Fax (short for facsimile), sometimes called telecopying or telefax (the latter short for telefacsimile), is the telephonic transmission of scanned printed material (both text and images), normally to a telephone number connected to a printer or other output device.

What is sent via facsimile?

Facsimile is another word often used to describe the process of sending and receiving a fax. Sending a facsimile allows you to share documents and pictures with someone else by transmitting the data through electronic signals to a receiving fax machine.

Does facsimile mean copy?

Fac simile is a Latin phrase meaning "make similar." English speakers began using facsimile as a noun meaning "an exact copy" in the late 1600s. In this sense, a facsimile might be a handwritten or hand drawn copy, or even a copy of a painting or statue.