How does a fax work? Easily explained
Despite email, Facebook and WhatsApp, fax machines are far from being a thing of the past. We explain how a fax works in this practical tip.
This is how a fax works
The word "fax" or "fax" is the short form of "fax simile". With two fax machines, documents can be sent over the telephone line.
- After you have entered the recipient's number in the fax machine and pressed "Send", your machine and that of the recipient communicate with each other.
- They first agree on the technical aspects of the transfer and determine, for example, which paper format is used.
- Then your document is drawn in and scanned bit by bit with a light beam. A sensor (a so-called photodiode cell) detects the document and converts it into electrical signals.
- These are then encoded and transmitted to the recipient over the telephone line.
- Here the signals are processed back and printed. You can find out more about various printing techniques in the practical tip on how printers work.
Tip: On the next page you can read how to send faxes online.