Types of Fax Machines

Although many consumers and companies use online fax services, there are three primary types of physical fax machines still produced. Faxing is the quickest way to send and receive documents because it takes mere minutes to receive the fax instead of days by mail or hours by courier.

Thermal Fax Machines

If you prefer to use an actual fax machine as opposed to an online faxing service, the thermal fax is the cheapest option. The only item you will need to stock up on is thermal fax paper, which is inexpensive. Because the thermal fax machines use only an ink ribbon to generate the print on your thermal fax paper, you will not have to spend money on ink cartridges. Companies that manufacture thermal fax machines include Sharp, Panasonic and Brother.

Inkjet Fax Machines

Inkjet fax machines are normally the all-in-one printer, fax and scanner combination machines. These types of fax machines require an inkjet cartridge to print the digital image on regular copy paper, so you will need to keep both these supplies on hand to receive any faxes. Most inkjet fax machines are manufactured by big-name companies such as Lexmark, Hewlett-Packard and Canon.

Laser Fax Machines

Laser fax machines require toner ink cartridges similar to what a copy machine uses. These machines are the most common type for large businesses and corporations because they can print up to 20 fax pages per minute. Xerox and Canon are the two largest manufacturers of laser fax machines. Laser fax machines are the most costly.