Do You Count the Cover Sheet When Faxing?

All-in-one machines can photocopy and fax documents.

The introduction of fax machines greatly modernized the workplace, enabling companies to conduct business more quickly and over greater distances. A cover sheet is placed on top of the documents to be faxed.

Facts

Cover sheet styles and usage vary from workplace to workplace and may or may not have a field for indicating the length of the faxed document.

Considerations

If the fax sheet does not specifically state "without cover sheet" it is reasonable to assume that the entire document, with cover sheet, is included in the total page count. Many companies do choose to eliminate the confusion and indicate the number of pages by including the phrase "including cover sheet" on the fax form.

Features

Cover sheets frequently include information such as the name and title of the intended recipient, the date, the number of pages in the document and contact information for who sent the fax. Return information is especially important if the fax was not received clearly or if there is a question about the documents. For an example of a cover sheet see the link in Resources below.

Tips

An article published by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System suggests letting the intended recipient know the nature and length of the documents that were transmitted. If the document is of a sensitive nature, the recipient may want to be present when it is received.

References

• Alabama Cooperative Extension System: Using Fax Machines Correctly
• Savy Business Correspondence: Fax Cover Sheets

Resources

• Microsoft Office: Fax Cover Sheet