Good Morning, and Happy Tuesday! Some of you have probably heard the various abbreviations regarding copiers and printers, but wondering exactly what they mean. In this post, We will go over some of these abbreviations and what they mean.
MFP: Multi-Function Printer. MFPs are printers that can also copy, scan and FAX. MFPs are extremely common in office environments, and are the most common product for home printers.
DP/ADF: Document Processor or Automatic Document Feeder. On an MFP, this is where you would quickly scan multiple documents. DPs can scan either one side of a document at a time, or both sides. This is known as RADF and DADF.
RADF: Reversing Automatic Document Feeder: This version of the feeder scans one side of your document at a time. This is accomplished through reversing the document to scan both sides. RADFs are common on the vast majority of budget MFPs, such as those designed for home use.
DADF: Duplex Automatic Document Feeder: Unlike the RADF above, DADFs scan both sides of your document in one pass. This is accomplished by having a second scanning sensor inside the feeder, known as a CIS. DADFs are common on high end MFPs, and are standard on all CopyLady copiers.
CIS: Color Image Sensor: This is a sensor built into DADF units that handles scanning the reverse side of documents at the same time that the main scanner sensor scans the front of the document.
K/C/M/Y: These refer to the colors of the ink/toner your machine uses. C/M/Y stand for Cyan, Magenta and Yellow respectively. K indicates the Black ink/toner.
SMTP: Simple Mail Transfer Protocol: This is used by the MFP for Scan to Email. Commonly used for sending scanned documents to another party via email.
SMB: Server Message Block: This is used by the MFP for Scan to Folder. Commonly used for sending scanned documents directly to a PC or other shared storage.
IP: Internet Protocol: This is the common networking protocol used today. As the majority of printing and scanning is now done via network versus a direct cable connection between the two devices, it is important to know what this is. For more information on networking, check out a couple of my networking posts in this page!
B/W (or B&W): Black and White: Refers to prints and copies made without using any color ink/toner. Also refers to non-color scans. For scanning, B&W is the recommended way to scan secured documents (Checks, ID cards, etc) without encountering errors. This is also useful for reducing the file size of a scanned document.
DPI: Dots Per Inch: This pertains mainly to scanning. This is the resolution at which the document is scanned. Higher DPI = Better quality, but also increased file size. If you are scanning to an email, it is advised to leave the DPI at it’s default setting, or adjust it lower if you encounter errors.
Not a long post, I know, but I just wanted to touch on some of the more common abbreviations for copiers and printers.
Happy Printing!