How to Print Word Document to FAX Driver With Auto-Coversheet Insert

You need to send a Word document to a fax machine directly from your computer, and you want a coversheet to be attached automatically. Many business users rely on a fax driver installed on Windows that behaves like a printer, but the default print command does not include a coversheet. This article explains how to set up your fax driver in Windows 10 or Windows 11, configure auto-coversheet insertion, and print a Word document with the coversheet attached. You will learn the exact settings to use in Word and the fax driver properties so the coversheet appears before the main document.

How the Windows Fax Driver and Coversheet Feature Work

The Windows Fax and Scan tool includes a fax driver that appears as a virtual printer in your Devices and Printers list. When you print a Word document to this driver, the document is converted to an image and queued for faxing rather than being printed on paper. The fax driver can be configured to attach a coversheet before the document pages. The coversheet is a separate page that includes fields such as sender name, recipient name, subject, and number of pages. The driver inserts this page automatically during the printing process, so you do not need to manually add a coversheet in Word.

Before you begin, you must have the Windows Fax and Scan feature enabled in Windows 10 or Windows 11. This feature is not installed by default in all editions. You also need a working fax modem or an internet fax service that the driver can use. The coversheet templates are stored in the driver’s configuration folder and can be customized using the Fax Cover Sheet Editor included with Windows.

Prerequisites for Using the Fax Driver

To print a Word document to the fax driver with an auto-coversheet, you need the following items in place:

• Windows 10 or Windows 11 with the Fax and Scan feature enabled. Go to Control Panel > Programs > Turn Windows features on or off and check “Windows Fax and Scan”.
• A fax modem installed and recognized by Windows, or a configured internet fax service that provides a compatible driver.
• The fax driver listed in Devices and Printers. It typically appears as “Fax” or “Microsoft Shared Fax Driver”.
• A coversheet template (.cov file) available in the Fax Cover Sheet Editor. Default templates are located in C:\Windows\System32\fxscover folder.

Steps to Print a Word Document to the FAX Driver With Auto-Coversheet Insert

Follow these steps to configure the fax driver for automatic coversheet insertion and then print your Word document.

Step 1: Configure the Fax Driver Coversheet Settings

1. Open Devices and Printers
   Press Windows key + R, type control printers, and press Enter. Alternatively, go to Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Devices and Printers.
2. Open fax driver properties
   Right-click the fax driver icon (named “Fax” or your specific fax device) and select Printing preferences.
3. Go to the Coversheet tab
   In the Printing Preferences dialog, click the Coversheet tab. If you do not see this tab, your fax driver may not support coversheets, or you need to install the full Windows Fax and Scan feature.
4. Enable coversheet attachment
   Check the box labeled Attach coversheet. Then select a template from the dropdown list. Default templates include “generic.cov” and “urgent.cov”. You can also click Edit to modify the template using the Fax Cover Sheet Editor.
5. Enter sender and recipient information
   In the fields provided, type your name, fax number, company, and subject. The recipient information can be entered manually or populated from a fax address book. Click Apply and then OK to save.

Step 2: Print the Word Document to the Fax Driver

1. Open the document in Word
   Launch Word and open the document you want to fax.
2. Open the Print dialog
   Press Ctrl + P, or go to File > Print.
3. Select the fax driver as the printer
   In the Printer dropdown list, choose your fax driver. It is usually named “Fax” or includes the word “Fax”.
4. Open printer properties
   Click the Printer Properties link below the printer name. This opens the fax driver’s Printing Preferences dialog.
5. Verify coversheet settings
   In the Coversheet tab, confirm that “Attach coversheet” is still checked and the correct template is selected. Make any last-minute changes to the recipient information if needed. Click OK to close the dialog.
6. Enter the recipient fax number
   Back in the Print dialog, click the Print button. A fax send wizard may appear asking for the recipient’s fax number. Type the number and click Send. The fax driver will first generate the coversheet and then attach your Word document pages before sending.

Step 3: Verify the Fax Was Sent With Coversheet

Open Windows Fax and Scan from the Start menu. In the left pane, click Outbox or Sent Items. You should see an entry for your fax job. Double-click it to open the fax viewer. The first page displayed should be the coversheet, followed by the pages of your Word document. If the coversheet is missing, repeat the configuration steps and ensure you saved the settings in the Printing Preferences dialog.

Common Issues When Printing to the Fax Driver

The Coversheet Tab Is Missing in Printing Preferences

If the Coversheet tab does not appear, the fax driver is likely a basic driver provided by a third-party fax modem or internet fax service. These drivers often lack built-in coversheet support. To work around this, you can create a coversheet manually in Word and insert it as the first page before printing. Alternatively, uninstall the third-party driver and use the built-in Microsoft Shared Fax Driver, which fully supports coversheets. To enable this driver, go to Control Panel > Devices and Printers > Add a printer > Add a local printer > Use an existing port > Select Fax modem port and install the Microsoft Shared Fax Driver.

Word Document Prints Without Coversheet Even After Configuration

This usually happens when the coversheet settings are not saved in the driver’s default preferences. Open Devices and Printers, right-click the fax driver, and select Printing preferences (not just the per-job properties). Configure the coversheet there and click Set as default if available. Then close all Word documents and reopen them. When you print, the driver should use the default settings. Also check that the fax driver is set as the default printer temporarily to force the settings to apply.

Fax Driver Does Not Appear in the Printer List

The fax driver may not be installed. Open Windows Features (Control Panel > Programs > Turn Windows features on or off) and ensure Windows Fax and Scan is checked. If it is already enabled and the driver is still missing, run the printer troubleshooter: go to Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters > Printer > Run the troubleshooter. After the troubleshooter completes, restart your computer and check Devices and Printers again.

Fax Driver With Coversheet vs Manual Coversheet in Word

Item	Auto-Coversheet via Fax Driver	Manual Coversheet in Word
Setup time	Requires initial driver configuration (5 minutes)	Must create and insert a coversheet page for each document
Consistency	Same coversheet template applied to all faxes automatically	Risk of using wrong template or forgetting the coversheet
Recipient fields	Populated from driver dialog each time you print	Must be typed manually in Word or copied from a separate file
Document integrity	Driver merges coversheet and document into one fax job	You must ensure the coversheet page is not printed separately
Support for multiple recipients	Driver can broadcast to multiple fax numbers in one job	You must create separate documents for each recipient

Now you can print any Word document to the fax driver with an automatic coversheet attached. Start by configuring the coversheet settings in the fax driver’s Printing Preferences. Then print the document as usual, confirming the recipient number in the fax send wizard. For advanced use, create custom coversheet templates using the Fax Cover Sheet Editor. This editor is located in the Windows Fax and Scan tools menu under Tools > Cover Sheets. You can add your company logo, change fonts, and define custom fields that the driver will populate automatically.