Buyers Guides

Fax Machines are common place in most offices, and offer a quick way of sending documents to people without the need for email and separate printing. They are normally used for the sending of signed contracts and invoices. We supply well known brands such as Brother Fax Machines, Canon Fax Machines, Samsung Fax Machines and Philips Fax Machines.    

How Fax Machines Work     
When a document is put through a fax machine, it is 'read' and electronically noted which parts of the page are black and which are white. This information is then encoded and sent through the phone lines. At the other end, the information is again collated and the information about black and white sections decoded. This is then replicated and printed onto a blank sheet of fax machine paper.

Types of Fax Machine
Most fax machines, including office fax machines, will work in the way explained above. The 'type' of machine refers to the method it uses for printing out received faxes. There are two main types; inkjet fax machines and laser fax machines, as well as a method known as thermal faxing, which works in a different way

Inkjet fax machines
These type of machines print out faxes by putting drops of ink onto the paper to form words and images. This is done by either putting a slight pressure on the fax machine cartridge to force ink out, or by using a current to heat the ink, which then forms bubbles which push the ink out. Most home and small office faxes currently use the first of these methods, with many big businesses using the latter.

Laser fax machines
This form of fax printing works by using an electrostatic charge on a rotating drum. The faxed document is imprinted on this drum in electronic form before being charged. The black and colour sections of the document will attract different charges, whilst white will not attract any. The fax machine toner inside is then attracted to this electrostatic charge and deposited on the paper being run through the machine to duplicate the electronic fax.

Thermal fax machines

These were widely used when printer fax machines first appeared in offices, although they are less popular now. They are inexpensive and have no need for accessories such as new ink cartridges, because the ink is stored within thermal paper. This is coated with chemicals that react to heat from the machine by turning black, making images and text appear. The main disadvantage of using these machines is that documents can be ruined when left in heat, (e.g. under the sun for too long) and they will discolour over time.

Most fax machines are multifunctional machines and have a variety of other functions such as scanners, copiers and answer machines. You can use the function filter on our website to select the functions that you require and that will narrow your search down for the perfect fax machine.

Specifications

Automatic Document Feed
Whether documents can be automatically loaded into the fax machine or whether they need loading by hand.; For machines with automatic feeders, this will state the Document Feeder Capacity, or the amount of sheets the machine can hold.

Paper Tray Capacity / Standard Media Capacity
This is how many sheets of paper can be stored in the fax machine for printing received faxes onto.

Built in Handset
Many modern fax machines now come with a standard telephone handset attached for making and receiving calls.

Answering Machine
Some fax machines have the added functionality of an answering machine so that people can leave messages if the person they dial is away.

Colour Printing
Whether the fax prints in colour or in grayscale. The majority of modern faxes are now colour.

Speed
Speed for fax machines is measured in ppm - pages per minute. This is how many blank sheets the fax machine can get through in a minute rather than actual processed pages. Generally the better the quality of the document, the longer it will take to copy.  Print speed is the rate at which received faxes can be printed out by, Copying speed is the rate at which faxes being sent can be processed.

Resolution
Resolution is measured in dpi - dots per inch - and will determine the quality of your faxes.  The higher the resolution, the better the quality will be.

• Printing Resolution is the maximum resolution that documents being printed out can be
• Copying resolution is the maximum resolution that documents being sent can be.

Maximum Fax Transmission Speed / Modem Speed.
This is the speed at which a fax will be sent.  It is measure in Kbps - Kilobytes per second.

Data Compression System
This is a method of compressing the electronic size of the document being sent, allowing them to be sent and received quicker.

Media Size
The maximum size of paper that can be put through the fax machine.  This will usually be standard A4 size.

Media Type
The type of material that can be put through the machine. This will usually just be plain paper.

   

What do I do when my fax machine stops working?    

The first thing you should do is to check all cables are securely plugged in. Then look for any error messages on the display and consult your user manual on how to fix them. This will contain a list of questions and possible answers to the most common queries.

If that doesn't solve the problem you should contact the manufacturer. A list of their contact details can be found here.
   
I'm having problems sending faxes    

Check that the phone line your machine sends through is working properly for outbound data. You can do this by unplugging the fax machine from the phone socket and plugging in a standard phone, then trying to ring out from it.

If this all works, check the fax machines display for any obvious messages. If you have any check your user manual for possible solutions.

If this doesn't solve the problem try resending a few minutes later, it may be that the line you're trying to send to is simply busy.

If you still need help you can find a list of manufacturers contact details here.
   
I'm having problems receiving faxes    

Check that the phone line your machine sends through is working properly for inbound data. You can do this by unplugging the digital fax machine from the phone socket and plugging in a standard phone, then trying to ring from it.

If this all works, check the fax machines display for any obvious messages. If you have any check your user manual for possible solutions.

Check that your machine is set to receive faxes automatically.

My faxes are printing out faint    

The most likely cause of this is that your fax machine is running out of fax machine ink, toner or ribbon. You can replace these when they run out and then your fax should revert to printing at its normal quality.

You can purchase additional ink, toners and ribbons for your fax machines here.
   
How does my machine know if its a fax or phone call coming through?    

If a fax has been received, a special series of beeps will come down the phone line when it reaches the other end. If these are present, the fax machine will begin to print out the fax. If they are not, the machine will wait about 3 seconds for them. If it still doesn't hear them it will assume a call is incoming and put it through to the handset.

Why do I sometimes get phone calls from a fax machine?    

Not always... a safe that has passed a UL test will have met strict standards and will be secure. However many manufacturers try to sell their product as 'UL tested'. Please note tested doesn't mean that it passed the test. You should check this with the manufacturer before purchase.

You can find a list of manufacturers contact details here.