How to Fax From a Computer
Send and receive faxes using a desktop or laptop computer anytime, anywhere.
Quick, Intuitive Faxing Right from your Windows or Mac Computer
Looking for the security of faxing combined with the convenience of a computer-based application? An online fax service is the easiest way to send and receive faxes from your laptop or desktop computer with no outdated fax machine, extra phone lines, printers, or ink.
Can I Send a Fax From My Computer?
It’s easy to send a fax from your computer — no matter what type of computer you have! As long as you have an internet connection, you can send and receive faxes online in minutes.
With eFax’s online fax service, you can turn your computer into a fully-functional fax machine — but without the extra hardware, toner, paper, and busy signals.
All you need is an eFax account. Set one up now in less than five minutes!
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How to Send a Fax From a Mac
One of the major benefits of an online fax service is that you can fax from nearly any device that has an internet connection. That means your Macbook, iMac, or any other Apple computer is capable of sending faxes with the online portal in your web browser.
Here’s how it works:
Log in to your eFax account online.
Click Send Faxes.
Choose a recipient from your pre-entered contacts, or type in the recipient’s name and company.
Click Select Fax-To Country and choose your recipient’s location.
If the recipient isn't in your contacts, enter their Fax Number.
Select Include Cover Page and enter a subject and body. This will auto-populate the cover page that arrives with the fax transmission.
Select the document you want to attach. Click Browse, choose up to 10 documents, and select OK.
Click Select Quality List and choose a resolution for your fax.
Select Send Faxes.
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That’s it! It couldn’t be easier to send a fax from a Mac with eFax’s online fax service.
How to Send a Fax From a Windows Computer
With Windows, you have four primary options that allow you to fax from your computer. One method includes using some included Windows software. The rest require an online fax service.
Here’s how they all work.
Use eFax Online
eFax can be accessed from the web browser on your Windows computer. Here’s how it works:
Log in to your eFax account online.
Click on Send Faxes.
Choose a recipient from your contacts, or type in the recipient’s name and company.
Go to Select Fax-To Country and choose your recipient’s location.
If the recipient isn’t in your contacts, enter their Fax Number.
Select Include Cover Page and enter a subject and body. This will be auto-filled into the cover page that arrives with the fax transmission.
To attach the document to fax, click Browse, choose a document, and select OK.
Navigate to Select Quality List and choose a resolution for your fax.
Select Send Faxes.
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This simple method lets you fax from a computer in minutes, with no phone line or bulky fax machine required.
Windows Fax & Scan
Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, and some versions of Windows Vista include an application called Windows Fax and Scan. This program allows users to send and receive faxes right from their computers.
What you’ll need:
A computer that operates Windows Fax and Scan
A landline
A fax modem (some computers include an internal fax modem, or you can purchase an external modem instead)
A physical phone cord
As you can see, computers that use Windows Fax and Scan must be connected to an external phone line — just like a traditional fax machine.
You could connect your office phone to your computer to send faxes. The downside is that you’ll tie up your phone line when sending faxes, and you won’t receive faxes when the phone line isn’t plugged in. You could also buy a dedicated phone line for faxing, adding a monthly expense.
Once the fax modem is installed based on the manufacturer’s instructions, connect the fax modem to the landline with the phone cord.
Then, you can begin the setup process.
Open the Windows Fax and Scan application.
Click Tools and select Fax Accounts.
Click Add to install the fax modem.
Choose Automatic answering to receive faxes anytime.
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Now you’re able to send faxes from your Windows computer.
Open the Windows Fax and Scan application.
Click New Fax at the top of the window.
Add the recipient’s fax number in the To field.
Add the cover page you’d like to include. Windows Fax and Scan includes four templates, or you can create your own cover page.
Attach the documents you’d like to fax.
Click Send.
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While Windows Fax and Scan comes included with many versions of Windows, it still requires external hardware, like a modem and a phone line.
With an online fax service like eFax, you can start faxing from your Windows computer right now, with no extra hardware and no dedicated phone line.
Here are the three primary options for how to fax from a Windows computer with eFax.
Send Faxes with eFax Messenger
eFax Messenger is a desktop fax application for Windows 10. It lets you send faxes, sign documents, view received faxes, and add notes to your faxes in one simple app.
To get started, download eFax Messenger to your computer that operates Windows 10.
Open eFax Messenger.
Select New Fax. This will open the Create window.
Fill in recipient’s information in the To field, or choose a contact from your Address Book.
Check Send Copy to Me if you want to receive a copy of the transmission.
Enter the Subject of the fax and the Attention name.
Click the Add New Page (+) button in the sidebar to add pages and documents to your fax. You can add a blank page, cover page, or import a file from your computer.
Click Attach file and select the file to upload.
Once you’re finished, click Send Fax.
