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Fax using Macs?
- Thread starter PW168
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How about teletype? Can we use our Mac for that too?
(Sorry OP couldn't resist. I'm sure there is still some need for FAX out there
)
(Sorry OP couldn't resist. I'm sure there is still some need for FAX out there
)
Ich have a Brother MFC 7xxxN, connected via Ethernet.
I set this up as a normal printer using IPP, Internet Printing Protocal.
If I want to Fax I select "Print..." in the App.
Then I select "Show Details" in the print dialog.
On the right side, there's a "Presets" dropdown, one of the options says
"Show Presets"
There you find "Send FAX".
Mind you, this is all standard Mac Software. Only Apple's Brother drivers are used.
Receiving FAX messages is not working for me...
If you explain how I can upload a screenshot without linking to it, I would do that.
PS: FAX is still used for official documents. I guess you never had to deal with Lawyers, Bankers, the IRS, or anything in your life.
PPS: Meant for the poster who said that FAX is obsolete.
I set this up as a normal printer using IPP, Internet Printing Protocal.
If I want to Fax I select "Print..." in the App.
Then I select "Show Details" in the print dialog.
On the right side, there's a "Presets" dropdown, one of the options says
"Show Presets"
There you find "Send FAX".
Mind you, this is all standard Mac Software. Only Apple's Brother drivers are used.
Receiving FAX messages is not working for me...
If you explain how I can upload a screenshot without linking to it, I would do that.
PS: FAX is still used for official documents. I guess you never had to deal with Lawyers, Bankers, the IRS, or anything in your life.
PPS: Meant for the poster who said that FAX is obsolete.
I do indeed deal with all of the above, as well as real estate agents, title companies, and accountants. All of them have been perfectly happy with scanned & emailed documents when a signature was required - or they want an original mailed hard-copy. I have not in years had a situation where an emailed scan was unacceptable, but a FAX would have been.
I do have the old Apple USB fax/modem laying around, but it doesn't work with modern Macs. You'll get a popup that a 32-bit operating system is required.
It works fine on PPC Macs, although those have a fax/modem built-in anyways. But what you want is a multifunction printer that has a fax machine built-in.
Brother MFC7360N (monochrome laser, see poster above) or Epson WorkForce WF-3520 resp. HP Officejet 4500 and Canon MX392 (office inkjets) come to mind.
The problem is that none of them receive faxes on your Mac, that would require a fax server that stores the incoming faxes as files. Fritz!Box routers for example do that, and I guess there's a Cisco SPA-series device for that purpose, too.
It works fine on PPC Macs, although those have a fax/modem built-in anyways. But what you want is a multifunction printer that has a fax machine built-in.
Brother MFC7360N (monochrome laser, see poster above) or Epson WorkForce WF-3520 resp. HP Officejet 4500 and Canon MX392 (office inkjets) come to mind.
The problem is that none of them receive faxes on your Mac, that would require a fax server that stores the incoming faxes as files. Fritz!Box routers for example do that, and I guess there's a Cisco SPA-series device for that purpose, too.
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With an USB-to-RS232 adapter, I am sure that you can. As others have said, it is amazing the number of professions in which FAX is still the standard of communication. This came home to me when my attorney sent a press release to the AP via FAX.
Not to flog a dead horse... I know some individual professionals still use FAX, but it's due to habit or ignorance of alternatives. From http://www.ap.org/company/faqs :
In fact, as best I can tell the AP doesn't even show a FAX number on their site anywhere. Obviously they still have FAX machines (your attorney sent it somewhere after all) but they clearly aren't encouraging it.
Rolling around to the OP, since my original reply was sarcastic (which I don't apologize for) and not in any way helpful (which I do apologize for) - Before you go to the trouble and expense of outfitting your Mac to send & receive faxes, explore the alternatives with the people/organizations you think you'll be corresponding with. You may find that it's simply not necessary.
I just remembered that my HP printer came with a free eFax trail, maybe that's something for you. You send and receive them per Mail and a local "electronic fax number". Should be http://efax.com.
But at $12.95 a month, a regular Brother fax machine for $37.35 might make more sense.
But at $12.95 a month, a regular Brother fax machine for $37.35 might make more sense.
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I believe the easiest way is to use Efax.
You just log on to their website with your name/password and then you just upload documents to fax and when you receive fax it just goes to your online account and you can print it out. You have an actual fax number which serves as your login name and the number you give out.
You get confirmation of delivery and all that. No need for a physical fax machine.
It is paid subscription, very minimal, less than buying a fax machine or adapters.
You just log on to their website with your name/password and then you just upload documents to fax and when you receive fax it just goes to your online account and you can print it out. You have an actual fax number which serves as your login name and the number you give out.
You get confirmation of delivery and all that. No need for a physical fax machine.
It is paid subscription, very minimal, less than buying a fax machine or adapters.
I don't think that anyone on this forum will dispute the assertion that FAX is grossly outdated. That is not the issue. However, I can understand the legal reasons for sending FAXes rather than emails. A FAXed document gives at least the illusion that it has not been altered. This is something that email can't even pretend to do. I am grateful that you went to the trouble to post the AP FAQ. However, when I send non-legal press releases, I send them by email. When I send press releases on advice of counsel, I follow counsel advise to the letter.
Until you run into organizations or institutions that you MUST deal with that will not accept official correspondance by electronic copy. Then the choices are down to snail mail (as you indicated) or Fax.
Example, I had to close out an estate this past spring for a deceased relative. Several of the local governemnt and medical institutions that needed to be coordinated with only accepted fax or snail. There were no alternatives in this case.
In such a situation of limited choice, I would MUCH rather deal in fax than [CRINGE]mail a letter.[/CRINGE] Fortunately, my home VOIP provider also includes outgoing fax capability.
You can certainly fax using a mac when using an online fax service. For example Sfax works on macs: http://www.sfaxme.com/products/computers/mac/
I am also a mac user, and i send and receive faxes from my ipad and iPhone all the time on the go. Look for an online fax and you should not have any problems. See: http://www.popfax.com/ It works all the time and it is quite reasonable in price.
