Use your computer to print, scan, and fax

In many ways, computers and the Internet have reduced the amount of paper that we use. But they have also made it easier for us to work with paper in a variety of ways.

With Microsoft Windows XP, you can use your computer to:
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Print to paper. Use a printer to convert a file on your computer to a paper document (sometimes known as a hard copy).
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Scan documents and photos on paper. Use a scanner to convert images on paper to a computer image file that you can easily store and share. Scanning is like photocopying, and works with both text and images. It's a great way to create a digital backup of important documents, including family photos, children’s artwork, financial paperwork, and contracts. Some scanners even let you convert the text in a scanned image into an electronic format that you can open and edit in a program such as Microsoft Word or Excel.
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Send and receive faxes. Use a printer or scanner that includes a fax feature to send and receive electronic documents on your computer, across a phone line, to or from a remote fax machine. This can be handy, for example, if you want to quickly send a document to someone who has a fax machine, but not a computer.
How to print

To begin, purchase a printer, connect it to your computer, load it with paper, and turn it on.

To print a file to paper

1.Open the document, Web page, or e-mail message that you want to print.

2.Click the File menu, and then click Print.

3.In the Print dialog box, review the page range and number of copies. If you want to change the print quality or other printer settings, click the Preferences button. Then, click Print.

Print dialog box with Print button selected

Windows XP prints your document. Be sure to keep a supply of paper available so you don’t run out when you need to print something important.
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How to scan

To begin, purchase a scanner or a multifunction device that both prints and scans, connect it to your computer, and turn it on. If your scanner comes with its own scanning software, you can use that to scan documents. Follow the instructions included with your scanner. You can also scan documents with the Scanner and Camera Wizard included with Windows XP.

To scan using the Windows XP Scanner and Camera Wizard

1.Insert the document you want to scan into your scanner.

Scanner with document inserted

2.Click Start, click All Programs, click Accessories, and then click Scanner and Camera Wizard.

Start menu and All Programs menu expanded to access Scanner and Camera Wizard

3.The Scanner and Camera Wizard appears. Click Next.

The Scanner and Camera Wizard

4.In the Choose Scanning Preferences page, click the Picture type option that best matches the paper you are scanning, and then click Next.

The Scanning Preferences page in the Scanner and Camera Wizard

5.In the Picture Name and Destination page, type a name for your image, select JPG as the file format, and select the folder where you would like the scanned image to be saved. Click Next.

The Picture Name and Destination page in the Scanner and Camera Wizard

6.Windows XP scans your document. On the Other Options page, click Nothing. Then, click Next.

The Other Options page in the Scanner and Camera Wizard

7.On the Completing the Scanner and Camera Wizard page, you can view your scanned document by clicking the link shown. If you are not satisfied with the results, click Back to return to the Choose Scanning Preferences page, adjust your settings, and try your scan again. Repeat until you are satisfied. Click Finish to close the wizard and open the folder containing your scanned document.

The Completing the Scanner and Camera Wizard page

Once you have scanned a document, you can send it in e-mail or fax it to others. That's much faster and less expensive than sending the paper through the mail. Scanned documents won’t fade or age, so they can last forever.
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How to fax

You can send and receive faxes using your computer's fax/modem. If the document you want to fax is on paper, scan it first, and then send the scanned image. When you receive a fax, your computer saves it as an image file which you can save or print.

To prepare your computer to send and receive faxes, first connect your computer's modem to your phone line using a standard phone cable. Then prepare your computer.

Plugging a phone line into the computer modem

Plugging the phone cable into the fax machine
•Install the fax component.
•Configure the fax service.
After your computer is prepared:
•Send a fax.
•Automatically receive a fax.
•Manually receive a fax.
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Install the fax component

The fax component adds software and enables your computer's fax/modem.

To install the fax component

1.Log on as a computer administrator. You can find out how to log on as an administrator or to switch between user accounts. If you are not sure if your account is an administrator account, you can try to install the fax component. If your account does not have computer administrator privileges, you will receive a message and setup will stop. If that happens, ask the person who set up your account to install the fax component for you.

2.Click Start, and then click Control Panel.

The Start menu with Control Panel selected

3.In Control Panel, click Add or Remove Programs.

Control Panel with pointer on Add or Remove Programs

4.Click Add/Remove Windows Components to start the Windows Components Wizard.

The Add or Remove Programs page with Add/Remove Windows Components selected

5.In the Components list, select the Fax Services check box, and then click Next. If the Fax Services check box is already selected, click Cancel. You do not need to install the Fax component.

The Windows Components page with Fax Services selected

6.Setup installs the fax component. If you are prompted, insert the Microsoft Windows XP CD, and then click OK.

