How to Print Double-Sided on a Mac

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What to Know

This article explains how to enable double-sided printing on a Mac when using an application or browsing online. Instructions cover Macs with macOS Catalina through OS X Lion.

How to Print Double-Sided on Mac When Using an App

Printing on the front and back of pages is easy on a Mac, particularly when using an app such as Microsoft Word or (or any other Microsoft Office app).

As an example, here's what you should do if you typed a Word doc on your Mac and want to print it double-sided:

1. Connect the Mac to a printer that's compatible with two-sided (duplex) printing.

Click File in the menu bar at the top of the screen.

Scroll to the bottom of the drop-down menu and click Print.

Click Copies & Pages.

Scroll down and click Layout.

Go to the Two-Sided submenu.

Click Long-Edge binding in the Two-Sided submenu.

Click Print.

It's worth commenting on the difference between long-edge and short-edge binding: long-edge binding prints double-sided sheets so that you turn the page over sideways (as with a book). The margins are adjusted to accommodate binding on the left side. By contrast, short-edge binding prints such that you flip the page over vertically (as with a notepad) and margins adjust for binding at the top.

How to Print Double-Sided From an App on a Mac

With some applications, the process for printing double-sided is simpler and involves fewer steps because you are presented with a "Two-Sided" option in the initial Print window. For example, here's what you do with an app such as Notes on the Mac.

1. Open the Notes app and click File in the menu bar at the top of the screen.

Scroll to the bottom of the drop-down menu and click Print.

Click the Two-Sided check box next to the Copies box.

How to Print Double-Sided on a Mac When Online

The duplex printing process is similar if you're online and want to print out several web pages, although one or two steps are a little different.

Here's what you do if you're browsing on Chrome, for example.

1. Click File in the menu bar at the top of the screen.

At the bottom of the drop-down menu, click Print.

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Click Print using system dialog.

Click the Two-Sided check box next to the Copies box.

Click Print.

Two-sided printing is pretty much the same if you're using Firefox or Safari, although in both cases, the browser sends you directly to the macOS system dialog.

Duplex Printing: Troubleshooting

Even if you have a duplex printer, there may be occasions in which you aren't able to select the option to print two-sided.

If you are having trouble selecting two-sided printing, try this troubleshooting tip.

1. Go to System Preferences by selecting the Apple menu >System Preferences or by selecting its icon in the Mac Dock.

Click Printers & Scanners.

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Make sure your printer is selected in the left pane and click Options & Supplies.

Click the Options tab.

Check the Duplex Printing Unit check box.

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Click OK.