to documents fax.
A final type of freeware fax is a program that does not include any kind of innate functionality to send or receive faxes. Instead, these programs focus on creating documents and then connect to an online server over the Internet to send the fax. This has the advantage of not requiring a computer or device running freeware faxing to have a modem installed, but it does have the complication of relying on a third-party service for faxing. In these cases, the freeware can be rendered useless if the main online server goes down, potentially also removing control over some aspect of fax transmission quality.
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