A fax cover sheet is the first page of a fax. It identifies the sender and the intended recipient, gives the date and total page count, states the subject, and often adds a confidentiality notice. A cover sheet is usually optional, but in the United States the sender must be identified on the fax, and a cover sheet is the simplest way to do that.
Key Takeaways
- A fax cover sheet lists the sender, recipient, date, number of pages, subject and the sender’s contact details.
- In the US, FCC rule 47 CFR 68.318(d) requires the date and time, the sender’s identity and a telephone number to be marked on each page or on the first page of a fax.
- Unsolicited fax advertisements are restricted in the US under 47 CFR 64.1200(a)(4).
- Free templates are built into Microsoft Word, and Windows Fax and Scan has its own cover page feature.
- For medical faxes, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) lists confirming the fax number as an example of a reasonable safeguard.
A fax sends a scanned image of a paper document over a telephone line, or over the internet with an online fax service, and the receiving end prints or saves a copy. Fax is still used in some medical administration and law enforcement settings. Fax cover sheet is the preliminary document that is faxed to the recipient before the actual fax message.
Create A Fax Cover Sheet – Printable Fax Cover Sheet
A cover sheet tells the recipient who sent the fax, who it is for, how many pages to expect and how to reach the sender if a page is missing. In most situations the cover sheet itself is optional, because its job is simply to identify the sender and the intended recipient. In the United States, however, identifying the sender on a fax is a legal requirement, as explained below.
Fax cover sheets can be plain or include design elements such as a logo, depending on the sender’s preference.
The Need for Fax Cover Sheets
Fax cover sheets are not technically required to send a fax: a fax machine or online fax service will transmit a document without one. Different business organizations and individuals differ in their opinion of using them.
Some organizations skip them because the transmission already identifies the sender: under US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules, fax machines manufactured on or after December 20, 1992 must mark the sender’s identifying information on each transmitted page. They are an unnecessary expenditure that is essentially wasteful.
Other organizations make it standard practice to send a cover sheet as the first page of every fax so the sender and recipient are identified at a glance.
A customized cover sheet with a logo and a consistent layout also makes faxes from the same organization easy to recognize. It should not be used to slip advertising into a fax, because unsolicited fax advertisements are restricted in the United States.
Putting the recipient’s name, department and fax number on the cover sheet also helps a shared fax machine or fax inbox route the document to the right person.
Types of Fax Cover Sheets
Most fax cover sheets contain the basic necessary information such as the name of the sender and their contact details as well as some details about the receiver of the fax.
They might also contain instructions as to how the fax message needs to be processed. There are different types of fax cover sheets and their utility varies. Here’s a look at the variety of fax cover sheets currently being used:
- Word-based fax cover sheets: Using words to convey the message of the fax, these type of fax cover sheets appear formal and are more suited for business proposals and transactions. Most business fax cover sheets are word-based types.
- Illustrated Fax cover sheets: The major difference between word-based and illustrated fax cover sheet is that in the latter one, the primary medium is an image. Illustrated sheets look less formal than word-based ones and are more eye-catching, but no design guarantees a response. Fax compression sends plain all-white or all-black areas quickly, so detailed, shaded images take longer to transmit than text.
- Hybrid Fax cover sheets: As the name specifies, one can also combine a word-based cover sheet with an illustration, such as a company logo. The image makes the sheet easy to spot, while the text carries the sender’s and recipient’s details needed to route the fax correctly.
Understanding the difference between the various types of fax cover sheets lets you make an informed decision to choose one which best suits your purpose.
How to Create Your Own Fax Cover Sheet?
Creating your own fax cover sheet is not a technical job. A word processor such as Microsoft Word, or a spreadsheet program such as Excel, is enough to build a reusable template in a few steps.
A basic knowledge of Microsoft Word along with the ability to use the internet can help you design your own customized fax cover sheet. The various steps necessary for the creation of your own fax cover sheet are:
- Open a new file: Create a new file in the Word program by clicking on the “New” option in the File tab. Choose a blank document if you are provided with multiple options.
