Fax
Telephonic transmission of scanned documents to a remote printer.
Fax (short for facsimile), also called telecopying or telefax, is the telephonic transmission of scanned printed material, both text and images, normally to a telephone number connected to a printer or other output device. The original document is scanned, processed as a single fixed graphic image, converted into a bitmap, and transmitted through the telephone system as audio-frequency tones; the receiving machine interprets the tones and prints a paper copy. Initially a niche product, fax machines became ubiquitous in offices in the 1980s and 1990s, but have largely been rendered obsolete by Internet-based technologies, though they remain in use in some medical administration and law enforcement settings.
- First commercial telefax service
- Between Paris and Lyon, 1865
- First transoceanic radio facsimile
- 1924, photograph of President Calvin Coolidge from New York to London
- First commercialized modern fax machine
- Xerox LDX (Long Distance Xerography), 1964
- First sub-minute digital fax machine
- Developed by Dacom
- Ccitt group 2 standard
- 1976, three minutes per page
- Ccitt group 3 standard
- 1980, 40 seconds per page
Lore & Background
The concept of facsimile transmission dates to the 19th century. Scottish inventor Alexander Bain received a British patent in 1843 for an "Electric Printing Telegraph," and Frederick Bakewell later improved on Bain's design. Italian physicist Giovanni Caselli introduced the first commercial telefax service between Paris and Lyon in 1865, eleven years before the telephone. In 1880, English inventor Shelford Bidwell constructed the first telefax machine to scan any two-dimensional original. The telautograph, invented by Elisha Gray in 1888, allowed users to send signatures over long distances. In 1924, AT&T scientists transmitted fifteen photographs by telephone from Cleveland to New York City, and Richard H. Ranger of RCA invented the wireless photoradiogram, sending a photograph of President Coolidge from New York to London later that year. Herbert E. Ives of AT&T transmitted the first color facsimile in 1924. The Western Union "Deskfax" was announced in 1948. During the 1960s and 1970s, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police used facsimile equipment to transmit photographs and fingerprints of criminals. In 1964, Xerox introduced the LDX, considered the first commercialized modern fax machine, followed in 1966 by the smaller Magnafax Telecopier, which could transmit a letter-sized document in about six minutes. The first sub-minute digital fax machine was developed by Dacom, building on data compression technology from Lockheed. By the late 1970s, many companies, especially Japanese firms, had entered the market. The CCITT's Group 2 standard in 1976 offered interoperability at three minutes per page, and the Group 3 standard in 1980 reduced transmission time to 40 seconds per page, leading to two decades of ubiquitous faxing in business.
Reader's Guide
Fax technology evolved from analog drum-based systems, where reflected light from a spinning document varied a photocell's current to modulate an audio tone transmitted via an acoustic coupler, to digital methods using data compression to transmit all-white or all-black areas more quickly. Early machines used thermal printing on expensive thermal paper rolls, while later models, such as a 1999 inkjet fax machine, printed on normal paper. The rise of the fax market was initially slow due to incompatible transmission methods deliberately created by manufacturers to lock in customers. The CCITT's interoperability standards, particularly Group 3 in 1980, were pivotal in making fax a universal business tool. Despite being rendered largely obsolete by email and the World Wide Web, fax machines persist in niche areas such as medical administration and law enforcement. The technology also has a wireless legacy: radio fax is still used to transmit weather charts and information to ships at sea, and slow-scan television, a closely related technology, remains in use by amateur radio operators.
Did You Know?
- The first commercial telefax service operated between Paris and Lyon in 1865, 11 years before the invention of the telephone.
- In 1924, a photograph of President Calvin Coolidge became the first picture reproduced by transoceanic radio facsimile.
- The Western Union 'Deskfax' announced in 1948 was a compact machine that fit comfortably on a desktop.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Fax?
Fax is the colloquial shorthand for facsimile, a technology that transmits a scanned paper document—both text and images—over a standard telephone line to a remote printer. It is also referred to as telecopying or telefax.
What are Fax's powers/role?
Fax scans a physical page into a single fixed bitmap, converts that image into audio-frequency tones, and sends those tones through the phone network to a receiving unit that decodes them and prints a paper copy. In essence, it turns a sheet of paper into sound and back into paper at the destination.
Why is Fax important?
Fax was the first broadly accessible way to deliver a complete, unaltered paper document electronically to someone on another continent, making it a backbone of business communication for decades. Its lineage stretches back to the 1865 Paris-to-Lyon telefax service and the 1924 transoceanic radio facsimile of President Coolidge's photograph.
What are Fax's key milestones?
The Xerox LDX (Long Distance Xerography) in 1964 is credited as the first commercialized modern fax machine, and the 1980 CCITT Group 3 standard slashed transmission to roughly 40 seconds per page. Dacom later produced the first sub-minute digital fax machine, cementing the format's practicality for everyday office use.
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