Fax messaging remains critical for businesses that need to securely share sensitive data and documents. However, relying on fax machines to send and receive information is highly inefficient in the modern business world.
Fax technology enables you to immediately share digital data and documents and receive authorized transactions, signed contracts, medical test results, and more. But thanks to the rise of digital technology, businesses no longer need to maintain costly, bulky physical fax machines.
Online faxing services like MetroFax enable you to send and receive faxes using a printer.
How To Send And Receive Faxes Using A Printer
Pairing a printer with your online faxing solution lets you securely send and receive critical documents. Below, we’ll run through how to send and receive online faxes.
How To Set Up An Electronic Fax Account With MetroFax
It’s simple to get up and running with sending faxes from a printer through MetroFax. To sign up for a MetroFax account, follow this short process:
- Head to the MetroFax website and select the ‘Sign Up’ button.
- The first step in creating a MetroFax account is to select a fax number. You can either use the suggested number or choose a custom number with a specific area code.
- Create an account by providing your name, email address, phone number, and billing information.
- With your information entered, click the ‘Purchase’ button, and your MetroFax account will be created.
How To Send Faxes From A Printer
Once your MetroFax account has been created, you can send and receive faxes from your printer. Sending faxes is as easy as using a regular fax machine. Begin faxing from a printer by following these steps:
- Load your documents: The first step to sending a fax from your printer is to place the documents you want to share in the printer. Place the documents face down on the scanner glass or the automatic document feeder.
- Enter recipient number: Move to the printer’s control panel and enter your recipient’s fax number. Alternatively, you can enter the number using the printer software on your laptop or computer.
- Click send: With the number entered, hit the ‘Fax’ or ‘Send’ button on the control panel or your computer. The printer will begin the scan and should send your message in under a minute per page.
- Fax confirmation: The machine should print a confirmation page or share a ‘Completed’ message on the control panel.
You can also send faxes from your printer using a tool like eFax Messenger, which operates as a print-to-fax driver, and pair it with your MetroFax account. To use this method, follow these steps:
- Download the eFax Messenger app to your computer or laptop desktop and sign into the service.
- Ensure the document you want to fax is on your computer and open the document.
- Open the ‘File’ menu and select the ‘Print’ option.
- Select eFax Messenger as the printer and select the ‘Print’ or ‘OK’ button.
- Open the MetroFax website in your browser to send the fax message using the process outlined above.
How To Receive Faxes On A Printer
It’s also possible to receive incoming faxes and print and save the messages using a printer. To manually receive incoming faxes on your printer, you must press the ‘Fax’ button on the machine. You can also configure settings like the option to automatically print faxes, forward them to an email address, or save them to folders on your computer.
Online fax solutions like MetroFax give you as much control as you need. They enable you to receive messages through your email account, through web browsers and collaboration tools, or on devices like laptops, mobile phones and printers. You can configure your MetroFax to receive fax messages on your chosen device via application programming interfaces (APIs), web browsers, and collaboration tools.
Using A Printer Vs. A Fax Machine
Fax machines have been a staple of business communication since the 1980s and 1990s when offices were characterized by their distinct calling tones. While those sounds are long gone, the technology remains vital for companies in regulated industries like healthcare, legal, and manufacturing.
Fax machines are no longer ideal for business communication, which has been transformed by email, cloud storage services, and instant messaging platforms. Purchasing physical fax machines can also be costly, from buying the machine to regularly stocking up on paper, ink, and toner and carrying out maintenance if they encounter problems. Additionally, relying on fax machines isn’t employee-friendly as people must travel to the office to use them, which isn’t ideal for those who work remotely.
However, organizations can address these challenges by using their printers to send online fax messages. Internet-enabled printers enable people to send and receive fax messages without traveling into the office.
Reasons To Fax From A Printer
Faxing from a printer enables you to embrace the efficiency and productivity benefits of online faxing. The benefits of faxing from a printer include:
- Environmentally Friendly: Faxing from a printer offers an environmentally friendly alternative to physical fax machines, which use vast amounts of energy, paper, ink and toner. So using a printer for your fax needs encourages a greener and more sustainable faxing solution.
- Encourage Remote Working: It’s easier for employees to use printers to fax messages than relying on physical fax machines. So using printers to send and receive faxes is better suited to remote working.
- Secure Messaging: Online faxing with a printer ensures documents are transmitted using encryption protocols. This ensures your sensitive data is protected and confidential at all stages of the transmission process.
- Cost Effective: Faxing from a printer is also more cost-effective than relying on fax machines, which tend to be expensive to run and maintain.
- Online Faxing Capabilities: Internet-enabled printers are compatible with online faxing services, enabling you to send and receive messages via email, mobile phones and web browsers.
Reap The Benefits Of Faxing With A Printer
MetroFax was designed to empower and seamlessly integrate with the modern communications needs of the modern business. Our online faxing technology enables your employees to securely send and receive critical documents wherever they are. It also removes the need for a costly IT department to manage and maintain fax hardware and supplies.
MetroFax is the most convenient, cost-effective and time-efficient online faxing solution. It offers an abundance of enterprise features that simplify sending, receiving, managing and storing fax interactions in one secure portal.
Transform your business communications by signing up for a MetroFax account.
FAQs
Does MetroFax work with printers?
Yes, the MetroFax service works with internet-enabled printers, allowing you to fax critical documents directly from the printer rather than requiring a traditional fax machine. MetroFax is compatible with many online faxing services, including sending faxes via email and from devices like computers, laptops and mobile phones. The MetroFax service also allows you to connect a printer to your account, which enables you to send documents via the printer, utilize online faxing services and receive incoming faxes on the machine.
How do you send a fax with a printer?
MetroFax customers can send fax messages using a printer. The first step is to place the documents that need to be sent in the printer, either scanning them face down on the glass or in the automatic document feeder. The sender then needs to enter the recipient’s fax number in the printer’s control panel or by using the printer software via their laptop or computer. Hitting the ‘Fax’ or ‘Send’ button on the control panel or in the computer software will send the message on its way within a minute per page scanned. The sender will also receive a confirmation printout or a ‘Completed’ message on the control panel.
Can I receive a fax using a printer?
Yes, you can receive online faxes using an internet-enabled printer. With MetroFax, you can receive incoming faxes through your printer, save them to your device, or forward them to an email address. MetroFax’s online solutions also allow you to receive faxes via email, web browsers, and cloud and collaboration tools and manage your faxes through laptops and mobile phones. The service also allows you to configure your online fax preferences, such as receiving faxes on your printer.
