SXW to FAX Converter

Convert SXW to FAX image format — fax-ready documents

Drop files here. 1 GB maximum file size or Sign Up
to
Facebook Amazon Microsoft Tesla Nestle Walmart L'Oreal

Fax-Ready Output

Get your SXW documents into FAX image format — optimized for fax transmission and monochrome printing workflows.

Quick Processing

Cloud servers handle the rendering in seconds. No local software is required and your device stays fully responsive.

Any Platform

Convert from Windows, macOS, Linux, or mobile. The browser-based tool works on any device with an internet connection.

How to convert SXW to FAX

1

Select files from Computer, Google Drive, Dropbox, URL or by dragging it on the page.

2

Choose fax or any other format you need as a result (more than 200 formats supported)

3

Let the file convert and you can download your fax file right afterwards

About formats

SXW is the word processing document format used by StarOffice 6.0 and OpenOffice.org 1.0, developed by Sun Microsystems and released in 2002. The format was one of the first mainstream office document formats to adopt an XML-based architecture, packaging document content, styles, metadata, and embedded media in a ZIP archive — a structural approach that directly influenced the later OpenDocument Format (ODF). The content.xml file describes the document body using XML elements for paragraphs, headings, lists, tables, footnotes, and inline formatting, while styles.xml defines the styling rules and meta.xml carries document properties. SXW represented a significant milestone in open-source office software, demonstrating that a non-proprietary XML format could handle the full range of word processing features including change tracking, indexes, cross-references, and complex page layouts. One advantage was transparency and openness — the XML structure made document content inspectable, transformable, and processable using standard tools, a sharp contrast to the opaque binary formats dominant at the time. The format's role as a technological precursor to the ODF standard is another historical significance: the OASIS OpenDocument Technical Committee used the OpenOffice.org XML format (including SXW) as the starting point for developing ODF 1.0. While SXW was superseded by ODT with OpenOffice.org 2.0 in 2005, existing SXW documents can be opened by LibreOffice, Apache OpenOffice, and document conversion tools.
Developer: Sun Microsystems
Initial release: 2002
FAX is a generic image file extension associated with facsimile transmission formats standardized by the ITU-T (formerly CCITT), with the underlying Group 3 compression standard ratified in 1980. FAX files typically contain monochrome (1-bit, black and white) image data compressed using the Modified Huffman (MH) encoding defined in ITU-T Recommendation T.4, which assigns variable-length codes to run lengths of consecutive white or black pixels along each scanline. The standard resolution for Group 3 fax is 204x98 dpi (normal mode) or 204x196 dpi (fine mode), reflecting the capabilities of thermal and laser fax machines of the era. FAX files encountered digitally are often raw Group 3 encoded bitstreams or TIFF wrappers with CCITT Group 3 compression (TIFF compression tag 3). The Group 3 encoding scheme is highly efficient for typical business documents — pages with mostly white space and black text — achieving compression ratios of 10:1 to 20:1 compared to uncompressed bitmaps. One advantage is universal fax system compatibility: Group 3 encoding is the mandatory baseline for all fax machines worldwide, meaning FAX files contain data in exactly the format transmitted over telephone lines, preserving the original fax data without transcoding losses. The format's role in business communications history provides another dimension — billions of fax transmissions using this encoding moved legal documents, medical records, and business correspondence for decades, and archived FAX files represent an important documentary record. FAX images can be viewed and converted using LibreOffice, ImageMagick, GIMP, and standard document management systems.
Developer: ITU-T
Initial release: 1980

Frequently Asked Questions

Why convert SXW to FAX?

The FAX format is optimized for fax transmission — converting SXW creates monochrome images ready for fax machine workflows.

What software handles FAX files?

Fax software, IrfanView, XnView, and ImageMagick-based tools can open and process FAX format image files across platforms.

Is the output monochrome?

Yes — FAX format is typically black and white, optimized for text documents. This suits SXW files that are primarily text.

Is this free to use?

Standard SXW to FAX conversions are free on Convertio. Premium plans are available for higher volumes and priority access.

Can I convert from a phone?

Yes. The web converter works in any mobile browser — upload and convert without installing any application on your device.

How fast is conversion?

FAX files are compact and process quickly. Most SXW to FAX conversions complete in seconds on cloud servers.