To fax a PDF, save the document as a PDF, then send that PDF from a browser fax service or attach it to an email under fax from email. On a Mac, use Save as PDF from the Print dialog. On Windows, use Microsoft Print to PDF from the Printer list. Either way, the fax carries the PDF you saved, sent to the fax number you enter.

Do I need a fax machine to fax a PDF?

You do not need a fax machine to fax a PDF through a browser fax service. The PDF can be sent from your browser, or attached to an email under fax from email, which every Fax Pigeon plan includes. A Mac or Windows PC saves the PDF with Save as PDF or Microsoft Print to PDF, so the only device needed is the computer that makes the file.

Is it HIPAA compliant to fax a PDF?

The Apple and Microsoft pages cited in this article do not mention HIPAA, so they cannot confirm that faxing a PDF is HIPAA compliant. When the service that transmits the fax handles patient records, HIPAA requires a business associate agreement with that service. Every Fax Pigeon plan includes a signed BAA at signup. Saving a PDF on your own computer leaves the safeguards to your practice.

How do I know the fax went through?

Fax Pigeon shows delivery proof for every fax on every plan, so the sender can see that the PDF was delivered. The Apple and Microsoft pages cited here do not describe a delivery report for a PDF saved from the Print dialog. The steps for confirming a fax are in how to tell if a fax went through.

Can I fax a PDF from email?

Yes, every Fax Pigeon plan includes fax from email, so you can attach a PDF to an email and send it as a fax. The fax counts toward your plan's pages, because pages are sent plus received. Basic includes 200 pages, with extra pages at 10¢ each, and Max includes 10,000 pages, with extra pages at 2¢ each.

October 16, 2026

How to fax a PDF

Yes, you can fax a PDF from a browser or by email. Save the file with Save as PDF on a Mac or Microsoft Print to PDF on Windows, and every plan includes a signed BAA at signup.

An old desktop fax machine with a handset and a coiled cord on a white desk

To fax a PDF, save the document as a PDF and send that file from a browser fax service, the quickest route that needs no fax machine. Fax from email is the other route, and every Fax Pigeon plan includes it.

What are the ways to fax a PDF?

A PDF can go out from a browser fax service, by email with fax from email, or from a multifunction printer or Windows Fax and Scan.

Each way starts with a PDF file. Only the printer route needs a fax-capable printer or Windows Fax and Scan.

The table sets out the three ways and what each needs.

Route	What it needs	Suits patient documents?
Browser fax service	A PDF file and a browser, with no fax machine	Yes: every Fax Pigeon plan includes a signed BAA at signup
Fax from email	An email account and a PDF attachment	Yes: fax from email is on every Fax Pigeon plan, with a signed BAA at signup
Multifunction printer or Windows Fax and Scan	A multifunction printer that supports faxing, or Windows Fax and Scan, with the PDF printed to it	The Apple and Microsoft pages cited here do not mention HIPAA

Can you save a document as a PDF before faxing it?

Yes, a Mac saves a document as a PDF from the Print dialog, and Windows does it from the printer list with Microsoft Print to PDF. Neither route touches a fax device. If Microsoft Print to PDF is missing on Windows, Microsoft's preview note says to enable it from the Windows Features dialog.

Start from File > Print on the open document.
Click the PDF button, or open its pop-up menu and pick Save as PDF.
Name the file and choose where it is saved.

Security Options in that same save step can require a password to open, copy or print the file. Turn it on when the PDF holds patient records.

How do you fax a PDF from a browser?

To fax a PDF from a browser, create a Fax Pigeon account and send the saved PDF to the fax number you need. The account includes a signed BAA at signup.

Make the file using one of the methods above.
Create the account, then sign the BAA.
Choose the fax number, then select the PDF to send.
Look at the delivery proof after sending.

Basic includes 200 pages, and the annual bill is $59.88 for $4.99 a month. For the steps to confirm arrival, see how to see that a fax arrived.

How do you fax a PDF by email?

Fax from email, which every plan includes, sends a fax when you attach the PDF you saved to an email. Check the page count before you attach the file, because every page sent counts against your allowance.

Create the PDF first, as described above.
Attach the PDF to an email sent through the fax from email feature.

How many pages does a faxed PDF use?

Fax Pigeon counts pages sent plus received, so each page you send from a PDF uses your allowance. Basic includes 200 pages with 10¢ for each extra page, and Max includes 10,000 pages with 2¢ for each extra page.

Who should switch from faxing PDFs?

A practice without a fax-capable printer should send every PDF from a browser. A practice that sends PDFs from a multifunction printer or Windows Fax and Scan should move patient records to a browser service with a signed BAA, and it can keep the printer for papers without patient details. For plan prices, see Fax Pigeon plan prices, and read how online fax compares with a fax machine.

* Apple's and Microsoft's support pages were read on October 13, 2026. Fax Pigeon prices and plan terms as of October 16, 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How do I fax a PDF?: To fax a PDF, save the document as a PDF, then send that PDF from a browser fax service or attach it to an email under fax from email. On a Mac, use Save as PDF from the Print dialog. On Windows, use Microsoft Print to PDF from the Printer list. Either way, the fax carries the PDF you saved, sent to the fax number you enter.
Do I need a fax machine to fax a PDF?: You do not need a fax machine to fax a PDF through a browser fax service. The PDF can be sent from your browser, or attached to an email under fax from email, which every Fax Pigeon plan includes. A Mac or Windows PC saves the PDF with Save as PDF or Microsoft Print to PDF, so the only device needed is the computer that makes the file.
Is it HIPAA compliant to fax a PDF?: The Apple and Microsoft pages cited in this article do not mention HIPAA, so they cannot confirm that faxing a PDF is HIPAA compliant. When the service that transmits the fax handles patient records, HIPAA requires a business associate agreement with that service. Every Fax Pigeon plan includes a signed BAA at signup. Saving a PDF on your own computer leaves the safeguards to your practice.
How do I know the fax went through?: Fax Pigeon shows delivery proof for every fax on every plan, so the sender can see that the PDF was delivered. The Apple and Microsoft pages cited here do not describe a delivery report for a PDF saved from the Print dialog. The steps for confirming a fax are in how to tell if a fax went through.
Can I fax a PDF from email?: Yes, every Fax Pigeon plan includes fax from email, so you can attach a PDF to an email and send it as a fax. The fax counts toward your plan's pages, because pages are sent plus received. Basic includes 200 pages, with extra pages at 10¢ each, and Max includes 10,000 pages, with extra pages at 2¢ each.

Fax Pigeon

HIPAA-compliant fax with a signed BAA on every plan

Plans start at $4.99 a month, billed annually, for 200 pages, with your own number and unlimited people. Your first fax is free.

Free porting of your local number
Fax from your email
AI summary of every inbound fax
E-signatures
Contact management
Delivery proof

Plans and pricing

Know a practice that still faxes? Refer it through the referral program and earn 20% of its plan, every month it stays.