Want to save paper? You can print on both sides of the paper for individual print jobs as well as all future printing tasks. We’ll show you how to configure both of these options on your Windows 11 PC.
Depending on your printer type, you will use either manual duplex printing or automatic duplex printing. If your printer supports automatic duplex printing, the subsequent pages for your print job will automatically be fed into your printer. On manual duplex printers, you will have to manually add the pages to your printer to print on both sides of the paper. In this guide, we’ll use a manual duplex printer.
RELATED: How to Stop Two-Side Printing From Being the Default in macOS
How to Print Double-Sided for an Individual Job on Windows 11
To print on both sides of the paper for a single print job, use this method.
First, open the document you want to print in a supported app. For example, if you want to print a WordPad document, open the document in the WordPad app.
In WordPad (or any other program where you open your document), press Ctrl+P to open the print window. To use a menu bar option to open this window, click File > Print in most apps.
You will see a “Print” window on your screen. Here, select your printer and then click the “Preferences” button.
On the “Printing Preferences” window that opens, enable the “Duplex Printing (Manual)” option. Then, at the bottom of this window, click “OK.”
Tip: If your printer offers a “Duplex Printing (Automatic)” option, select that here. This way, you will not have to manually insert the pages into your printer.
You are now back to the “Print” window. Here, click “Apply” and then click “Print” to print your document on both sides of the paper.
And that’s how you make use of both sides of your papers while printing documents!
If you’re running into trouble printing in Microsoft Word, be sure to try our tips for troubleshooting your print issues.
RELATED: How to Troubleshoot Printing Issues in Microsoft Word
How to Make Double-Sided Printing the Default on Windows 11
To make it so your Windows 11 PC always prints on both sides of the paper, you can modify an option in the Settings app on your PC.
To do so, open the Settings app by using the Windows+i keyboard shortcut. In Settings, from the left sidebar, select “Bluetooth & Devices.”
On the “Bluetooth & Devices” page, click “Printers & Scanners.”
On the “Printers & Scanners” page, select your printer.
Your printer’s page will open. At the top of this page, click the “Printer Settings” tab. Then select “Printing Preferences.”
You will see your printer’s preferences window. Here, activate the “Duplex Printing (Manual)” option. Then, at the bottom of this window, click “Apply” and then click “OK.”
And that’s it. Double-sided print is now the default print option on your Windows 11 PC.
There are many options that you can manage for your printer, so that it works exactly the way you want. Check out our guide on that to learn what those options are.
