Fax machine is a telecommunications technology used to transfer copies of documents, especially using affordable devices operating over the telephone network. Short for facsimile machine, a device that can send or receive pictures and text over a telephone line.The device is also known as a telecopier in certain industries. A “fax machine” usually consists of an image scanner, a modem, and a printer. As a security precaution, thermal fax paper is typically not admissible as evidence in a court of law unless photocopied.
This is because the ink used on fax papers is delible, brittle and tends to come off over long periods of storage. Fax machines work by digitizing an image dividing it into a grid of dots. Each dot is either on or off, depending on whether it is black or white. Electronically, each dot is represented by a bit that has a value of either 0 (off) or 1 (on). On the receiving side, a fax machine reads the incoming data, translates the zeros and ones back into dots, and reprints the picture. The speed of fax machines transmits data at different rates from 4,800 bps to 28,800 bps. Most fax machines use a thermal printer that requires special paper that tends to turn yellow or brown after a period.
