Inkjet and laser fax machines

You can choose between several types of fax printing technologies.

Thermal
One advantage modern fax machines have over older models is that they no longer rely on thermal paper. Those curled, waxy, hard-to-read and quick-to-fade scraps of faxes are becoming a thing of the past: most fax machines sold today print on plain paper. The two main types are inkjet and laser fax machines.

Inkjet fax machines
Although fairly slow, inkjet fax machines produce relatively crisp text at a low cost. They're usually not a good choice, however, if you receive more than 30 faxes daily, since the lengthy printing time can be frustrating. They’re also more prone to mechanical failures over time, so they’re not suited for heavy usage.

Laser fax machines
Heavy-duty fax machines use a laser or light emitting diode (LED) printing engine, the same basic technology as laser printers. These laser fax machines quickly produce high-quality images with toner on plain paper. Laser/LED printing is quite reliable, with few service needs beyond toner and paper. Be aware, though, that laser fax machines cost several times the price of thermal or inkjet fax machines.

Thermal transfer fax machines
A third type of printing is thermal transfer, a technology that prints on plain paper by using heat to transfer ink from a ribbon on to the page. This has a number of drawbacks, including mediocre print quality and noisy operation. It is fairly reliable and inexpensive, but more common in the home-office market than true business fax machines.