A Brief History of the Fax Machine
The first fax machine invented was Alexander Bain’s Electric Printing Telegraph, patented in 1843. Fax machines were the forerunners of digital communication. Fax services predate the telephone, with companies sending electronic photocopies as early as the 1880s. The first fax sent across an ocean was a photo of U.S. President Calvin Coolidge, which was sent from New York to London in 1924.
Fax machine usage in commerce became widespread during the 1960s after Xerox patented the first modern fax machine. In 1966, a fax machine that could be connected to any phone line made faxing documents commonplace in many businesses. Since then, faxes have come a long way, and these days, online faxing is common.
Over the past 75 years, fax transmission time has reduced from an average of six minutes to an average of one minute. The classic “fax machine” of the 1980s (which cost $20,000 in 1982!) has also become obsolete, and faxes are now routinely sent from computers, smartphones or tablets.
Much of modern business has moved online, and fax machines are no different. Online platforms like eFax make it easy to send, receive and sign documents from any device with an internet connection. This keeps fax machine usage relevant in our changing world.
Timeline of Fax Machine History
1843: Mechanical Fax
Alexander Bain invents the ‘Electric Printing Telegraph’ machine in 1843 which is the world’s first fax device.
1880: Scanning PhotoTelegraph
The English inventor Shelford Bidwell invents the Scanning PhotoTelegraph machine, which is the first telefax machine capable of scanning and sending a two-dimensional image.
1888: TelAutograph
In 1888 the TelAutograph machine was invented by Elisha Grey which allowed users to send signature images over long distances.
1924: Wire Transmission
Scientists at the AT&T Corporation advance fax technology further by sending photos by telephone/wire transmission.
1924: Wireless Transmission
The Radio Corporation of America (RCA) develops the TransOceanic Radio Facsimile and successfully transmits a photograph between New York and London.
1924: Color Fax
The AT&T Corporation invents a fax device which is capable of transmitting the world’s first color facsimile.
1924: 6 mins
It took 6 mins to send a single page fax.
1960: Satellite Fax
The U.S. Army sends the world’s first photograph via satellite facsimile from America to Puerto Rico.
1964: Telephone Transmission
The first commercialized version of the modern-day fax machine is introduced and patented by the Xerox Corporation using telephone transmission.
1974: 3 mins
It took 3 mins to send a single page fax – how long does an eFax transmission take?
1982: $20,000
The cost of a fax machine was recorded at $20,000, which when adjusted for inflation, equates to $62,350 in present-day currency.
1982: Computer Based Fax Board
GammaLink introduced the first computer based fax board, the GammaFax.
1988: Fax Stamp
Europa. Transport and Communications stamp was printed in Greece. Stamp features a satellite and fax machine, symbolizing advancements in transportation and communication technology during that era.
1996: Internet Fax
The first internet fax service is made available to the general public allowing users to send and receive a facsimile via a computer without fax machines.
2010: Internet Fax via Apple Devices
eFax launches iOS app, allowing users the ability to fax directly from their Apple devices.
2011: Internet Fax via Android Devices
eFax launches Android app, enabling users with Android devices to send faxes.
The History of the Fax Machine
Xerox
In 1964, Xerox invented the Long Distance Xerograph (LDX), a fax machine that could transmit regular-size documents (one page at a time) to any fax machine in the world. Unfortunately, it took around six minutes to do so. The LDX would remain the standard in fax until a Japanese telecommunications corporation created the “ITU G3 Facsimile Standard” in 1980. But it wouldn’t take long before a new development in fax would take over.
The Rise of Analog Faxing
Multifunction Devices
Internet Faxing
The Impact of Fax Today
How Do Fax Machines Work?
Traditional faxing machines effectively send photocopies across telephone wires. At a high level, a fax machine works in three stages:
- Scan a document
- Send the document to another fax machine
- That machine prints out the document
Modern machines can use a modem instead of a telephone line to send a fax via the internet. This is similar to how Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) allows us to make traditional phone calls or through online apps like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger.
Fax machines turn scanned images into sound signals that are then converted to a sound wave signature which can reproduce the image on another piece of paper at the other end of the line. Modern fax machines can convert the image into an electronic format that can then be stored electronically, sent to an email recipient or printed on paper.
The earliest fax machines used radio waves to transmit images. Most fax machines use thermal paper, just as they did back in the late 1800s.
Why Online Faxing Is Better then Fax Machines
Online faxing is superior to traditional fax machines in many ways, including:
- Cost: Senders don’t have to buy a fax machine or maintain a physical phone line just for the fax. Senders also don’t have to buy fax paper, ink or toner.
- Ease of Use: You can send and view faxes from any internet-connected device using your eFax account. This includes computers, laptops, tablets and smartphones.
- Safety: While fax machines communicate over unsecured phone lines, online faxes can be encrypted and protected. eFax systems can even help filter out spam.
- Storage: eFax allows you to store digital faxes and file them easily, so you can access your faxed documentation at any time.
Extra features: eFax users also receive local, toll-free fax numbers and get access to a variety of other great features and benefits.

Fax Machine are History
Modern online faxing solutions provide increased versatility and convenience over traditional fax machines. Online faxing is easy, affordable and convenient.
You can use eFax to send signed documents, files that are too big for email attachments and any other paperwork that can’t be sent through email. You can also convert your incoming faxes to emails to distribute around your office and store them electronically. This innovative alternative to faxing documentation is an affordable and accessible way to set your business up to send and receive faxes.
Sign up for eFax to start your modern faxing journey today.