FAX file format
| Extension | .fax |
| Category | images |
| Description | At the dawn of fax technology, documents were transmitted across analog telephone lines as audio frequency signals. However, with the rise of digital wireless technology and the internet, sending and receiving faxes can now be done without the need for traditional telephone systems. This is where the importance of Group 3 FAX format comes into play. Group 3 FAX involves compressing TIFF images created from scanning documents. This compression helps significantly reduce file transmission time. While excessive compression beyond the standard 10:1 ratio may lead to a decrease in image quality, users have the option to adjust the balance to their preference while still maintaining the integrity of the transmitted images. |
| Technical details | Fax machines typically use Group 3 standards set by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). These machines operate at resolutions of 203 x 98 dpi for standard quality and 203 x 196 dpi for fine quality. They employ encoding techniques like Modified Huffman (MH) or Modified Read (MR) to compress data, which reduces transmission time. Transmission speeds range from 2400 bps to 33600 bps, depending on the phone line quality and the machine capabilities. Although faxing uses analog signals, digital faxing has become common, converting documents into digital files and sending them over the internet. Despite the rise of digital communication, faxing remains widely used due to its simplicity and the legal acceptance of faxed documents. |