How Long Does a Fax Take? And Easier Alternatives!

Have you ever really thought about the time it actually takes to send or receive a fax? In today’s fast-paced world of communication, faxing may seem history, but a good number of businesses still pursue it. The pleasant fact is that faxing no longer needs to be an excuse for slow work. Here are all the details about the respective times involved in faxing and quicker substitutes, are you ready to get rid of waiting and do a more important job? You are doing a lot of work, so why are you wasting your time with one of the fax machines and being persistent in calling them back? Keep reading and you’ll get the confirmation of the two-minute time limit for the questions you have. Not only that, but also the article included will take you just a few steps from cancelling your fax line permanently.

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:

1. 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.
2. Time of day. Sending a fax during peak phone traffic may go very slow due to the congested network. However, at a less busy hour, like in the evenings and weekends, it normally requires a short time to finish the task.
3. 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.
4. 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. Notarize a variety of documents electrical as well as physical can be done using video meeting.
• When it comes to mere document sharing, simply shoot the document to the other party via an email or put it on one of the cloud storage platforms like Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive and get the link. Although one of the most basic forms of document sharing, this method can enable the addressee to open, save, and with the proper permission, alter the file if 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

Faxing remains a convenient way for sending a document quickly and sometimes it is the only option. If you have a legal document, a medical form, or other time-critical information to send, then faxing will probably be quicker than the other methods, such as mail or scan-and-email. Fax machines are efficient transmission tools that are designed for rapid document delivery. Consequently, faxes are generally delivered in the shortest time possible, not exceeding 15 minutes.

When security is a concern

Faxing is also a good option in situations where secure and confidential document transfer is required. Fax communication is directly made from one person’s to the other one printer, and generally, it does not get stored on the cloud or emailed to someone in between. Physical documents transmitted by facsimile are not as vulnerable to hacking or eavesdropping as those transmitted digitally are. In connection with the forwarding of confidential and sensitive information such as financial, legal and medical records, the use of fax technology may guarantee a higher level of privacy and security.

Compatibility with older technology

It’s a fact that some companies and institutions are still faxing a lot and they are certainly not having solid digital systems. If you have to be sending data to a business that will insist on faxing, then you don’t have a choice but to do it. Besides a fax, it is also the safest way as this technology had existed for a long time and is known to be universal across the states.

While sending faxes is being abandoned and to a large extent forgotten in personal life and business circles, people have not given up on its use altogether. For example, if sending your documents in a fast, secure or compatible way with older technology is your concern, then faxing might still be the first option for you, if not the only one. However, for routine file sharing, the best and cleanest options are scanning and emailing.

Faxing off

Well, that is all. Faxes are out of date now and it’s time to choose faster and more reliable ways of communication. Although faxes are theoretically transmittable within a few minutes, the problems and ambiguity they are associated with make them actually eat up, instead of saving, your time. In total, it might take finding a fax machine, waiting for receipt confirmation, and encountering busy signals or transmission errors that would take an hour or even more for one fax.

On the contrary, you can go for numerous digital facilities that are available today. Email, e-signatures, and online fax services will not only save your time but also help you save your money and feel less frustration. Do yourself a favor, make things easier and get rid of the fax machine and just stay digital. You will do a favor for your productivity and peace of mind!