You may have noticed that a printer model generally has about 1-3 letters at the beginning and/or end of it. No these aren’t random; they explain some features that your printer utilizes. This can vary a bit as each brand is slightly different. Down below we have summarized some of the common letters and descriptors that can be found and what exactly they mean.

D – Stands for duplex, which means that your printer can print double-sided pages

C – Stands for colour, your printer will be able to print in colour.

M – Stands for monochrome or occasionally (B) for black, which means your printer will only print in black and white.

N – Stands for network. Your printer will have a network connection which is generally in the form of an ethernet port.

W – Stands for wireless. Your printer will have wireless capabilities and you will be able to print from a smart device or your computer without any cables. This can also be abbreviated as (I) in some models as it does vary across brands.

MF/MFP/MFC – Stands for multifunction printer. Can also be referred to as an all-in-one printer. This printer will print, scan and copy. Fax is sometimes included however this is not a frequent function that is found in modern printers as scan to email has become a more popular method.

X – The term X is sometimes used to summarize that it contains D (duplex), T (tray) and N (network). This can vary and may simply explain some extra features that a printer contains. It is best to consult a product specifications list or a sales representative to find out more information.

Inkjet (J) – Consists of an ink cartridge to print documents.

Laser printer (L) – Consists of a toner cartridge and a drum to print documents.

Brother MFC-L3770CDW – Here is a quick example of how to break down this Brother printer model. Firstly, MFC shows that is a multifunction printer, L means that it is a laser printer. CDW then tells us that it prints in colour along with black and white, it has duplex printing and wireless capabilities.

Xerox B225/DNI – Another quick example, the naming convention for this Xerox printer model shows B and DNI. This lets us know that this monochrome printer has duplex printing, as well as network and wireless connection.

As can be seen between the Brother and Xerox printer, the naming conventions can vary by brand. When on our website, the title of the product and the description will generally give more information on the printer features. If you need any additional help figuring out the features of a printer or which one would be the best for you, please contact PrintersPlus for more information.