Double-sided printing — also called duplex printing — can halve your paper usage. Some printers do it automatically, others need you to flip the paper halfway through. Here's how to set it up either way.

Check If Your Printer Supports Automatic Duplex

Look at your printer's product page or manual for the term automatic duplex or auto-duplexer. Many home inkjets do support it; budget models may only support manual duplex. If you're not sure, check the printer's settings panel in Windows — if duplex options appear, your printer supports it.

Enable Duplex Printing in Windows

The most reliable way is to set duplex as the default in the printer driver properties, so it applies to everything you print:

  1. Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
  2. Click your printer and choose Printer preferences (or Manage > Printing preferences).
  3. Look for a tab called Layout, Finishing, or Basic.
  4. Find the Print on Both Sides or Duplex Printing option and set it to Flip on Long Edge (standard for portrait documents) or Flip on Short Edge (for landscape or booklet-style).
  5. Click OK.

Enable It for a Single Print Job

In most applications: go to File > Print, click More settings or Printer Properties, and find the duplex setting in the Layout or Finishing section. Change it per job without affecting the driver default.

Manual Duplex (Printers Without Auto-Duplex)

If your printer doesn't have an automatic duplexer, you can still print double-sided manually:

  1. In Print settings, look for Manual Duplex or Print on Both Sides (Manually) and select it.
  2. The printer will print all odd pages first, then pause.
  3. Follow the on-screen prompt to remove the printed pages, flip them, and reload them in the correct orientation.
  4. Click continue — the printer then prints the even pages on the reverse.

The correct reload orientation varies by printer model — your manufacturer's instructions (often shown on-screen during manual duplex) will specify which way to flip the stack.

Duplex in Word, Adobe Reader, and Chrome

Word: File > Print > find the two-sided option in the print settings panel.
Adobe Acrobat/Reader: File > Print > Properties/Preferences > Layout or Finishing tab.
Chrome: File > Print > More settings > Two-sided toggle.

Have questions about duplex settings for a specific app or printer? Ask us.