Double-sided printing on the duplexer – a how-to guide

 

The lab recently got a duplexer for the printer, which allows printing on both sides of the paper. In order to take advantage of it, you need to configure your printer driver to let it know that it has this option. It’s simple, takes about 2 minutes. Here’s what to do.

 

  1. Log in as administrator. This is a system configuration task which only privileged users have permission to do.
  2. Go to Start>Settings>Printers. You should see icons for Acrobat Distiller, and at least two to the printer. One of these will be marked by a little check mark in a circle, indicating that it’s your default printer.
  3. Right-click on the default printer, select Properties (at the bottom, probably).
  4. Click on the tab called ‘Configure’ (probably all the way over on the right).
  5. Under Paper Handling Options (left-hand side) you’ll see a checkbox called ‘Duplexing Unit’. Check it. (If this item is “grayed out”, you do not have sufficient privileges to change the printer configuration. See item 1.)
  6. The printer icon will change, showing a new “layer” at the bottom.
  7. Click ‘OK’.

 

The final step: In order to use the duplexing feature when you print, go to the ‘Finishing’ tab on the print dialog that comes up. An area that was formerly blank now contains several new items, including one that allows you to check ‘Print on Both Sides’.