A fax viewer is a program to view electronic faxes, often with annotation and basic image processing functions. It typically encodes images in TIFF format, commonly used for faxing. Fax machines not connected to a computer or internet may be difficult to obtain images from.
A fax viewer is a computer program created to view images of electronic faxes. Unless a fax machine is plugged into your computer or connected wirelessly to the Internet, it may be difficult or impossible for the fax viewer to obtain a fax image. A common function of this viewer is to allow users to add notes to an electronic fax file. This program typically has some basic image processing functions, such as image rotation or color change. While not true with all viewers, most will encode fax images in tagged image file format (TIFF), because these images can easily be faxed.
Many fax machines are simply connected to a telephone line, which allows them to send faxes to other fax machines. While this is sufficient for basic fax operation, a fax viewer will usually not be able to obtain the faxed file, as these machines have no connection to the computer. In order for the viewer to get the picture, it must be sent from a fax machine connected to a computer or from a fax machine sending a wireless signal that can be picked up by the computer.
Annotations on a fax document are commonly used to clarify ideas or correct minor spelling errors, but handwritten annotations can look sloppy and unreadable. Fax viewer programs often have an annotation feature that can add these notes electronically. Generally, this makes your notes easier to read, because they’re written in a clear computer font, and it might be easier to organize your notes.
Most fax viewer programs also include basic image processing tools so that the user can make some changes to the file. For example, these programs may have rotation functions, may be able to change the width of text, and typically may add colors. The colors may not appear if this file is sent to a black and white fax machine, but if a word or segment is highlighted, it will usually appear as a dull gray that helps emphasize a section.
Most fax viewing programs are designed to encode images in TIFF files or to understand only TIFF images. This is because TIFF is the most commonly used image format for faxing, as the characters can be easily recognized, this image format normally has good quality, and the memory compression makes the files light in weight. At the same time, some fax viewers may be able to display images in other formats.
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