You can print on both sides of a sheet in two ways: let a printer with automatic two-sided printing do it, or print the odd pages, flip the stack and print the even pages by hand. Either way, the print dialog holds the setting you need. The steps below cover both.
Check What Your Printer Supports
Open the printer guide or the printer properties window and look for a term such as duplex, two-sided or double-sided. If it appears, your printer can flip the page itself. If not, the manual method works on nearly any printer, though it takes more care.
Automatic Two-Sided Printing
- Open the document and choose the print command.
- Select your printer, then open its properties or more settings.
- Switch on two-sided printing.
- Choose the binding edge: long edge for pages that turn like a book, short edge for pages that flip up like a notepad.
- Press print and leave the tray alone until the job ends.
If the back of a page looks upside down, go back and change the binding edge. That one choice causes most orientation mix-ups.
Manual Two-Sided Printing
- In the print dialog, look for options to print odd pages only. Print those first.
- Take the printed stack from the output tray without shuffling it.
- Check your printer guide to see which way the paper should face when reloaded, since this varies between machines.
- Put the stack back in the input tray.
- Choose even pages only, and set the order to reverse if the last page comes out first.
- Print, then check that the first sheet has page one on the front and page two on the back.
To avoid mistakes on a long job, run a two-page test with one sheet before printing the whole document.
Table: Which Method Suits You
| Situation | Better option | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Printer shows a two-sided setting | Automatic | Fewer steps and less handling |
| No such setting | Manual | Works with the basic controls |
| Thin paper or heavy ink coverage | Either, with a test | Thin sheets may show the other side |
Keep dark, heavy graphics away from the edges of thin sheets, since ink can show through. Margins that are too narrow may also cause trouble on the second pass.
FAQ
Why did my pages come out in the wrong order?
In manual mode, the even pages need the correct order and orientation. Try the reverse option, or reload the stack the other way around.
Can any paper be printed on both sides?
Not every sheet suits it. Look for wording about two-sided use on the pack, and check the weight limits in your printer guide.
The Short Version
If your printer has a two-sided setting, switch it on and choose the correct binding edge, or choose the odd and even page method by hand. A one-sheet test saves paper and time.