You may have heard that the days of relying on fax machines are in the past. Now you can fax your important documents right through Gmail. However, people worry this is a difficult feat to achieve, as dealing with new ways to use technology can be intimidating. Don’t worry. We’ll talk you through how to send fax through Gmail and quell any concerns you might have.
Test Drive Our #1 Recommended Choice and Fax Free for 30 Days!
How to Send Fax Through Gmail
1. Use a Browser-Based Online Fax Service
The first thing you need to do is use an online fax service that provides you with a domain and extension to add to the end of your recipient’s fax number. That’s really all you need if you want to send your faxes through Gmail.
If the service tries to get you to download their app or another type of software, then steer clear. The simplest services can do everything right from your browser or the Gmail app on your phone without needing any extra software to complete your task.
2. Write a Cover Letter
It would be a good idea to compose your cover letter in a document before you put it into the email. The cover letter will end up going in the subject line of your email, and it’s very difficult to edit text when typing it directly into this part of the email composition box. You could draft your cover letter in the body of the email instead of in a document, but make sure to delete it and paste it only in the subject bar before sending the email.
3. Attach Files
Now comes the time to attach the files you wish to send as a fax. You can upload them directly from your computer or phone, drag and drop them from your computer, use files from Dropbox, or use something from Google Drive.
You can theoretically send any file format and have it work, but it would be much easier to send a PDF. Many fax services give you a certain number of free pages per month, and it’s easy to keep track of the number of pages you’re sending when using a PDF format.
4. Enter the Recipient
As you’re using an email service, you may automatically think you can just send your digital fax to the recipient’s email address. This is untrue. Send it to their fax number just as you would if you were using a fax machine, but add your fax service’s domain and extension to the end of it. A domain and extension are basically the “@gmail.com” part of sending an email. However, instead of adding this, you’ll add something like “@rcfax.com.”
How Will the Recipient Receive My Digital Fax?
Your recipient will receive your digital fax just like a regular email. However, instead of opening the email and reading the contents, all they need to do is click on the attachment. They can also receive your digital fax via their fax machine if they have one.
How Is Digital Faxing Different From Regular Emailing?
With regular emailing, things can look a little messy. Digital faxes provide more accurate and neater timestamps, which are easier to deal with in legal and business situations. Plus, as stated above, you have the benefit of sending a digital fax to a physical fax machine if the recipient has one, and you can’t do that with regular emails.
Hopefully we mitigated your worries about sending faxes through Gmail. It’s as easy as sending regular emails, but it’s better organized for business and legal purposes. Test Drive Our #1 Recommended Choice and Fax Free for 30 Days!