Color Fax Print Format
I was wondering if color fax machines give their color fax output on standard office paper (so sheets) or on a roll (like with the standard black and white fax)?
Good question!
Roll-based fax paper, along with thermal fax paper, is pretty much a thing of the past with a few exceptions (such as the Brother brand machines that use Thermabond or ThermaPlus rolls). Most fax machines simply use standard sheets of 8 1/2 x 11 inch office paper. That’s definitely the case with all-in-one machines (such as those made by Canon, Hewlett-Packard, or Epson) that combine print, scan, copy, and fax capabilities.
If you’re expecting to print a lot of faxes in color, you might want to invest in paper with a little higher weight. I’d recommend something thicker than 20lb. Also, keep in mind that even if you’re sending a fax in color, your recipient will only see it in color if they have a color fax machine, or view their faxes via computer.
Color faxes, or faxes with photos, generally take a little longer to send than standard black-and-white word- or line-based faxes. They also use more ink. For that reason, people with standalone fax machines or those who plan to print out their faxes usually avoid full color. However, with the advent of email-based faxing, it’s relatively simple to just view a fax and save it digitally to your computer. It’s really up to you.
Do you have a question about faxing? Send me your fax question.