Fax Cover Sheet

Fax Etiquette for Business

Faxing, even in business, can sometimes be informal. However, when it comes to faxing documents, it's important to remember that you represent your business with every fax you send. With that in mind, the following fax etiquette guidelines apply:

Use a Fax Cover Sheet

For more informal faxes, a handwritten note will suffice as a fax cover sheet; however it's important that the writing be legible. Remember, this cover sheet represents you in writing. Even with an informal fax, the information to include on your cover sheet includes the same as it would on a more formal cover page:

• Your name
• Your contact information
• Number of pages being sent
• Name of recipient
• Other pertinent information pertaining to the fax

Confirm Receipt

Just because you send a fax does not mean that it is received on the other end. Fax machines run out of paper and toner, and even if it is received on the other end, it doesn't mean that it reached the intended recipient's desk. Fax etiquette dictates that you follow up to be sure that the fax is received.

Call Ahead When Sending Confidential Material

When sending confidential material, fax etiquette says to call ahead first to let the recipient know that the fax is on the way. Another option when sending sensitive information is to use an online fax service. This allows users to send and receive faxes through their personal computers and helps to circumvent security issues.

Resources for Creating a Fax Cover Sheet

Fax cover sheets can be designed with software, in Microsoft Word, or with templates. Many of these can be used to design a cover sheet for free. The following resources and information should make it easy to create a cover page that represents your company including your logo. Standard fax covers can be designed for use by many users, or for individuals depending on your company's needs.

Fax Cover Page Software

The following software provides several options for creating a fax cover page for your business.

• Virtual Cover Creator
• Fax For Office – Allows you to send and receive faxes from your PC
• Free Serif Software
• Star Fax Cover Sheet Creator

Fax Cover Templates

• Business Fax Cover Template for MicroSoft Word
• Create or Edit a Fax Cover Page for Windows Vista
• Fax Cover Page Generator – Provides a color cover page editor for color fax applications
• Word Fax Cover Page - This professional design Word fax cover page template is easy to download and lets you easily add your company information. Print it off and make copies to keep handy near the fax machine. Along with the contact info section, and an comment section that can be deleted or edited, this form also includes the following check-off boxes to clarify action needed:

• Urgent
• For Review
• Please Comment
• Please Reply
• Please Reply To

Benefits of Faxing To Email

More and more people are moving away from standard faxing and using efax. So what are the benefits of faxing directly to email? There are several:

• Faxing to email is a paperless service
• Makes finding a copy of the fax easy to find and hard to lose
• Makes if possible to send and receive faxes wherever you have access to the internet
• Ensures privacy – no worries about who might have taken a peek at your fax while it sat on the fax machine.