Ever wondered how long it really takes to send or receive a fax? In this day of instant communication, faxing can feel downright ancient. But for some businesses, faxing is still a necessary evil. The good news is faxing doesn’t have to slow you down. Here’s the scoop on faxing timeframes and easier alternatives so you can ditch the wait and move on to more important things. You’re busy, so why waste time standing by the fax machine hitting redial? Read on to get the answers you need in two minutes flat. By the time you’re done reading, you’ll be well on your way to cutting the cord on your fax line for good.
So, How Long Does a Fax Really Take?
So how long does a standard fax really take? The short answer is anywhere from 30 seconds to 5 minutes for a typical 3 to 10 page fax. The exact time can depend on a few factors:
- Phone line quality. If you’re using an old copper phone line, faxes will be slower than a digital phone service or VoIP. Higher bandwidth means faster transfer speeds.
- Time of day. Faxing during peak business hours when phone lines are busiest may take longer due to network congestion. Off-peak times, like evenings and weekends, tend to be faster.
- Number of pages. More pages means more data to transmit, so a 10-page fax will generally take longer than a 3-page fax. Double-sided pages and high-resolution graphics or images also increase the data size and slow down faxing.
- Error corrections. If there are line issues or the receiving fax has trouble printing the fax, it may have to resend parts of the data. This can significantly increase fax time.
The good news is there are easier alternatives today like email, online fax services, and scanner apps that can send PDFs or images to someone’s email or cloud storage. These digital options provide faster, more reliable document delivery. So unless you have a specific reason for sending a traditional fax, an online fax or email is probably your best bet for quickly and easily transferring documents.
Easier Alternatives to Faxing: eSign, Online Notary and More
Faxing is so last century. These days, there are way easier options for sending and signing documents digitally.
- eSign services like docusign or okscribble, allow you to sign documents online with an electronic signature. No printing or scanning required. Just upload your document, add signature and date fields, preview and sign. Your recipient gets an email with the signed document attached. Fast, easy, and legally binding.
- Online notary services offer remote notarization over live video. No more tracking down a physical notary! Services like BlueNotary connect you with a licensed notary for an instant notarization session. They can notarize electronic documents like PDFs as well as physical papers over video.
- For simple document sharing, just email the file or upload it to a cloud storage service like Dropbox, Google Drive or OneDrive and share the link. Your recipient can view, download and even edit the file with the right permissions. No fax machine needed!
- Need to get a paper document to someone? Try a scanning and sharing service like scannerPRO, CamScanner or Scanbot. Just scan the pages into PDFs, then share via email, cloud link or even fax if you must. At least you can skip the printing!
With all the digital options these days, faxing should really be a last resort. Save the trees and your time – go paperless whenever possible! The environment and your sanity will thank you.
When Is Faxing Still Useful? FAQs on Faxing in 2023
When speed matters
Sometimes you need to send a document quickly and faxing is still the most efficient option. If you have a legal document, medical form or other time-sensitive information to transmit right away, faxing will likely get it there faster than mailing or scanning and emailing. Fax machines are designed specifically for rapid document delivery, so faxes are usually received within 15 minutes at most.
When security is a concern
Faxing is also still useful when document security and confidentiality are priorities. Fax transmissions are typically direct between the sender and recipient’s fax machines, without being saved to a cloud server or email account in between. Faxed documents are not easily hacked or intercepted like digital files can be. For sending sensitive data like financial, legal and medical records, faxing may provide more privacy and security.
Compatibility with older technology
Some businesses and organizations still rely heavily on faxing for document sharing and may not have robust digital systems in place. If you need to transmit records to a company that requests faxing, it’s best to oblige. Faxing also ensures maximum compatibility, as the technology has been around for decades and is nearly universal.
While faxing is fading into obsolescence for most personal and business communications, it retains some usefulness for specific situations. If speed, security or compatibility with older technology are priorities for sending your documents, faxing could still be the optimal choice, at least for now. But for everyday file sharing, scanning and email are simpler, more environmentally-friendly options.
Faxing off
So there you have it. Faxes are relics of the past and it’s time to move on to faster, more reliable alternatives. While faxes technically only take a few minutes to transmit, the hassle and uncertainty around them means they end up wasting far more of your time. Between finding a fax machine, waiting for confirmation of receipt, and dealing with busy signals or transmission errors, you could spend an hour or more on a single fax.
Instead, take advantage of the many digital options now available. Email, e-signatures, and online fax services will save you time, money, and frustration. Make your life easier and join the 21st century – leave the fax machine behind and go digital. Your productivity and sanity will thank you!
