Printer error cannot print 2 sides on Windows 10+11, fixed in a flash

Frustrated because the printer cannot print 2 sides on Windows 10+11? TipsMake has revealed to you how to fix this problem, see now!

Printing documents is a very familiar task to office workers, right? In addition to printing on one side as usual, sometimes you also want to print on both sides to save paper and costs. But unfortunately, the error of the printer not being able to print on both sides of Windows 10+11 is quite common. Don't worry, TipsMake has revealed in detail what you need to do in the next section.

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Printer error cannot print 2 sides on Windows 10+11 and how to quickly fix it

First of all, the error of the printer not being able to print 2-sided in Windows 11/Win 10 may simply be because the printer you are using does not support 2-sided printing. Therefore, the first thing to do when your computer cannot print on both sides is to check whether the printer supports it or not. If support is available but cannot print, go to the next section.

1/ Update drivers

Every printer line has its own software that provides advanced printing features. And you cannot access them unless you have fully installed the driver. Therefore, missing drivers or printer drivers having problems is one of the common reasons causing problems. It's better to check, update the printer driver and try again.

2/ Set up 2-sided printing for each individual application

If the problem is not due to the driver, there is a high possibility that you have not set up 2-sided printing, so you encounter a situation where the printer does not allow 2-sided printing. The following are your general instructions for 2-sided printing for each individual application. (P/S: If you encounter an error of not being able to print on both sides in Word, you can also apply this method)

1. Step 1 : Users need to open the document you need to print in the corresponding support application. For example, I am opening a Word document to print.
2. Step 2 : Continue, press Ctrl + P to open the print window. Or depending on the application, you can open the print window (for example, Word is File > Print, for example).
3. Step 3 : In the newly displayed print window, select your printer, then click the Preferences button .

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1. Step 4 : Next, when the printing option opens, tick Duplex Printing (Manual) > Click OK to save. After setting up, just click Apply > Print to complete this process.

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NOTE: If following the steps above does not work, you can search for 2-sided printing for each individual application. For example, a quick way to print 2-sided in Word is to print even pages first, then turn over and print odd pages, for example. That way you will be able to do it more accurately according to your needs!

3/ Set default 2-sided printing on Windows 10 and 11

In case you don't want the error of the printer not being able to print on both sides of Windows 10/11 to happen again. You can set the default for 2-sided printing (always print 2-sided). I did it on Windows 11.

1. Step 1 : Users press Windows + I to open Settings > Click on Bluetooth & Devices in the list of options on the left.
2. Step 2 : Continue clicking the Printers & Scanners option in the right pane.
3. Step 3 : In the Printers & Scanners setup interface , select the name of the printer you are using.
4. Step 4 : Click the Printer Settings tab > Click Printing Preferences .

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1. B5 : Tick the line Duplex Printing (Manual) > Click Apply > Click OK to save.

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Above are TipsMake's instructions to fix the error of the printer not being able to print 2 sides on Windows 10+11. Wishing you success in applying and troubleshooting for smooth printing.

Marvin Fry

Update 12 April 2024