- Create a template: The first step in creating a template is to put your logo and Brand name at the top position. Create a table (with invisible lines) to keep the text aligned properly. You can create tables as per your requirement – one for the sender, receiver etc. For a business-like look, list the sender’s name, position, organization, email address, phone number and fax number. For the receiver, add their full name, designation, organization and fax number. To attract attention to the fax, you can either add an image at the bottom of the page or add a paragraph regarding how you wish the message to be handled.
- Fill required information: Post the creation of the template, all necessary information like sender’s name (and related information), receiver’s name etc. can be added. However, before making the changes, it is essential that you first save the file. This ensures that you have a blank customized template fax cover sheet ready. Each time you send a fax, open the template, fill in the date, recipient details and total page count, and send it as the first page.
Advantages of Using Fax Cover Sheets for Business
One can opt for customized fax cover sheets or design them on their own using the free templates available on the internet.
Some business owners and start-ups wonder whether a cover sheet is worth the extra page. It has several practical advantages:
- Work becomes easier – A ready-made free template gives a business a consistent, professional cover sheet without the time needed to design one from scratch.
- Save money – Free templates, such as the fax cover templates in Microsoft Word, cost nothing to use. You can easily customize an existing fax cover sheet for your product and business.
- Ease of usage – unlike other free products available on the internet, free fax cover sheets are extremely easy to use and customize. Since most of them are created in Word or similar programs, they can be easily edited and modified according to the client’s needs.
Though the fax cover letters don’t contain detailed information, yet they do promote your brand as you send fax messages. Use a personalized fax cover sheet when faxing clients or suppliers so your documents look consistent, but do not use faxes to send unsolicited advertisements, which US rules restrict.
What Should a Fax Cover Sheet Include?
A fax cover sheet should include enough information for the fax to reach the right person and for the recipient to check that nothing is missing. The table below lists the standard fields.
| Field | What to write | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Date (and time) | The date the fax is sent | US rules require the date and time to be marked on the fax |
| From | Sender’s name, organization, phone and fax number | Identifies the sender and gives a way to report problems |
| To | Recipient’s name, department, organization and fax number | Routes the fax on a shared machine or inbox |
| Number of pages | Total pages, including the cover sheet | Lets the recipient confirm every page arrived |
| Subject / Re: | A short description of the documents | Tells the recipient what the fax is about |
| Urgency or action | Checkboxes such as Urgent, For review, Please reply | States what the sender expects |
| Comments | A short note or instructions | Explains how the documents should be handled |
| Confidentiality notice | A statement that the fax is intended only for the named recipient | Asks anyone who receives it by mistake to notify the sender |
Keep the layout simple: dark text on a white background, a clear font and no large shaded areas, so the sheet stays readable after scanning and printing.
Is a Fax Cover Sheet Legally Required?
A fax cover sheet is not legally required in the United States, but identifying the sender is. Under FCC rule 47 CFR 68.318(d), anyone in the United States who sends a fax from a computer or other device must clearly mark, in a margin at the top or bottom of each page or on the first page, the date and time it is sent, the identity of the business, other entity or individual sending it, and the telephone number of the sending machine or of the sender. The same rule says fax machines manufactured on or after December 20, 1992 must mark this information on each transmitted page.
A cover sheet that carries the date and time, the sender’s name and a phone or fax number is an easy way to meet the first-page option, especially when sending from a computer or online fax service.
Rules for Fax Advertising
Under 47 CFR 64.1200(a)(4), it is unlawful to send an unsolicited advertisement to a fax machine unless the sender has an established business relationship with the recipient and obtained the fax number in a permitted way, such as directly from the recipient or from a directory or website where the recipient made it available. A permitted advertisement must carry a clear and conspicuous opt-out notice on its first page.
Fax Cover Sheets for Confidential and Medical Documents
Medical offices remain heavy fax users. According to HHS, the HIPAA Privacy Rule allows health care providers to share patient information for treatment by fax as long as they use reasonable safeguards. HHS gives examples of such safeguards:
- Confirming the fax number with the intended recipient before sending to a number that is not regularly used.
