Faxing

CAPITAL can be integrated with these types of fax systems:

• Printer driver based fax software

• Fax server/Email routed messaging

Printer Driver Based Faxing

This is the most common method of integrating faxing capabilities with CAPITAL software. Typical solutions include faxing software that is included with some versions of Microsoft Windows, and third-party fax software such as Winfax Pro.

Using this method, you set-up your faxing software as a printer driver. If you wish to fax a report or form from CAPITAL, you then simply select your fax software from the list of available printers.

You can specify which printer driver installed on your computer should be used for faxing. If you do not specify the printer driver, CAPITAL tries to guess which driver is the correct one by searching for the word 'fax' on your computer's printer driver list.

To nominate a printer driver as your fax printer, from the main menu select File|Printer Setup|Form Settings. In the Fax box, select from the list of available printer drivers the one that will be used for faxing. Then press the OK button.

This procedure only affects your local computer. If you are running CAPITAL on a network, the procedure must be repeated individually for each computer.

To send a form to your fax, tick the Fax option on your printer dialog, or select Fax... from the area's File Menu. You may also click on the button, if it is shown on your toolbar.

After you 'print' the form or report, a dialog box from your faxing software should appear, prompting you to supply additional information related to your fax. After this is done, faxing should begin.

The first time you fax from your computer, you may be required to supply additional information, such as whether you wish to print a cover sheet, etc. You may need to refer to the instructions for your faxing software to complete these set-up steps.

One of the common limitations printer driver based faxing has is that useful information from CAPITAL, such as the contact name and fax number, cannot be passed automatically onto your faxing software. To assist in helping you reduce this problem, CAPITAL places the fax number of the selected account (when applicable) onto the Window's clipboard. When your faxing software prompts you to enter a fax number, tab to the fax number field, and press your right mouse button and select Paste from the menu. Or using the keyboard only, press CTRL-V. This will transfer the fax number from the Window's clipboard into the selected field.

Because printer driver based faxing does not permit completely automated communication between CAPITAL and your faxing equipment, this option cannot be used to fax customer and supplier statements and remittances in bulk. You may still fax statements individually, however.

Electronic Document Exchange Component Only

If you have the Electronic Document Exchange Component installed and you are using printer driver based faxing, you cannot select to print and fax simultaneously. If you select the Fax option, the Hard Copy option will be unticked, and if you select the Hard Copy option, the Fax option will be unticked.

Fax Server/Email Routed Fax Messaging

If you have local or network based fax server software installed that can intercept industry standard MAPI/SMTP Email messages and route them to software that can convert these messages into faxes, then it is usually possible to integrate this software with CAPITAL Office. Your fax software must also be capable of automatically translating PDF file attachments into a format suitable for faxing.

The major advantage of Email/SMTP routed faxing is that the process is normally 'seamless'. Relevant information such as the contact name and fax number can be passed directly to the fax software without any need to re-type information into another software package. Such solutions are supported by software such as Faxmaker for Networks.

Email to fax routing requires that the CAPITAL Electronic Document Exchange Component be installed. For information on integrating CAPITAL with a fax server see the topic: Electronic Document Exchange Installation and Electronic Document Exchange Fax Server Installation.

Once your fax system has been set-up, you will be able to send a form to your fax by ticking the Fax option on your printer dialog, or by selecting Fax... from the area's File Menu. You may also click on the button, if it is shown on your toolbar.

After you indicate that you wish to send a fax, the Send Document As Fax box will appear, with the fax number, contact name, company and other details pre-filled. Pressing the Send button will then pass your form onto your fax server as a PDF file attachment.