How to fax a document - with a fax machine, phone or computer

How do you fax a document? Put the pages in a fax machine, type the fax number and press Start - or, with no machine, scan the pages with a fax app on your phone and send them from there. Both reach the other side as a normal fax; this guide walks through each way and the small mistakes that make a fax fail.

Full disclosure: I make HonestFax, the first option below.

The short answer

Before you fax: get the document ready

A few minutes here saves a fax that arrives blank, cut off or at the wrong office.

• Check the fax number. Use the number from the form, letter or website of the office you are sending to, not one from memory. If you aren't sure, how to find a fax number shows where to look.
• Add a cover sheet if the office asks for one or the fax goes to a shared machine. It says who the fax is for, who it's from and how many pages there are. What to put on a fax cover sheet has the short list, or make one with the free fax cover sheet maker.
• Sign and date the pages that need it before you send.
• Remove staples and clips if a machine will feed the pages, and use pages with dark, clear writing.

How to fax a document with a fax machine

These are the steps in the user guides of two common machines, a Brother laser printer with fax (MFC-L2750DW series) and a Canon inkjet (G7000 series). Button names change from model to model, but the order is the same:

1. Press the Fax button so the machine is in fax mode (on some Brother models you load the pages first, then press Fax).
2. Load the document. In the document feeder on top, the pages go face up - the side with the writing facing you. On the flat scanner glass under the lid, the page goes face down. Brother recommends the feeder when you fax several pages.
3. Slide the paper guides against the edges of the pages so they feed straight.
4. Type the fax number on the number pad, or pick it from the machine's address book or speed dial. Dial it the way you would dial a phone call from that line, including the area code when it's needed.
5. Press Start (Brother: "Start" or "Fax Start"; Canon: the "Black" button for a black-and-white fax). The machine scans the pages, dials and sends.
6. Pages on the glass: after each page, the machine asks if you want to scan another. Choose Yes, put the next page down, and choose No (Send) after the last one.
7. Wait until it finishes before you take the pages out. Many machines can print a confirmation report - check the fax settings or the manual for your model.

If the machine reports a busy line or no answer, it is often the other side, not you. Why a fax fails explains the common error messages.

How to fax a document from your phone

No fax machine and no phone line? Your iPhone can do the scanning and the dialing:

1. Install HonestFax and open the New Fax tab. There's no account to fill in.
2. Add the document. Scan paper pages with the camera (the app straightens and cleans them up), or attach a PDF or photo you already have. You can mix both in one fax.
3. Type the fax number and check the destination country.
4. Check the page count and the price shown above the Send fax button, then send.
5. Watch it go through. The fax shows each step until it says Delivered, and the Sent tab keeps the exact pages that were sent.

Your first page is free on a new device. After that you pay per fax - up to 3 pages for $2.99, 10 pages for $4.99 or 30 pages for $9.99 - and the pages never expire. If a fax can't be delivered, the credits come back automatically. The full walkthrough with screenshots is in how to send a fax from your iPhone, and how to scan documents for a fax has tips for clean, readable pages.

How to fax a document from a computer

Can you fax a document from a computer? Yes, but a computer can't dial a fax number on its own. You either upload the file to a fax website or an online fax service, which sends it for you, or you use the fax program in Windows with a fax modem and a phone line. Every option, with what it needs and what it costs, is in how to fax from a computer.

A quick shortcut if your phone is nearby: email or AirDrop the PDF to your iPhone and send it from the app as above.

No machine at home?

You can still use one: many print and shipping stores and some public libraries have a fax counter where you hand over the pages and pay per page. How to send a fax without a fax machine compares those options with the phone and computer ways.

After you send: make sure it arrived

A fax is delivered when the receiving machine has accepted every page. Keep the confirmation - the report from the machine, or the Delivered status in the app - until the office confirms they have your document. How to confirm a fax was received explains what a confirmation does and doesn't prove.

Frequently asked questions

Which side up do I put a document in a fax machine? In the document feeder, face up. On the flat scanner glass, face down. That's how the Brother and Canon user guides describe it; if your machine has a small page icon next to the feeder, it shows the right way.

Can I fax a document from my phone? Yes. A fax app scans the pages with the camera and sends them as a real fax, so the other side receives it like any other fax.

Can you fax a document from a computer? Yes, through a fax website or an online fax service, or with a fax modem on a phone line. See how to fax from a computer.

How long does it take to fax a document? Usually well under a minute per page once the other side answers, plus a few seconds of dialing first. How long does a fax take covers what slows it down.

Checked on October 27, 2026: Brother support, "Send a Fax" online user guide for the MFC-L2690DW / MFC-L2710DW / MFC-L2730DW / MFC-L2750DW series (support.brother.com). Canon inkjet online manual, G7000 series, "Faxing" (ij.manual.canon). HonestFax prices as shown in the app and on this site.