Fax machines Introduction
Fax machines provide an easy way to send documents over phone lines. It's faster than regular mail and more affordable than overnight delivery. While email has begun to supplant the fax in many businesses, fax machines are still indispensable for immediately sharing contracts, proofs, and other written documents.
The process is fairly straightforward: a fax machine scans each outgoing page and converts the images into a series of light and dark dots. This pattern is then translated into audio tones and sent over regular phone lines. The receiving fax machine "hears" the tones, pieces the grid together, and prints the total compilation of dots. The result is black and white copies of the original pages.
This BuyerZone.com Fax Machines Buyer's Guide will help you understand what features to look for and what you can expect to pay for your business fax machines.
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Fax sending speeds
Fax machines with higher sending speeds, though typically more expensive, will often pay for themselves in reduced phone charges, which can be a significant part of the overall cost of sending faxes.
The majority of fax machines these days transmit at a top speed of 36.6 kilobits per second (kbps). This equals a send time for a single page of about six to 10 seconds. Some low-end models are only capable of 14.4 kpbs, which is still faster than the standard 9.6 kpbs of years ago. Regardless of their top speeds, any two fax machines can communicate. However, they can only connect at the maximum speed of the slower machine.
Data compression protocols
Simply put, data compression protocols reduce the time it takes to send a page by describing it with a minimum amount of data. Virtually all fax machines are equipped with a basic compression protocol called Modified Huffman (MH). Machines equipped with the more advanced Modified Read (MR) or Modified Modified Read (MMR) protocols can send documents as much as 25 percent faster.
Some machines use proprietary compression protocols to increase the speed of transmission even further. You should know, however, that these protocols only work when sending to or from same-brand models. Unless you frequently fax between two offices with the same type of machine, you won't noticeably reduce your overall sending costs with such brand-specific compression systems.
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Inkjet and laser fax machines
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.
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Commercial fax machine features
Memory
Memory enables commercial fax machines to store incoming or outgoing pages internally. The amount of memory required to hold a page depends on the density of the image, but in general, you can expect 512 kilobytes to hold 20 to 25 pages. If the standard memory isn't sufficient, most
commercial fax machine models accept additional memory cards that can run anywhere from $50 to $100 for one megabyte, depending upon the make of the commercial fax machine.
There are three common types of memory features.
- Out-of-paper reception. This is one of the most useful memory features because it saves incoming faxes in memory if the machine runs out of paper.
- Quick scan. With this feature, you can scan pages into memory before beginning a transmission. That means you don't have to wait at the machine until it finishes sending the original.
- Dual scan. This capability uses memory to let you send and receive faxes at the same time. For example, you can scan an outgoing fax into memory while a fax is being received. The scanned fax is then sent directly from memory when the phone line becomes free.
Color
Right now, color faxing is possible but fairly rare. While a standard for color faxing has been adopted, many manufacturers don't use it yet. The only reliable way to fax in color right now is to fax between two color fax machines from the same manufacturer. In coming years, the standards should settle down and both laser and inkjet color fax machines should be available, but it's not worth waiting for that to be the case.
Broadcast
If you routinely send the same fax to multiple recipients, look for a machine with good support for "broadcasting." This feature will let you scan the fax once, then send it out to all the recipients you enter.
Paper sizes
Another important consideration is what size pages you fax most often. The vast majority of fax machines are built to handle standard 8.5" x 11" paper - if you need to send and receive legal size or 11" x 17" documents, make that fact is high in your list of requirements.
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Fax machine pricing
Fax machine prices vary quite a bit. At the low end, you can find thermal transfer or inkjet fax machines for around $100. However, these are home-office machines, not built for the daily stress many businesses put on their fax machines. If your business depends on the fax for important documents, you should spend the extra money to get a true business-grade fax machines.
More durable fax machines retail for anywhere from $400 to $2,500. Faster machines with multiple paper trays, broadcast capabilities, and more memory for receiving faxes and storing numbers will push you towards the higher end of the scale.
The ongoing costs of toner or ink are another important consideration: be sure to figure out the cost per copy. An inkjet cartridge may cost $20 and produce 400 pages, while a laser toner cartridge could $150 - but produces 5,000 pages, making it a much better deal.
Service contracts
Fax machines tend to be very reliable. However, as with most office machines, fax machines can be purchased with service contracts to provide protection against the cost of repairs or replacement parts.
If you don't anticipate receiving a high volume of faxes - say, more than 50 pages a day - you could skip getting a service contract and apply the savings toward any repairs the machine may need during its typical five-year lifespan. If your estimated fax volume is higher than 50 pages per day, however, purchasing a service contract is well worth the money.
The price for such contracts varies depending upon the level of service you request. You can expect to pay anywhere from $65 to $200 per year for a basic service contract. Typically, these annual contracts include two service calls every six months. Make sure your agreement includes a backup machine in case of a breakdown.
If you choose to forgo the service contract, you will still need to periodically clean the scanning window as well as any dust filters within the machine.
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Quick tips
Multifunctional devices
Many fax machines can be connected to a computer to serve as a printer and/or a computer scanner. Almost all can be used as "convenience copiers" - they don't offer the full range of features or the speed of a dedicated copier, but for a couple of copies, they can save you a trip down the hall. If you use a printer for mailing purposes, check if you can print onto envelopes or labels from the fax machine you're considering buying.
Legal-sized faxes
Firms that receive faxes on legal-sized paper should look for a machine with two paper drawers. This will allow legal- and letter-sized faxes to be printed on appropriately sized pages without switching paper trays.
Incoming fax pages
Some fax machines print the pages of incoming faxes last page first, meaning you'll have to reshuffle the pages into the correct order before reading. If you find this a hindrance, don't purchase a machine with this feature.
Spam's not just for email
Sending unsolicited advertising faxes is a form of spam - and it's illegal. Make sure you only fax offers to customers and prospects who have requested them. On the flip side, if you receive annoying spam faxes, fax machines that save incoming messages for printing later can be useful. Just preview the fax before you print it, and delete spam without printing.
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