Print two-sided manually

For heavier paper, such as HP Brochure and Flyer paper, manual double-sided printing is the only way to print on both sides of the page.

Manual double-sided printing is available to everyone, regardless of printer model, and without the use of any special equipment. See additional conveniences and benefits offered by manual double-sided printing:

• Save money: Duplex printing helps you save money on printing supplies by cutting your paper use by up to 50%.
• Save space: Less paper takes up less room. It’s that simple!
• Print on thicker paper: An automatic duplexer can only support paper from 16-28 lb bond. For heavier paper, such as HP Brochure and Flyer paper, manual double-sided printing is the only way to print on both sides of the page.
• Shrink your carbon footprint: Beyond the trees used to make paper, transporting and producing paper has an environmental impact, too; imagine reducing that impact by half!

This icon in the Printer Shortcuts tab of your Printer Properties is another indication that two-sided printing is already set up.

To find out if your printer supports duplex printing, refer to your printer manual or look for the Two-sided (Duplex printing) or Print on both sides drop-down menu in the Printer Properties dialog box on your PC (sometimes in Printer Shortcuts).

If you can’t locate any of these options in your printer manual or Printer Properties dialog box, your may not have driver support for duplexing or automatic duplexing. However, keep reading to see how easy it is to print double-sided manually, or get automatic duplexing capabilities.

If your printer does offer built-in automatic duplexing, find out how to print two-sided automatically.

Step 2: Enter the numbers of odd-numbered pages to be printed (1, 3, 5, and so on) in the Print dialog box.

Check the Duplex printing category in your printer specs at the HP Home & Home Office Store to see if driver support is provided for manual two-sided printing.

The following steps explain how to print on both sides of the paper manually. Watch the video to see these steps in action.

Step 1: Consult your printer manual or print a test sheet if you’re not sure on which side of the paper—face up or face down—your machine prints.

Step 2: Enter the numbers of odd-numbered pages to be printed (1, 3, 5, and so on) in the Print dialog box.

Step 3: Load the paper and click OK to print the odd pages.

Step 4: Keep the pages in order and reload them into the printer, with the opposite side of the stack facing up this time. (Make sure the top edge of your pages is the same for both odd and even pages so you don’t end up with upside-down printing on one side.)

Step 5: Enter the even-numbered pages to be printed in reverse order (12, 10, 8, 6, and so on) in the Print dialog box, and click OK to print.

Some HP printers offer printer drivers that feature shortcuts for these steps in a paper handling menu. Check the Duplex printing category of your printer specs at the HP Home & Home Office Store to see if your model provides driver support.

The HP Officejet Pro 8600 e-All-in-One and the HP Officejet Pro 8600 Premium e-All-in-One offer automatic two-sided printing.

Save effort over the long run by upgrading to a model featuring built-in automatic double-sided printing, such as the HP Officejet Pro 8600 Premium e-All-in-One.

Visit the HP Printer Buying Guide to find other HP printers and All-in-Ones that offer automatic duplexing.