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Use Print to Fax
Print to Fax is another simple way to send faxes with Windows. This software works with eFax Messenger to make faxing from a computer even easier.
With this tool, you can fax from within Google Drive, Microsoft Word, or a PDF viewer, without manually opening a second application. Start your fax as soon as you finish writing it!
Open the document you want to fax. You can use Print to Fax in most programs that have a “Print” button, like Microsoft Word, a PDF viewer, Google Docs, or Google Drive.
Click “Print.”
Instead of selecting a printer, select “eFax Messenger,” and click “Print.”
The eFax Messenger application will open automatically and ask you to sign into your eFax account if it’s your first time opening it. But after that, you’ll remain logged in.
Your document will be attached to the new fax.
Fill out the cover sheet.
Choose a recipient from your address book or type in their fax number.
Hit Send!
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Other Ways to Send a Fax from Windows 10
Sending and receiving faxes is simple with online fax services like eFax. Not interested in online fax services? It’s possible to fax from your computer using a connected fax machine or a multifunction printer. Note that when using this method, you need a physical fax machine and a phone line. So it’s not the most convenient option.
Use a Connected Fax Machine
Keep in mind that not every device can send a fax from your PC, so your model must be able to support this function.
For this method, you will need:
- A PC running Windows 10
- Documents you want to fax
- A multifunction printer or fax machine
- A landline connection
Steps to Fax with a Connected Fax Machine:
- Install the required fax drivers on the Windows 10 device.
- Find the document you wish to send. Then, click Print.
- Choose the fax driver you installed in the first step.
- Enter your recipient’s fax number and then click Send Fax.
How Can I Send a Fax Via Email?
Regardless of what type of computer you use, another way to send and receive faxes without a fax machine is to fax via email.
This method works not only with a computer, but with a smartphone or tablet too!
Here’s how it works:
Open a new email, and address it to the recipient's fax number, followed by @efaxsend.com. If the fax number was 1-123-555-1234, you would address the email to [email protected].
Optional - Enter a subject line and message to the body of the email. This will be the cover letter when the recipient receives their fax. Or, you can select a pre-formatted cover page template instead.
Attach the document you want to send to your email. You can attach up to 10 files to a single fax transmission.
Click Send.
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When you send a fax via email, your cover letter and fax will print on the recipient’s fax machine, just like you sent it from a traditional fax machine yourself!
What About Receiving Faxes?
What About Receiving Faxes?
You can both send and receive a fax right on your computer with eFax.
After you set up your account, you’ll be able to receive faxes at your new or ported fax number.
Incoming faxes will automatically be delivered to the email address you associate with your account. You’ll be able to open and save faxes right from your email inbox. And since you can list up to five email addresses on each eFax account, you can make sure the whole team gets these important faxes.
If you accidentally delete an email, no worries! The eFax online portal saves all of your sent and incoming faxes. Simply log in to retrieve them. With eFax, you get unlimited cloud storage for as long as you have an account!
Will I Need a Special Fax Number?
When you create an eFax account, you’ll be given a FREE dedicated fax number linked to your service. You can choose a local fax number to establish a presence in your community, or a toll-free fax number for a national organization.
Already have a fax number? Great! It’s easy to port your existing fax number into eFax.
Then, you can send and receive faxes from your computer using the eFax portal or email — no matter what kind of computer you use.
Will I Need a Special Fax Number?
Why is Online Faxing Better than Using a Fax Machine?
When the traditional fax machine was invented, it was a revolution in quick document transmission. But with the invention and explosion of the internet, the mechanics of the traditional fax machine became outdated and inefficient — even though the function of faxing is still vital to many businesses.
To use a fax machine, you must:
Run it through the fax machine, hoping to avoid busy signals and paper jams
Maintain a landline
Fill out and print the cover sheet
Print the document you want to fax
Buy and setup the machine
Dial the fax number
Then the person who receives it has to scan it to return it to its original digital format!
With online faxing, your document stays digital the whole time, cutting steps and saving time for both you and the recipient.
Plus, online faxing is more private. This means no more confidential faxes sitting out on the fax machine, where anyone walking by could pick them up.
And when you send and receive faxes with eFax, you’ll also get:
Unlimited cloud storage of your faxes for the life of your eFax account
Access to an online portal and eFax Messenger (on Windows) for easy faxing from your computer
Access to an easy-to-use mobile app for faxing from your smartphone or tablet
Large file sharing, letting you use your computer to send documents that are too large to email
Electronic signatures — no more printing, signing, and scanning!
Sending a fax from a computer with an online fax service is the best, most convenient way to get all the benefits of a fax — with none of the downsides! And with eFax, it’s never been easier or quicker to get started.
Learn More About eFax Capabilities
Whether you want to fax a PDF or send a fax using Gmail, eFax has you covered. There are lots of cool things your eFax account is able to do. Learn more about your options when using eFax.