How do I print to fax?

Printing to fax on a Mac means choosing File > Print and then picking your multifunction printer under Faxes. On Windows, the print route depends on the Windows Fax and Scan feature, which Microsoft's pages describe as unavailable on Arm-based PCs. If your PC or printer cannot print to fax, save the document as a PDF and send that PDF from a browser fax service, which needs no fax machine.

Do I need a fax machine to print to fax?

You need a fax-capable printer or the Windows Fax and Scan feature to print to fax, not a separate fax machine. A Mac sends through a multifunction printer that supports faxing and is connected to the Mac. A Windows PC sends through Windows Fax and Scan. A browser fax service needs no fax machine, and every Fax Pigeon plan includes your own fax number.

Is it HIPAA compliant to print to fax?

Apple and Microsoft do not say in the pages cited here whether printing to fax is HIPAA compliant, so this article cannot confirm it. A fax from your own printer goes out through your practice's own equipment, so the safeguards are yours to set. Fax Pigeon differs because every plan includes a signed BAA at signup, which covers the service that sends your patient records.

How do I know the fax went through?

Fax Pigeon shows delivery proof for every fax on every plan, so the sender sees whether the fax was delivered. Apple's and Microsoft's pages cited here do not describe a delivery report for a fax printed from a Mac or a Windows PC. The full steps for checking delivery are in how to tell if a fax went through.

Can Windows 11 print to fax?

Windows 11 can print to fax only if the Windows Fax and Scan feature is installed on the PC. Microsoft's Office article gives the route to add it, and its Arm-based PC FAQ and its S mode FAQ say the feature is not available on those PCs. Microsoft's pages do not state a modem or phone-line requirement for a Windows 11 PC.

October 15, 2026

How to print to fax

Printing to fax needs a fax-capable printer on a Mac or the Windows Fax and Scan feature on Windows. The route that needs no fax machine is saving a PDF and sending it from a browser.

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

Printing to fax means choosing a fax printer in the Print dialog, and only some machines offer that choice. The quickest route with no fax machine is to save the document as a PDF and send that PDF from a browser.

Which computers still print to fax?

Macs and Windows PCs can still print to fax: a Mac through a multifunction printer that supports faxing, and a Windows PC through Windows Fax and Scan. Microsoft says that feature is absent from Arm-based Windows 11 PCs and from any Windows 11 edition on a Snapdragon processor.

The table sets out each route and what it needs.

Route	What it needs	Suits patient documents?
Mac Print dialog to a multifunction printer	A multifunction printer that supports faxing, connected to the Mac	The Apple pages cited here do not mention HIPAA
Windows Fax and Scan	The feature installed, in certain Windows editions and configurations	The Microsoft pages cited here do not mention HIPAA
Save as PDF, then send from a browser	A PDF file and a browser, with no fax machine	Yes: every Fax Pigeon plan includes a signed BAA at signup

How do you print to fax on a Mac?

On a Mac, you print to fax by choosing File > Print and then picking your multifunction printer under Faxes.

Open the document and choose File > Print.
Open the Printer pop-up menu and select your multifunction printer under Faxes.
If your phone system needs a prefix for an outside line, type it into the Dialing Prefix field.

Apple's sending steps name no phone line, only a prefix for an outside line. Apple's own alternative to faxing is to scan the document and save it as a PDF.

What does Windows need to print to fax?

Windows needs the Windows Fax and Scan feature, which Microsoft says is available only in certain Windows editions and configurations.

Microsoft's pages do not name a modem or phone line for a Windows 11 PC. The modem and phone-line statements belong to Microsoft's Windows Server 2012 fax-server guide, which covers a Windows Server fax server only.

How do you save a PDF to send from a browser?

On a Mac, click the PDF button in the Print dialog, and on Windows, choose Microsoft Print to PDF from the printer list in the same dialog. Neither step touches a fax device.

Can you print to fax without a fax machine?

Yes, a practice can send a saved PDF from a browser fax service without a fax machine.

Make a PDF of the document with Save as PDF on a Mac, or with Microsoft Print to PDF on Windows.
Pick a Fax Pigeon plan and sign the BAA during signup.
Enter the receiving fax number, then upload the PDF.
Open the delivery proof once the fax goes out.

Basic runs $4.99 a month when billed yearly, or $59.88 a year, with 200 pages included and 10¢ for each extra page. Every plan gives your practice its own fax number and unlimited people. Sent and received pages both count against the allowance. To confirm the send, read how to confirm a fax arrived.

Who should switch from printing to fax?

Practices with no fax-capable printer should switch to a browser fax service. Practices that keep a printer can still use it for documents without patient information, while patient records move to a service that signs a BAA. Plan prices are on Fax Pigeon plan prices, and online fax versus a fax machine compares the two.

* Apple's and Microsoft's support pages were read on October 13, 2026. Fax Pigeon prices and plan terms as of October 15, 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How do I print to fax?: Printing to fax on a Mac means choosing File > Print and then picking your multifunction printer under Faxes. On Windows, the print route depends on the Windows Fax and Scan feature, which Microsoft's pages describe as unavailable on Arm-based PCs. If your PC or printer cannot print to fax, save the document as a PDF and send that PDF from a browser fax service, which needs no fax machine.
Do I need a fax machine to print to fax?: You need a fax-capable printer or the Windows Fax and Scan feature to print to fax, not a separate fax machine. A Mac sends through a multifunction printer that supports faxing and is connected to the Mac. A Windows PC sends through Windows Fax and Scan. A browser fax service needs no fax machine, and every Fax Pigeon plan includes your own fax number.
Is it HIPAA compliant to print to fax?: Apple and Microsoft do not say in the pages cited here whether printing to fax is HIPAA compliant, so this article cannot confirm it. A fax from your own printer goes out through your practice's own equipment, so the safeguards are yours to set. Fax Pigeon differs because every plan includes a signed BAA at signup, which covers the service that sends your patient records.
How do I know the fax went through?: Fax Pigeon shows delivery proof for every fax on every plan, so the sender sees whether the fax was delivered. Apple's and Microsoft's pages cited here do not describe a delivery report for a fax printed from a Mac or a Windows PC. The full steps for checking delivery are in how to tell if a fax went through.
Can Windows 11 print to fax?: Windows 11 can print to fax only if the Windows Fax and Scan feature is installed on the PC. Microsoft's Office article gives the route to add it, and its Arm-based PC FAQ and its S mode FAQ say the feature is not available on those PCs. Microsoft's pages do not state a modem or phone-line requirement for a Windows 11 PC.

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.