Top 15 Best Fax Machines for 2024

• Brother Printer MFC7240 Printer - Best Overall

• Canon TR8620 All-in-One Printer - Best Versatility

• Canon Office and Business MB5420 - Best For Office

• Brother FAX4100E IntelliFax Paper - Best Laser Printer

• Canon imageFORMULA R10 - Best For Portability

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There are actually a variety of fax machine categories with unique designs, characteristics, and usage. Here are some common types to consider based on your purposes and needs. 

Laser Fax Machine

The first category you should consider is the laser fax machine. It can fulfill various demands with fast transmission and high-end laser output. 

This type of fax machine features fax and voice calls on the other phones on the same line. You can also connect this device to an outer answer machine, making it easy for consumers to send messages from many different places.  

In addition, these machines are operated by the high-yield replacement toner, helping you lower operating costs. Therefore laser fax machines are a prevalent choice for home offices and small businesses.

Copier Fax Machine

Another noticeable choice is the copier fax machine, which is suitable for large offices and enterprises. This device can produce hundreds of copies within minutes with the ability to quickly scan documents and images.  

Thanks to their special mechanism that elaborately uses the amount of ink, the copier fax machines can simultaneously provide detailed text and images while printing at high speed. 

With a telephone connected to the Internet, these products can quickly receive the information to scan documents and images precisely within minutes. 

These plain paper fax machines come with a simple operation and excellent reliability, delivering high-quality copies during the usage process. They are highly recommended in schools, enterprises, and in personal correspondence. 

Portable Fax Machine

The portable fax machines’ selling points lie in their portability due to their lightweight and compact size. Users can lift and carry them by hand easily, gaining more flexibility in the usage process. 

Portable fax machines still feature the basic functions a regular device brings, but they come with higher performance. 

These machines allow users to directly receive faxes to personal email inboxes. With a simple process, you can send and receive documents quickly. So, they are beneficial for people who regularly move around or get on business trips.

With gradual updates and improvements, these machines can scan more precisely and detail with more modern features. Distances are no longer a barrier, thanks to the invention of these devices. 

Printer Fax Machine 

The printer fax machine is a combination of two functions: scanning for digitizing images on paper and printing documents or messages.

If you don’t want two distinct devices to serve these functions, a “two-in-one'' printer fax machine is the ideal solution. Despite its expensive cost, a printer fax machine will bring you more comfort in the long run. 

Thereby, it is a worthy investment, especially for offices with limited space. 

Phone Fax Machine 

Another type is the phone fax machine. These “two-in-one” devices not only come with high quality but also allow users to make and receive phone calls. 

Thanks to their high versatility, they perfectly fulfill various needs as users can send faxes and exchange information via phone directly. This category is suitable for limited working space as they are just big enough to fit on a table or desk. 

In general, phone fax machines feature high performance, providing detailed texture material and stable phone calls.

As I have covered some basic categories of fax machines, let’s move on to select the proper type that is suitable for your needs and preferences. 

Here are critical things to consider when searching for a proper fax machine.

Print Type

• Ribbon Transfer

This is one of the most basic types of prints with high-quality and practical designs that occupy limited devices’ space. 

Fax machines featuring this print type get clear and sharp texture material and detailed images. However, they come with a high cost per page. 

• Inkjet

Inkjet print type is capable of high output volume. Fax machines using Inkjet usually require high operating costs. Yet, these models provide high-quality documents,  beautiful colors, and detailed copies.

• Laser

Fax machines using this print type are the most expensive, but they also provide the highest-quality documents and graphics. Laser fax machines are prevalent among large offices that need high-quality fax.

Modem speed

Fax machines send data via their phone line. If that line is unstable, it might receive unclear data that result in low-quality texture and graphics material. 

But a digital modem can prevent this setback by clearing the line more quickly.

In addition, it can help you send and receive data more smoothly. You no longer have to worry about the low quality of transmission during the usage process with high modem speed. 

Paper Capacity

The factor you should consider carefully is how much paper it can store. A low-capacity fax machine may be sufficient for a small office.

However, for the big companies or offices,  an endurable, productive, and especially large storage fax machine with multiple paper trays is ideal. 

A fax machine with high paper capacity will help you save time refilling the paper and less frequent paper jams. 

Security

Many high-end fax machines provide users with some security options.

They require users’ passwords to activate the machines. This feature prevents unauthorized use or simply restricts people who are eligible to operate them.

This also prevents devices from losing information in the memory storage in case of a blackout.

Memory

Every fax machine needs high memory as the higher memory the fax machine has, the more data it can store and produce better faxes. This trait allows more documents and images for sending and receiving.

If you prefer a modern fax machine, pay attention to its memory or RAM. 

Design

There are various sizes of fax machines on the market, from large sizes with highly productive to small ones. Depending on the size of your office and surrounding furniture, choose a suitable fax machine design accordingly.

 

You should choose a fax machine that compliments your working space, congruent with your office from color to shape.

To sum up, picking a suitable fax machine can help increase the visual of your office and facilitate your work simultaneously. The products suggested in this post all offer great features and quality. 

However, if I have to pick the best fax machine, it would be the Brother Printer MFC7240 Monochrome Printer. The reason I choose this product is that:

• It comes at an affordable price while featuring the modern features and high capacity of high-end products. 

• A beautiful design and great build quality

• High performance and printing speed, with ample paper storage (around 250 papers per tray)

I hope that the information and tips provided can satisfy you.

Thank you for reading!

Do You Need A Landline For A Fax Machine?

The answer is yes. A landline is required for fax machines and similar devices with fax software to operate.

However, there are many modern online fax machines that can receive and send online faxes via emails. So, they can operate without the need for a phone line. 

Can You Fax Over Wifi?

The online or digital fax machines allow you to fax and receive the documents online through emails. They are more convenient and are gradually replacing the traditional fax machines. 

However, these devices require an Internet connection, and the receiver or sender must have access to the Internet. With the two parties using online fax machines, you can send and receive the fax wirelessly. 

Why Are Fax Machines So Expensive?

Fax machines are inherently expensive due to their large sizes and complicated hardware. As technology progresses, the production cost is gradually decreasing while the machines are getting more modern. 

Yet, the more costly thing is the regular maintenance and repair of these devices. If they accidentally break down, it takes a lot of time and money to fix the errors. 

Is It Safe To Use A Public Fax Machine?

The answer is yes. Many fax machines offer a certain level of information security by communicating through phone lines. The phone lines are harder to hack or break compared to an Internet connection. 

Online devices are even more secure as they feature two-factor identification and a variety of safety protocols to protect your information.