7.Click Finish, and then click Close. Move on to the next section to configure the fax service.
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Configure the fax service

To configure the fax service in Windows XP

1.Click Start, click All Programs, click Accessories, click Communications, click Fax, and then click Fax Console.

Start menu with submenus expanded to access Fax Console

2.The Fax Configuration Wizard starts. Click Next.

The Fax Configuration Wizard

3.On the Sender Information page, type the information that you want to appear on your fax cover page. You do not have to complete every box. Then, click Next.

The Sender Information page in the Fax Configuration Wizard

4.The Fax Configuration Wizard displays the Select Device for Sending or Receiving Faxes page. If you want to be able to receive incoming faxes, select the Enable Receive check box. If the phone line you connected to your computer is for faxes only, click Automatically answer after. If you want to manually answer incoming faxes, click Manual answer. Then, click Next.

The Select Device for Sending or Receiving Faxes page in the Fax Configuration Wizard

5.On the Transmitting Subscriber Identification (TSID) page, type the information that you want to use in the TSID box. Typically, this consists of a fax number and either a business name or your name. Click Next.

The TSID page in the Fax Configuration Wizard

6.On the Called Subscriber Identification (CSID) page, type your information in the CSID box. The CSID that you type displays on the fax machine from where the fax originates. This number helps you confirm that you are sending the fax to the correct recipient. The CSID is typically the same as the TSID. Click Next.

The CSID page in the Fax Configuration Wizard

7.On the Routing Options page, choose whether to automatically print a fax. If you do not automatically print incoming faxes, they will be available in the Fax Console. Select the Print it on check box if you want each of the faxes that you receive to be automatically printed. Then, click Next.

The Routing Options page in the Fax Configuration Wizard

8.On the Completing the Fax Configuration Wizard page, click Finish.

The Completing the Fax Configuration Wizard page in the Fax Configuration Wizard

9.The Fax Configuration Wizard closes, and a Windows Security Alert opens. If prompted, click Unblock.

Windows Security Alert with Unblock button selected

Your computer is now ready to send and, optionally, receive faxes. You can use the Fax Console to browse incoming or outgoing faxes, or to manually receive a fax.
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Send a fax

To send a fax

1.Open the document, Web page, or e-mail message you want to fax.

2.On the File menu, click Print.

3.On the Print dialog box, under Select Printer, click Fax. Then, click Print.

4.On the Welcome to the Send Fax Wizard page, click Next.

The Welcome to the Send Fax Wizard page in the Send Fax Wizard

5.On the Recipient Information page, type the recipient name in the To box. Type the recipient fax number in the Fax number box. If you want to send the fax to more than one recipient, type the recipient information in the appropriate boxes, and then click Add. The recipient appears in the list, and the boxes are cleared so that you can enter additional recipient information. When you have finished adding recipients, click Next.

The Select Device for Sending or Receiving Faxes page in the Fax Configuration Wizard

6.On the Preparing the Cover Page page, select the Select a cover page template with the following information check box. Click the template that you want in the Cover page template list. Complete the Subject line box and, optionally, the Note box. Then, click Next.

The Preparing the Cover Page page in the Send Fax Wizard

7.On the Schedule page, click Next.

The Schedule page in the Send Fax Wizard

8.On the Completing the Send Fax Wizard page, click Finish.

The Completing the Send Fax page in the Send Fax Wizard

Your computer automatically connects with the remote fax machine and sends the fax with a cover sheet. If your original is on paper, scan it first, and then fax the scanned image.
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Automatically receive a fax

If you configured the fax service to automatically receive faxes, your fax/modem will answer the fax line and store the incoming fax image in the Fax Console.

To view faxes you have received

1.Click Start, click All Programs, click Accessories, click Communications, click Fax, and then click Fax Console.

Start menu with submenus expanded to access Fax Console

2.In the Fax Console, click Inbox. Received faxes are displayed in the right pane

The Fax Console window with Inbox selected
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Manually receive a fax

If you configured the fax service to receive faxes manually, your fax/modem will wait for you to start the receiving process. The received fax image is then stored in the Fax Console.

To manually receive a fax

1.Click Start, click All Programs, click Accessories, click Communications, click Fax, and then click Fax Console.

Start menu with submenus expanded to access Fax Console

2.Click File, and then click Receive a fax now.

The Fax Console File menu with Receive a fax now selected

The Fax Monitor appears and waits for the incoming fax. When the phone rings, the Fax Monitor will automatically answer, connect with the remote fax machine, and receive the fax. After you have received the fax, you can leave the Fax Monitor open to automatically receive more faxes, or you can close it to manually receive faxes.

The Fax Monitor window