Guide to Fax Full Form and Meaning
The full form of fax stands for facsimile and it is a widely used machine for sending and receiving data. In a concise manner, you can say that a fax is the wired transmission of scanned copies of text or images assisted by a telephone number attached to a printer or any other output device.
The technology used by the fax machine was invented a long time ago. However, it became popular only in the 1980s. Today, although the invention of Social Media, Mobile phones and the internet has rendered faxing obsolete yet many businesses still rely on this old technology.
History About Fax in Nutshell
Fax abbreviation for facsimile has passed through many evolutions before getting its current structure.
Alexander Bain, who was created with the invention of the Fax machine, 1843-46 he developed an experimental version by synchronizing the oscillations of two pendulums inside a clock and scanning an image with the motion. Even though the image developed was of poor quality, this was a sensational innovation.
The first successful commercial application of the fax machine was developed by Giovanni Caselli with the aid of his Pantelegraph. The fax machine became modern with the invention of wireless technology and 3D color images. By the 1980s fax became a truly universal form of communication that was widely used the world over. In India, the technology of Fax machines was brought by Britishers. Fax has for a long part of modern history remained the most important form of communication for common people.
FAQs on FAX Full Form
1. What Does the Term Fax Mean?
Fax stands for facsimile and uses telephonic transmission to receive scanned copies of documents. The receiver converts the coded image and prints the final copy
2. Does Google Offer Fax Service?
There is an online fax service offered by Google. So, you can use Google account or email and signup to use the technology.
3. Can You Fax Without a Machine?
Yes, it’s quite possible to fax without a machine. Google Docs uses IntraFax service so send online faxes. Open your Google Document, then click on the Fax This option. It is quite simple and can be performed by anyone.
4. What are the features of a fax machine?
Fax has truly been a remarkable innovation that has vastly helped us in technological advancement, some of its features are :
Modern fax machines are equipped with print, scan and copying technologies.
Some fax machines are even equipped to forward a copy of a fax to an email id without the necessity of printing.
The Fax machines can also run on wireless technology like Wifi or Bluetooth.
You can have dual numbers on the same phone line and it can be understood by the fax machine.
The fax machine has an inbuilt memory which helps it to store information.
The most common paper size was A4, Legal and letter yet many are capable of accommodating various sizes.
5. What happens inside a fax machine?
To understand what happens inside a fax machine, you have to understand how it works:
You need to put the page inside the input slot and the rollers pull it inside
A bright light shines on the paper once it’s rolled down. The white areas reflect more light while dark areas reflect none
The light reflecting off the page then transfers to a light detecting device
Now, it turns the analogue input pattern into a numeric pattern and passes the information to an electric circuit
The Information is sent down the telephone wire to the fax machine at the receiving end
This same process happens the reverse way when you receive a fax
In the end, an automatic blade tears the page and you receive your message
6. What caused the decline of fax machines?
The decline of the fax machine largely started with the coming of the email. Email or electronic mail was a groundbreaking innovation that completely changed human history and our means of communication. Information and messages could now be sent effectively with the use of the internet and in an incredibly short time. Although the fax machines went unpopular after email came, this is still used by many people as a means of communication.
7. What is the latest technology in the field of communications?
The world of today is living in the information age, with the internet coming up everything is accessible to everyone with the snap of a finger. Data has become cheap and information is of the essence. Although Email continues to be an extremely important way of communication in the official domain, for personal use people now prefer chatting apps and Social Media platforms.
8. What is the historical significance of the fax machine?
A lot of people today will not be able to comprehend this but there was a time not long ago when people had to wait for days to hear from their near and dear ones. Communication was difficult and letters were the most widely used mode of communication. In such a time Fax was the invention of a lifetime which brought a revolution in this field. Students still study the technology used in fax machines to understand how technological innovation began.