The Proper Fax Format

A fax, also known as a facsimile, is an electronic transmission of a scanned paper document. The document being sent can be of any format, but it must always be accompanied beforehand with a fax cover sheet. The formatting of this fax cover sheet can vary slightly, but there are a few essential elements that should always be included.

Essential Elements

• Certain items should always be included in the fax cover letter, such as the recipient's name, the number of pages being faxed, including the cover letter, and the date. Also include your name, fax number and phone number.

Other Standard Elements

• Other items that are nonessential but can be included on your fax cover sheets are the recipient's contact information, the subject of the fax and any notes that you have for the recipient. You may also include additional sender information, such as your business name or website's URL.

Use a Standard Sample Format

• Use a standard format when you send a fax cover letter, and templates are available on nearly all word-processing programs. A common format is to list the recipient's name, fax and phone on the left side and the sender's name, fax and phone on the right side, with the additional elements beneath these two sections.