FAX or Facsimile Transmission

Communication system that copies, sends, and receives documents by way of telephone lines. Also called faxing, this method of communication allows people to share exact copies of important papers by duplicating and sending them on one end, and then receiving and reproducing them on the other.

Fax Machine Facsimile (fax) transmission involves machines designed to transmit graphical information via normal telephone lines. After a special fax number is dialed and the phone connection established, documents are fed through the machine, which takes approximately one to six minutes to scan and convert the information into electrical impulses. The impulses are carried across phone lines and a receiving machine changes the impulses back to text, making a copy, or facsimile, of the document in the sending machine. Particularly in time-sensitive business transactions, fax communication has become a popular alternative to express mail because it is faster and generally less expensive. Sharp Electronics Corporation 

Facsimile machines came into use in the early 20th century when newspaper companies began using them to transmit photographs between branch offices. By the mid-1980s use of desktop facsimile machines had become commonplace for business and personal correspondence throughout the world. More recently, people have used personal computers to send and receive facsimile transmissions, or faxes, eliminating the need for a separate facsimile machine.