emailto-fax.com › Resources › How to fax a scanned document you received by email
How to fax a scanned document you received by email
Scans that arrive by email are often rough: a phone photo taken at an angle, a dark copier scan, or ten separate image files for a ten-page form. Faxing them as they are can leave the recipient with unreadable pages. This emailto-fax.com guide shows how to clean up an emailed scan, put the pages in order and fax it from your browser.
Get Started NowSave every page from the email
Download all the attachments into one new folder so you do not mix them with other files. If the sender attached images named IMG_4471, IMG_4472 and so on, rename them 01, 02, 03 in page order. That makes the next step much easier.
Also check the message itself for notes from the sender, such as which pages are the final signed version. Senders often attach a draft and a final copy, and faxing the wrong one creates confusion at the other end.
Check each page before you fax
Open every page at full size and ask whether you could read it as a black-and-white copy.
- Is the whole page in frame, with no corners cut off?
- Is the text dark enough? Pale pencil and light blue ink often disappear on fax
- Is it straight? Strong angles make lines of text hard to follow
- Are there shadows, fingers or a dark background around the page?
- Are signatures and dates visible?
Fix common scan problems
Simple tools already on your computer can fix most issues. On a Mac, Preview can rotate, crop and adjust exposure. On Windows, the Photos app can crop, straighten and brighten an image. If a page is too poor to fix, ask the sender to rescan it; a phone scanning feature, such as the one in the iPhone Notes app, usually gives cleaner results than a plain photo.
Protect the scan while you work
Emailed scans are often of sensitive papers: ID cards, signed contracts, medical forms. Work on copies in one folder and do not leave them on the desktop.
When the fax is delivered, delete the working copies you no longer need, and keep only what your records policy requires. If the scan included an ID card or account number, avoid forwarding it to colleagues by email to ask for help; share your screen or ask them to check the PDF on your computer instead.
Combine the pages and send
emailto-fax.com recommends this browser route because the scan never needs to be forwarded to another email address to reach a fax line.
- Combine the pages into one PDF. On a Mac, select the images in Finder, right-click and choose Quick Actions, then Create PDF. On Windows, select the images, right-click and choose Print (under Show more options in Windows 11), then pick Microsoft Print to PDF.
- Open the PDF and check the page order and orientation.
- Sign in to FaxToFax.com in your browser with your email and one-time code.
- Start a new fax and upload the PDF. You can also upload PNG or JPG files directly if you prefer.
- Add a cover page that lists the document and the total number of pages.
- Enter the fax number, confirm it, and send.
- When the status shows Delivered, the time-stamped receipt is saved with the fax.
How to Fax a Scanned Document from Email: questions
Can I fax the images without making a PDF?
Yes. PNG and JPG files can be uploaded directly. A single PDF is still easier to check for page order before you send.
My scan is in color. Is that a problem?
Fax is mostly black and white, so color becomes shades of gray. Increase contrast so text stays dark and backgrounds stay light.
Can the sender email the scan straight to a fax number?
Not with the service emailto-fax.com recommends, which has no email-to-fax feature. Whoever has the file uploads it in a browser.
What if the recipient says a page is unreadable?
Fix or rescan that page and fax it again with a cover note naming the page it replaces. A failed fax uses no pages, but a delivered resend does count.
More guides on emailto-fax.com
Send a fax to Canada from the US ›
Dialing code +1, 1 plan page per page, and the best time to send.
Send a fax to Italy from the US ›
Dialing code +39, 1 plan page per page, and the best time to send.
Send a fax to Switzerland from the US ›
Dialing code +41, 3 plan pages per page, and the best time to send.
Get a California fax number ›
41 area codes (209, 213, 279, 310…) and how to get a local number.
Get a New Jersey fax number ›
10 area codes (201, 551, 609, 640…) and how to get a local number.
Get an Alabama fax number ›
7 area codes (205, 251, 256, 334…) and how to get a local number.
More from emailto-fax.com
How it works ›
Step by step: get a number, send, receive and track faxes with emailto-fax.com.
Pricing ›
emailto-fax.com plans from $4.99 for the first month, extra numbers and faxing abroad.
Security ›
Encryption, audit log and the compliance programs behind emailto-fax.com.
FAQ ›
Answers to the questions people ask most about emailto-fax.com.
Guide ›
A step-by-step guide to sending your first fax with emailto-fax.com.
Resources ›
Country guides, fax numbers by state and province, and how-to guides on emailto-fax.com.
Start faxing online with emailto-fax.com
Get your fax number in minutes and send your first fax today. $4.99 for your first month, cancel online any time.
Get Started Now →