How to fax a Word document

Format the document for fax

Fax pages are black and white and lower resolution than your screen, so a document that looks good in Word can come out hard to read. Spend two minutes on these before you export.

Use Print Preview, under File and then Print, to see how each page breaks before you export. Headings stranded at the bottom of a page or a signature block pushed onto its own page are easy to fix in Word with a page break.

• Use a clear font such as Calibri, Arial or Times New Roman at 11 points or larger
• Change colored text, shading and highlighting to plain black
• Keep logos simple; detailed color images turn into grey blocks
• Set the paper size to Letter under Layout, then Size
• Accept or reject tracked changes and delete comments under the Review tab
• Add page numbers in the footer so the recipient knows nothing is missing

Export the document to PDF

1. In Word for Windows, choose File, then Save As, and set the file type to PDF. Or use File, then Export, then Create PDF/XPS.
2. In Word for Mac, choose File, then Save As, and set File Format to PDF.
3. In Word on the web, choose File, then Download, then Download as PDF.
4. Open the PDF and check the layout, signature position and page count.

Fax it from your browser

fax-from-computer.com recommends FaxToFax.com, which accepts PDF, PNG and JPG files, not .docx, which is why you export first.

1. Open FaxToFax.com in any browser and sign in with your email and one-time code.
2. Start a new fax and upload the PDF.
3. Add a cover page with the recipient, subject and total pages. Save it as a template if you fax often.
4. Enter the fax number, confirm it, and send now or schedule it.
5. Check for Delivered and keep the time-stamped receipt.