How to Enable Duplex Printing in Word to Print on Both Sides

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The easiest way to make double-sided documents in Microsoft Word

Written by Darlene Antonelli, MA

Last Updated: April 29, 2024 Fact Checked

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Using Automatic Duplex Printing

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Using Manual Duplex Printing

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Q&A

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Tips

Do you want to conserve printer paper? You can easily print on both sides of your paper with Word. It's called "Duplex Printing," and some printers can do it automatically. If yours can't, you can print double-sided manually. The steps are similar whether you're printing on a Mac or Windows computer, so following this guide will work!

Print on Both Sides in Word

If your printer supports automatic double-sided printing, go to File > Print, select Print on Both Sides, then click Print.
If your printer doesn't support duplex printing, select Manually Print on Both Sides instead.
After printing the first side of the page, reinsert the printed page to print on the back.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Using Automatic Duplex Printing

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1
Find out if your printer supports double-sided printing. From the "Print" window, you can figure out whether your printer supports duplex printing.
- The easiest way to check is to look for an option that specifies "double-sided," "2-sided," or "duplex" printing. Be sure to check the preferences or settings in the Print menu if you can't see anything immediately.
- Although duplex printing relies on the printer, larger printers are more likely to support this type of printing because it reduces waste and can be done quickly. Smaller, at-home inkjet printers are less likely to have the option.
- You can also check the manual that came with your printer for more information on duplex printing.
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3
Click the drop-down and select Print on Both Sides. You'll see this drop-down menu under the "Settings" header.
- If you don't see this option, your printer does not have the functionality to print double-sided automatically. You can still manually print on both sides of your papers, however.
4
Click Print. This icon looks like a printer near the top left corner of the window.
- Your printer will print a page, use built-in rollers, turn the page over, and print on the other side.^{[1]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Using Manual Duplex Printing

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The File tab is in the menu at the top of your window and will open another window.
You'll see this drop-down menu under the "Settings" header.
3
Click Print. This icon looks like a printer near the top left corner of the window.
- Your printer will print a page and then give you instructions to re-insert the page again.^{[2]
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  Technical support and product information from Microsoft.
  
  Go to source}
- Manually re-inserting pages to be printed on both sides requires you to know how your paper feeder functions. Many printers require the pages to be faced up to print 2-sided, and others need them to be faced down. They may also need to be re-ordered. Do several sample pages to understand how your printer feed operates before you reinsert the odd-numbered pages.

Community Q&A

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Question

Why does printing 2-sided change my font size?

Community Answer

The program automatically resizes to manage double sided printing. If you go under the font settings, you'll see a button that says "Automatic printing resize." Click it to turn it off.

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Is it possible to select which page prints on the reverse of a multiple page document when the first page scrolls information and the second page is fixed?

Community Answer

You should be able to make any adjustments to the printing order in the Print Options window. I'm not sure if this particular change is possible though as it depends on what you mean by "scrolls" and "fixed."

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Every time my document is opened, it resets to print one-sided. Can you set a duplex default by document?

Community Answer

It depends. Some computers allow it, and some don't. If you go to your printer settings, there should be a check box for a default for what you need. If not, your computer just doesn't work that way.

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Tips

You can also print only odd pages and then reinsert the pages and print only the even pages of your document. To set this up, go to File > Print > Only Print Odd/Even Pages. After the first batch prints, flip them over, re-insert them, and print the other batch.

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Not printing with Word? This wikiHow article covers how to print double-sided outside of Word.

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