Toner Cartridge Codes Explained: 88A, 12A, 26A and Their Real Part Numbers
A cartridge has two names. The part number printed on the box and the printer — CC388A, Q2612A, CF226A — is the official one. The short name people actually say out loud — 88A, 12A, 26A — is a market abbreviation of it. They always refer to the same physical cartridge.
This is the single most common source of ordering mistakes, and it is entirely avoidable once you know how the short name is built.
How the short name is built
HP part numbers follow a pattern: a letter prefix, a number, then a capacity letter. Take
Q2612A. The market short name takes the last two digits of the number and keeps the
capacity letter.
| Part number | Digits | Short name |
|---|---|---|
Q2612A | 2612 | 12A |
CC388A | 388 | 88A |
CE505A | 505 | 05A |
CF280A | 280 | 80A |
CF226A | 226 | 26A |
CE285A | 285 | 85A |
So "12A" and "Q2612A" are not two products. They are one product with a long name and a short one.
Where the rule breaks
Two places, and both cause real orders to go wrong.
Colour cartridges. Colour sets use a separate sequential numbering that does not map back to the part number the same way. A colour cartridge's short name has to be looked up, not calculated.
Non-HP brands. Canon, Brother and Pantum each have their own conventions. Brother
uses a prefix system — TN-2325, DR-2350 — where TN is a toner and DR is a
drum unit. Canon uses CRG- for most cartridges, FX- for some
machine-series toners, and C-EXV for copier ranges.
The A and X suffix
Within the same part number family, the trailing letter often marks capacity rather than a different product:
| Code | Yield | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
CF226A | ~3,100 pages | Standard |
CF226X | ~9,000 pages | High yield |
Both fit exactly the same printers. Only the amount of toner inside differs. If your machine takes the A version, it takes the X version.
Colour suffixes: BK, C, M, Y
In a four-colour set, the suffix identifies which colour:
| Suffix | Colour |
|---|---|
| BK | Black |
| C | Cyan |
| M | Magenta |
| Y | Yellow |
All four share the same printer. Ordering the wrong colour is a common and expensive mistake — the cartridge fits, prints, and is useless to you.
How to be sure before you order
- Read the part number off the old cartridge label, not from memory.
- If the machine only shows a short name, cross-reference it to the part number.
- For colour sets, write down all four codes — not just "the colour set".
- If the code on your machine does not appear in any catalogue, send a photo of the label. Regional variations exist and a label photo settles it in seconds.
Common questions
Is 12A the same as Q2612A?
Yes. 12A is the market short name, Q2612A is the HP part number. Same cartridge, same printer compatibility, same approximate 2,000 page yield.
Is 88A the same as CC388A?
Yes. 88A is the short name for CC388A, rated at approximately 1,500 pages at 5% coverage.
Why do Chinese suppliers use short names instead of part numbers?
Short names are faster to say and were adopted across the trade decades ago. Any serious supplier will know both forms — if you give a part number, they should be able to tell you the short name immediately.
Does the X version fit the same printers as the A version?
Yes. The A and X suffixes indicate capacity, not fitment. A CF226X fits every printer that takes a CF226A — it simply holds more toner and yields roughly three times as many pages.
Need a quote on toner for your printer?
Send the cartridge code or your printer model. We reply with price, MOQ and lead time within one business day.