- Pre-programming frequently used numbers into the fax machine to avoid misdialing.
- Placing the fax machine in a secure location to prevent unauthorized access.
A cover sheet with the recipient’s name and a confidentiality notice supports these practices, but HHS does not present a cover sheet on its own as making a fax compliant. Read more in our guide to HIPAA compliance in medical faxing.
How to Make a Fax Cover Sheet in Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word includes ready-made fax cover templates. According to Microsoft Support, the steps in Word for the web are:
- Go to File > New > Browse templates.
- Scroll down and select Explore all templates.
- Search for Fax Covers and open the template you want.
- Fill in the sender, recipient, date, page count and comments.
- Press Ctrl+P to print. If no Print dialog box appears, open the PDF version of the cover sheet that Word offers.
How to Add a Cover Page in Windows Fax and Scan
Windows Fax and Scan is Microsoft’s built-in faxing and scanning application. It is available in Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10 (x86/x64) and Windows 11 (x64), but not on ARM64 versions of Windows 10 and Windows 11. It is not an internet fax application: sending a fax requires a fax modem and an analog phone line, or a shared fax server account.
Windows Fax and Scan supports cover pages. Microsoft’s documentation describes a cover page as a template file with the .cov extension plus user-defined information that is filled in when the fax is sent. Cover pages can be created or edited with the Fax Cover Page Editor and selected when composing a new fax.
Using a Cover Sheet With Online Fax Services
Internet fax services let users send and receive faxes from a computer, often through an existing email account, with received faxes arriving as TIFF or PDF attachments. You can attach your own cover sheet as the first page of the document you send. Phone apps work in a similar way; see what you can do with a fax app on iPhone. To prepare or combine PDF pages before sending, a PDF editor such as the one in our PDFgear review can help.
For a traditional setup, an all-in-one printer with a fax function is a common choice; our articles on the drawbacks of all-in-one printers and inkjet versus laser printers cover the trade-offs.
Common Fax Cover Sheet Mistakes
- Wrong or missing page count: the recipient cannot tell whether pages are missing.
- No return fax or phone number: the recipient has no way to report an incomplete or misdirected fax.
- Detailed, shaded graphics: they take longer to transmit and can make text harder to read.
- Unverified fax number: for sensitive documents, confirm the number before sending.
- Promotional content sent unsolicited: US junk fax rules restrict unsolicited fax advertisements.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a fax cover sheet?
A fax cover sheet is the first page sent with a fax. It names the sender and recipient, gives contact details, the date and the number of pages, and may include a subject line, comments and a confidentiality notice.
Do I need a cover sheet to send a fax?
A cover sheet is not required to send a fax. In the United States, however, FCC rules require the date and time, the sender’s identity and a telephone number to appear on each page or on the first page of the fax, and a cover sheet is a simple way to provide them.
Does the page count on a fax cover sheet include the cover sheet?
Conventions vary, so the clearest approach is to say so on the sheet, for example “5 pages including cover”. That lets the recipient check that every page arrived.
Where can I get a free fax cover sheet template?
Microsoft Word includes free fax cover templates; in Word for the web, go to File > New > Browse templates, select Explore all templates and search for Fax Covers. Windows Fax and Scan also supports cover page templates in the .cov format.
Is faxing medical records with a cover sheet HIPAA compliant?
According to HHS, the HIPAA Privacy Rule permits health care providers to fax patient information for treatment if they use reasonable safeguards, such as confirming the fax number. A cover sheet helps but does not by itself make a fax compliant; follow your organization’s compliance policy.
Can I send a fax without a fax machine?
Yes. Internet fax services let you send and receive faxes from a computer, usually through email, with faxes delivered as TIFF or PDF files, and fax apps are available for Android and iOS. Windows Fax and Scan, by contrast, still needs a fax modem and an analog phone line.
