Adobe Acrobat and Acrobat Reader support double-sided printing if your printer has this feature. Printer options are managed by the printer driver, not by Acrobat or Reader. Refer to your printer's manual to confirm support for double-sided (duplex, back-to-back, front and back, or two-sided) printing.
Last updated on
13 Dec 2024
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Also applies to Acrobat Reader, Reader
The topics below provide information about:
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Open a file in Acrobat. Select Print this file from the upper right.
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Select Print on both sides of paper in the printer dialog.
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Select Print.
Configure the printer features in Windows
If you do not see a double-sided option, it's possible that feature isn't turned on.
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Choose Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
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Choose your printer and select Printing preferences.
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Select Advanced.
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Expand Document Options > Printer Features.
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Select the desired options and then choose On from the pop-up menu. If you don't find duplex printing and stapling in the options, then your selected printer doesn’t support those features.
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Select OK, and then select OK again to exit the dialog box.
Configure CUPS interface settings for double-sided printing on macOS
In macOS, printer settings override those in Acrobat or Acrobat Reader. If double-sided printing issues occur in Acrobat or Acrobat Reader, adjust the settings via the Mac CUPS admin interface. CUPS (formerly known as Common UNIX Printing System) is a network printing service used by Mac computers. It allows you to set up your printers on a network and customize printer options. By default, the CUPS web interface is disabled on Mac.
Note:
The settings specified in the CUPS interface overrides the print settings in Acrobat or Acrobat Reader.
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Open the Terminal application on your Mac. To open Terminal, do one of the following:
- Choose the Finder icon in your dock. Select Go > Utilities. Open Terminal.
- In the top right menu on your Mac, select the Spotlight icon (
), and type Terminal. Open Terminal.
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At the prompt, type sudo cupsctl WebInterface=yes and press Return
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Enter your Mac computer password when prompted and press Return.
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Quit Terminal.
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Open Safari or any other browser, and type http://localhost:631 in the address bar and press Return. The CUPS web page is displayed.
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Go to the Printers tab and select your printer from the list.
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In the Administration drop-down list, choose Set Default Options.
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To enable double-sided printing, select Long-edge Binding or Short-Edge Binding for the Two-Sided option. To disable double-sided printing, choose Off.
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To save changes, select Set Default Options.
Your printer is now configured. Open a PDF in Acrobat or Acrobat Reader and print the PDF.
If your printer doesn't support double-sided printing, you can manually print your document using both sides of the paper. The steps vary depending on the way the printer feeds and outputs the pages. Print a few test pages following the instructions to understand how to feed the pages back into the printer.
Printer outputs paper face-down
If your printer outputs pages face-down and in numerical order (starting with page one), which is typical for laser printers, follow these instructions.
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Open a file in Acrobat. Select Print this file from the upper right.
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Select Reverse pages and choose Even pages only in the Pages to Print section of the Print dialog. In this scenario, the Reverse Pages option ensures that the page sequence is correct.
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Select Print.
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If the total number of pages is odd, add a blank sheet so the final odd page has a sheet to print on.
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Put the stack of printed paper back into the supply (source) paper tray so that the unprinted sides print. Point the top of the pages toward the printer. Make sure that the edges of the paper stack are square.
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Choose the hamburger menu (Windows) or the File menu (macOS) > Print, and select Odd pages only in the Pages to Print section of the Print dialog box. (Do not select Reverse Pages this time.)
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Select Print.
Printer outputs paper face-up
Follow these instructions if the printer outputs the pages in reverse order (last page first). The pages exit the printer face up (common with inkjet printers).
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Open a file in Acrobat. Select Print this file from the upper right.
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Choose Even pages only in the Pages to Print section of the Print dialog.
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Select Print.
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If the total number of pages is odd, add a blank sheet so the final odd page has a sheet to print on.
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Put the stack of printed paper back into the supply (source) paper tray so that the unprinted sides print. Point the top of the pages toward the printer. Make sure that the edges of the paper stack are square.
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Open a file in Acrobat. Select Print this file from the upper right.
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Select Reverse pages and choose Odd pages only in the Pages to Print section of the Print dialog. In this scenario, the Reverse Pages option ensures that the page sequence is correct.
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Select Print.
