PDF is the ideal file format for fax transmission - your formatting, fonts and layouts are guaranteed to be preserved.
With FaxMonkey you can send your PDF documents as a fax quickly and easily. Whether contract, form or business letter: simply upload your PDF file and we take care of the rest. No fax machine, no software installation, no registration.
Why PDF is the best format for faxes
The PDF format (Portable Document Format) was developed specifically to display documents platform-independently and true to layout. That makes PDF the perfect format for fax transmission:
- Formatting preserved: Fonts, spacing, tables and graphics are transmitted exactly as you created them.
- Universal compatibility: PDFs can be created from almost any application - Word, Excel, PowerPoint or directly from the browser.
- Multi-page documents: A PDF can contain any number of pages, all transmitted in a single fax operation.
- Compact file size: PDFs are optimally compressed and enable fast uploads.
FaxMonkey supports all PDF versions from PDF 1.0 to the current PDF 2.0 standard, as well as PDF/A for documents that must be archived.
Create a PDF - here is how
Almost every programme can create PDFs today. Here are the most important methods:
From Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint): Click "File" → "Save As" and choose "PDF" as the file type. Alternatively: "File" → "Export" → "Create PDF/XPS Document".
From the browser: Press Ctrl+P (Windows) or Cmd+P (Mac) and select "Save as PDF" as the printer.
On a smartphone: Use the "Share" function and choose "Print to PDF" or "Create PDF".
Scan documents: Most scanner apps automatically create PDFs from photographed documents.
Tips for optimal fax quality
To ensure your PDF fax arrives perfectly at the recipient, follow these tips:
- Resolution: Create PDFs with at least 200 dpi. Higher resolutions (300 dpi) are recommended for detailed graphics.
- Font size: Use a font size of at least 10 point. Smaller fonts can be hard to read after fax transmission.
- Contrast: Black text on a white background yields the best results. Avoid grey text or coloured backgrounds.
- Margins: Leave at least 1.5 cm margins on all sides so that no content is cut off.
- File size: Compress large PDFs before upload. The maximum file size is 20 MB.
Tip: Fax machines print in black and white. Check beforehand whether colour graphics are clearly recognisable in greyscale.