How to Send a Fax From a Computer
Every computer can produce a PDF, and that is really all you need to send a fax today. Desktops and laptops no longer come with the fax modems that once made faxing a hardware feature, so the modern method is software plus an internet connection. On a work desktop, a home laptop, Windows, or macOS, the steps are the same: create a PDF and send it through an online fax service.
Do I need a fax modem or phone line on my computer?
Not for online faxing. A computer's old ability to fax depended on an internal or USB modem wired to an analog phone line, and neither is standard equipment anymore. Instead of restoring that hardware, you let a web service place the fax call. Your computer's only job is to turn the document into a PDF and upload it, which any machine with a browser can do regardless of its age or operating system.
How to send a fax from your computer
- 1Save or export your document as a PDF — use the Print dialog's Save as PDF (Mac) or Microsoft Print to PDF (Windows), or start from an existing PDF.
- 2Open your browser, go to Send FAX Mail, start the 7-day trial, and verify your email to enable sending.
- 3Upload the PDF using the file picker or by dragging it onto the send form.
- 4Enter the recipient's fax number with the correct area code.
- 5Add an optional cover page, then click Send.
- 6Save the confirmation email that logs the delivery time.
Before you send
Sticking to PDF keeps your text sharp and your page size fixed, so nothing gets stretched or shrunk on the receiving end. If a job spans multiple files, merge them into one PDF first so the recipient gets a single, ordered document. Faxing from a computer also makes cover pages easy — you can type a clear recipient name and reference note that helps a busy office route your fax to the right desk.
Send a fax from a computer — FAQ
It does not. Because the faxing happens in a web browser and over our servers, the operating system is irrelevant — the same upload-and-send flow works identically on a Windows PC, a Mac, or a Chromebook. All any of them needs to contribute is a PDF and an internet connection.
Yes, and that is the whole point of sending online. There is no phone jack involved at all; the document travels over your internet connection to us, and we complete the fax call on the phone network. Where your desk sits relative to a phone line makes no difference.
Export it to PDF from the program's Print menu, then upload that PDF. The PDF preserves the layout exactly as it looked on screen, so tables and columns arrive intact rather than reflowed, which matters for invoices and forms.
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