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Canon LBP646Cdw vs Brother DCP-L2640DW: Which Job Must Your Printer Do?

Choose the Canon LBP646Cdw for color printing when you can scan elsewhere. Choose the Brother DCP-L2640DW for monochrome printing with built-in paper capture. If you need both capabilities in one machine, neither meets the full requirement.

Published by Pickoryx · Published 2026-10-08

Source checked 2026-10-08 16:43 UTC

Products compared

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The buying question

Must the device produce color pages, capture paper originals, or do both?

Canon supplies color output but needs a separate scanning solution; Brother captures originals but prints only in monochrome.

Quick verdict

When to skip: One machine must both print in color and scan or copy originals. Unattended two-sided scanning is mandatory.
When the recommendation changes
  • Your color requirement applies only to saved scans.
  • You already have a scanner that suits your paperwork.
  • One machine must combine color output with scanning and copying.

The differences that matter

Printed Color Requirement

Canon Color imageCLASS LBP646Cdw

Color printing.[1]

Brother DCP-L2640DW

Black-and-white printing.[2]

What this changes: For charts whose colors must remain visible on paper, choose Canon and arrange scanning separately. If monochrome pages suffice, let your need to capture originals decide.[1, 2]

Best fit: Canon Color imageCLASS LBP646CdwView Canon Color imageCLASS LBP646Cdw on AmazonPaid link

Paper Original Capture Workflow

Canon Color imageCLASS LBP646Cdw

Print-only; no scanning or copying.[1]

Brother DCP-L2640DW

Flatbed scanning and standalone copying; 50-sheet simplex automatic document feeder, rated with 20 lb paper. Color scans supported; duplex scanning not supported.[2]

What this changes: Choose Brother for incoming paperwork when monochrome output is enough. The feeder handles a stack one side at a time; it does not remove the need to turn two-sided originals.[1, 2]

Best fit: Brother DCP-L2640DWView Brother DCP-L2640DW on AmazonPaid link

Best for your routine

Color handouts with an existing scanner

Best fit: Canon Color imageCLASS LBP646Cdw

Based on listed features, not comparative testing.

Keep the scanner you already use and add the output capability you need.

View Canon Color imageCLASS LBP646Cdw on AmazonPaid link

Saving color originals while printing monochrome documents

Best fit: Brother DCP-L2640DW

Based on listed features, not comparative testing.

The color needed in a saved file does not require a color print engine.

View Brother DCP-L2640DW on AmazonPaid link

Value and trade-offs

One or both observed offers have eligibility conditions, so no unrestricted price difference is shown.

Compare complete offers only after deciding which task can be handled elsewhere. A lower price does not compensate for a missing required function; include a separate scanner in your budget if you would need to buy one.

There is insufficient price history to recommend a purchase date.

Limitations

  • This comparison does not establish a print-quality, speed, reliability, energy-use or lifetime-cost winner.
  • Current operating-system compatibility and merchant availability were not verified. Check the exact package, seller and software requirements before buying.

Questions shoppers ask

Can Brother preserve a color original in a digital file?

Yes. Its scanning specification includes color even though its printed pages are monochrome. Choose by the destination of the color: saved file or physical page.

Does duplex printing mean it can scan both sides automatically?

No. Printing and scanning are separate functions. Brother explicitly excludes duplex scanning, and Canon has no scanner; choose another device if unattended two-sided capture is essential.

Methodology and sources

Separated the required printed output from the work of capturing paper originals.

AI assisted source comparison and consistency checks.

View 2 sources
  1. 1.Color imageCLASS LBP646Cdw - Wireless, Duplex Laser PrinterCanon U.S.A. · Official specifications · Source checked 2026-10-08 16:42 UTC
    Evidence used on this page
    • SKU and product highlights, lines 644–680; overview, line 2233: US SKU 6929C008 is a color print-only model.
  2. 2.DCP-L2640DW Wireless Monochrome Laser Multi-Function PrinterBrother USA · Official specifications · Source checked 2026-10-08 16:42 UTC
    Evidence used on this page
    • About the Product; Paper Handling; Scan; Copy; capacity footnote at line 252: Monochrome output; color scanning; flatbed, standalone copying and 50-sheet ADF (20 lb paper); no duplex scanning.

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