Sending fax from iMac?

Question

Level 3

810 points

Sending fax from iMac?

I know that in the past I was able to fax documents without actually having a fax machine. I simply scanned the document and my Mac would send the fax via a fax panel. Now with Snow Leopard I cannot find that pane nor does the Apple Help menu offer the sequence for doing this without actually having a fax machine. Any ideas? Thanks.

2009 iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.5)

Posted on Dec 26, 2010 8:53 AM

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Answer 1

j.v.

Level 5

4,155 points

Dec 26, 2010 9:11 AM in response to Tom Kirkman

Older Macs used to have built-in fax. Newer ones don't. So you need some sort of fax machine, be it a multi-function printer or a Zoom or US Robotics USB modem. Otherwise you have to use a 3rd-party service like efax.com.

Assuming that issue is resolved, then the only way I know to do that is to choose the Fax PDF item from the PDF button in the active application's print dialog box. I have found that that won't work when trying to fax a PDF from Adobe Acrobat -- you need to open the PDF file using Preview then you can Print > PDF > Fax PDF.

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Answer 2

Tom Kirkman Author

Level 3

810 points

Dec 26, 2010 9:27 AM in response to j.v.

Thanks. It appears another useful Mac utility is gone.

I'll try another OS. Thanks.

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Answer 3

Dec 26, 2010 9:42 AM in response to Tom Kirkman

The fax utility is still there through the Print dialog. But, in order to fax directly from your Mac you need faxing hardware, i.e. a dialup modem. Such modems haven't been built into Macs for years.

So, you can fax with your Mac, you just need one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/Apple-MA034Z-External-V-2-Modem/dp/B000C6TLDO

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Answer 4

Dec 26, 2010 9:51 AM in response to Tom Kirkman

You can easily send a fax _if you have a modem connected to the Mac_. (Note that MFDs which can fax have modems built into the device, so that counts as a modem connected to the Mac.) In the past most computers had built-in modems. It has been a very long time since I've seen a built-in modem on any computer, Mac or Windows, that's not a laptop, and of late several laptops (including all Mac laptops) have dropped the modem. If you attach a modem by USB you can still send the fax. You merely have to get a modem... just as you had to get a modem in the days before computers started having modems built in. It's not the OS, it's that the hardware is no longer present. The software is still there... if you have a modem. I have both an old Apple USB modem, which still works even though Apple has discontinued it, and a Brother MFD which can send/receive faxes... and I've used them both, the Brother as recently as last month to fax stuff out.

Also, you can use eFax.

No, 'another useful Mac utility' is NOT gone.

You are, of course, free to bail to Windows over this if you so desire. Good luck finding a desktop WinBox which has a modem built in and be careful which Windows laptop you buy, 'cause not all of them have modems, either. There's a reason why stores like Best Buy carry external, Windows-only USB modems, and why they have aftermarket internal PCI modems... (Note that if you really want to waste a PCI slot on a modem, you can put one of those internal PCI modems into a Mac Pro...)

Good luck. Your future is in your hands.

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Answer 5

drblr

Level 1

4 points

Jan 22, 2011 4:06 AM in response to Tom Kirkman

I have recently acquired an iMac - I was using Windows and was convinced that the thing to do was 'go Apple'. Now I'm not so sure. I used to be able to use my hp Officejet 4255 to fax doc's from my computer, but not anymore - I have downloaded the software for Mac from the hp site. It does not even show a fax option when I try. I have the same setup (ethernet - DSL) that I had before, but it does not work with my Mac. Any suggestions as I do a lot of faxing. Thank you.

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Answer 6

ajduguid

Level 3

650 points

Jan 22, 2011 6:21 AM in response to drblr

I'd say you're sadly reliant on HP to provide working drivers and it doesn't look like they're going to any time soon. I notice their 4500 version has 10.6 drivers that are fully functional. My guess is they don't care if your printer works or not now.

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Answer 7

Jan 22, 2011 9:20 AM in response to drblr

This usually means that HP has decided to not support faxing under OS X. HP is notorious for its low-quality drivers. You might be able to do better at the HPIJS Project or at GutenPrint but I don't know, I stopped using HP inkjets some time ago precisely because of HP's non-support. HP's network-enabled lasers usually work, even old ones. USB-only lasers, not so much. Inkjets, USB or network, also not so much.

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Answer 8

Nov 5, 2013 12:18 PM in response to Tom Kirkman

Jumping in this old thread as I have a similar problem ...

I have an iMac running 10.6.8 with a Canon Pixma MX860 Multifunction printer. Apple sold me the Canon bundled with the mac. I can print from the imac just fine (well, many unresolved problems, but that's another thing), and I can fax manually from the printer just fine. I would like to use the Fax PDF option in the print popup in Preview. But when I click "Fax PDF..." I get a message saying "No fax modems were found". The printer is connected to the mac (I can print) and to the phone line (I can fax manually), and I've got the printer set to fax. Is there any other setting I need to make, or anything else I need to install? Any help would be appreciated.

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