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Scan the pages in order into one file, check every page is upright and readable, then send that file by your usual fax route. A scanner gives you a clean digital copy first, so you can fix a crooked or blank page before it ever reaches the recipient. Keep the originals until the fax is confirmed.
Scan in black and white or greyscale, not colour, since fax transmission is black and white anyway and colour only adds file size. A mid-range resolution, around 200 to 300 dots per inch, is the sweet spot: lower settings turn small print into mush, and higher settings create a huge file with no visible gain at the other end. If your scanner offers a "document" or "text" mode, use it over "photo" mode, which softens sharp edges.
Use the document feeder for multi-page documents, and the flat glass for anything fragile, bound, or smaller than a standard page. Feed pages face up or face down exactly as your scanner marks it, and run a single test page first if you are unsure. A feeder that grabs two pages at once is the most common cause of a fax that arrives missing a page in the middle, and you will not notice until the recipient complains.
| Step | What to do | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Order | Stack pages in reading order, cover note first | Scanning the cover note last, so it arrives at the end |
| Double-sided pages | Scan both sides, in order, or note the blank backs | Skipping backs that carry a signature or stamp |
| Check | Open the file and flip through every page | Checking only page one and trusting the rest |
| File | Save as one PDF, named for the recipient and date | One file per page, sent in the wrong order |
The route depends on what you are using. An all-in-one printer with a fax function can often scan and fax in one job, with no computer in between: load the pages, enter the number, and choose scan-to-fax if it offers it. An online fax service takes the scanned PDF as an upload instead: save the file, open the service, attach it, enter the number, and send. With LetterAgent, once fax is active, you would describe the fax to your AI assistant and follow the quote, approval, and payment flow for that send.
Whichever route you use, keep the scanned file after sending. If the recipient says a page is missing or unreadable, you can resend just that page from the same file instead of re-scanning the originals. Name the file clearly before you send it, with the recipient and the date, so you can find it again in a hurry. Delete or secure the file afterwards if it holds sensitive personal or financial details, since a scan left in a shared downloads folder is easy to overlook.
Flip through the whole scan, page by page, and look for four faults: a page scanned upside down, a blank page where the scanner missed a side, a page cut off at the edge because the original was misaligned, and a page so pale that handwriting has dropped out. Fix each one by re-scanning just that page and swapping it into the file. Most scan software lets you replace a single page without redoing the whole document.
Check the page count against the originals, and check the fax number twice, digit by digit. A wrong number sends your document to a stranger, and a fax, unlike an email, cannot be recalled once it prints at the other end. For an important send, call the recipient first, tell them a fax is coming, and ask them to confirm the page count when it arrives. That one call prevents most "I never got it" disputes.
A phone camera can stand in for a scanner in a pinch, but it needs care: flat light, no shadows from your hands, and the page filling the frame edge to edge. Dedicated scan apps straighten the page and boost contrast, and they produce a far better result than a plain photo. For a formal filing, a court form, or anything with small print, a real scanner is still the safer choice, since phone photos often bow at the edges and lose the corners where dates and signatures sit.
LetterAgent fax is available in testing, with activation in progress, so do not rely on it for a filing due today. Only US and Canadian fax numbers are supported, and there are no inbound faxes. When it is active, the flow is a per-fax quote with the page count verified, your approval of the exact total, a one-time Stripe payment, and then the fax is sent.
Ready to fax it? Fax with LetterAgent: describe it to your AI assistant, approve the exact quoted price, and it is sent.
LetterAgent is a working name. Prices include print, postage, and our service fee. US prices in USD, Canadian prices in CAD (Canadian prices exclude applicable sales tax, added at checkout). Currently in private testing.
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