Setting Up Your Printer to Print Out Double-Sided Pages

Let’s face it, when was the last time you printed on double sides of a paper? Rarely happens, right? The worst bit is all this information either gets trashed or shredded. There are a ton of benefits to printing on double sides of the paper. For starters, you’ll lower your advanced printer’s energy usage and save on paper, which ultimately saves the planet. Additionally, if you are printing a large document, you’ll have less to carry.

Despite having all these benefits, your printer won’t print double sides by default. Fortunately, Windows users have the option to set duplex printing in two ways. Users can either choose double-sided printing for each task in the print window setting or configure duplex page printing as your computer’s default print setting.

Duplex Printing

It’s essential to note that not all printers offer double-sided printing options. Therefore, before configuration, check your printer manual to make sure your printer has duplex printing capabilities. If your printer can’t print on double sides, you won’t see the option to make adjustments.

In addition, you can make any printer wireless, by using either a host computer option ideal if you have multiple computers that access the printer or a Bluetooth adapter.

Getting the Paper the Right Way Around

Printing on double-sides of paper is relatively easy. The tricky bit is getting the paper in the right way around when putting it back for side “two” or “B.” Putting the wrong side up will lead to overprinting while getting it in the wrong end will cause half of the pages to be upside down. Doing this the right way will largely depend on your printer.

If your printer takes the fresh paper from a bottom tray, place the even-sided printed paper back in the fresh paper tray (printed-side down), making sure the top of the page is pointing to the printer.

If your printer takes paper in from the top fresh paper tray, place the even-sided printed page back in the fresh paper tray (printed-side down), ensuring the top of the page points to the printer. To be able to print double-sided and for long, preserving your ink by keeping it away from direct sunlight, or leaving the cartridge in its original package until needed should be a priority.

How to Print Double-Sided on a Windows PC

Printing double-sided on a Mac or Windows computer is relatively easy. Do the following:

1. Open the document you wish to print and click on “File.” Select the “Print” Option. In the Print menu, click on “More settings.” Scroll down through the options on the drop-down menu labelled “Duplex Printing.”
2. Please note that depending on your Windows operating system version, program, or printer you are using, you may have “Manually print on both sides” or “Print on both sides” options.
3. Select the “print double-sides.”. Note that “Flip on long edge” refers to pages flipping like a book, while “Flip on short edge” refers to pages flipping like a notepad. Pick what you desire and select print.

How to Print Double-Sided on Mac

Printing double-sided on Mac is also quite simple. All you need to do is the following:

1. Open the document and select “File.” Select the “Print” option from the drop-down menu. This will toggle a print window. You can also trigger this window by pressing Command + P on your Mac Keyboard.
2. Click on “Copies and Pages” and select “layout.” Find the “two-sided printing” option, and select the “Long-edge Binding” option from the drop-down menu.
3. Before you proceed, make sure your printer is connected to your computer. You’ll be able to see the name of your printer underneath the “Printer” heading. If you wish to change the printer in use, click on the “Printer” heading and choose from the drop-down menu.
4. Finally, click on the “Print” option located at the bottom of the window.

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