How to print double sided on Google Docs

Double-sided printing refers to printing on both sides of a sheet. It is different from one-sided printing, where you only print on one side of the page, leaving the other side completely blank. 

Double-sided printing is useful because it helps you reduce your costs: since both sides of a sheet are being utilized, you can spend less money on paper. This is also eco-friendly as less paper waste would be generated.

This type of printing is also the convention for a lot of types of texts- including newspapers and books. For these reasons, double-sided printing is generally preferred to one-sided printing.

Some printers automatically print on both sides of the page. You just have to select the two-sided print option in your print settings and you’re good to go as the printer will automatically flip the pages. These printers are called duplex printers.

On the other hand, some printers require manual intervention as they don’t automatically print on both sides. You will have to manually flip the paper to print on both sides. These printers are called manual printers.

You can print your Google Docs document using both types of printers. In this article, we will be exploring both of  the following two methods in detail:

  • Double-sided printing for duplex printers
  • Double-sided printing for manual printers

Let’s start.


Method 1: Double-sided printing for duplex printers

The way these printers work is that they first print all the odd sides. Once this is done, they automatically flip the pages to print all the even sides of the sheet. Double-sided printing is more convenient when you have a duplex printer.

Step 1: Open your Google Docs document. 

To start off, open the Google Docs document that you would like to print. You can choose an existing document, create a new blank one or pick one of the many templates in the gallery.

Step 2: Click on the File tab. 

The File tab is located at the top left corner of your screen. It is the first option in your toolbar. Click on it to see the File menu.

Step 3: Click on the Print option. 

This is the last option in the File menu. When you click on it, the print window will open. This is where you can adjust the print settings.

Rather than following the previous two steps, you can also press Control + P (or Command + P if you’re a Mac user) to open up the print window. It’s better to use this keyboard shortcut as it will save you time.

Step 4: Click on ‘More settings’ to see the double-sided printing option.

On your print window, you’ll see some basic print settings such as ‘Destination’ and ‘Color.’ Below this section, you will find the ‘More settings’ button. Click on this to find the option to print on both sides of the page.

Step 5: Check the box next to the ‘Two-sided’ option.

You will find the ‘Two-sided’ option below the ‘Scale’ option. Click on the checkbox next to this option to enable double-sided printing.

On some computers, another drop-down menu might appear right below this option when you check the box. It has two options: ‘Flip on long edge’ and ‘Flip on short edge.’ 

Flipping on the long edge means that the printer will flip your sheet from the longer edge of the paper. For example, when you’re reading a book you’re flipping on the long edge of the paper.

On the other hand, flipping on the short edge means that the printer will flip your sheet from the shorter edge of your paper. For example, when you’re opening a notepad, you are flipping on the short edge of its paper.

So, how do you choose between these two options? Generally, choose the ‘Flip on long edge’ option when you’re printing in portrait mode. Choose the ‘Flip on short edge’ option when you’re printing on landscape mode.

(Optional) Step 6: Print using system dialog.

At the very end of the ‘More settings’ section, you can find this option: ‘Print using system dialog.’ When you click on this option, a new window prompted by your system will open up. You can adjust the print settings in this window. Click on the ‘Preferences’ option to select two-sided printing. This is an alternative to changing your print settings on Google Docs.

The benefit of this alternative is that it gives you more options for customizing your print. However, if you’re satisfied with the options that Google Docs offers, you can skip this part.

Step 7: Click on Print.

Once you’ve adjusted the print settings to your satisfaction, click on ‘Print.’ One useful tip is to look at the preview that Google Docs has generated to see if you’ve chosen the right options.


Method 2: Double-sided printing for manual printers

You can print your Google Docs document even if you have a manual printer. It just requires a small extra step. All the other steps remain the same.

Step 1: Open your Google Docs document.

Step 2: Click on the File tab at the top left corner of your screen.

Step 3: Click on the Print option.

You can also open this window using the Control + P (or Command + P) keyboard shortcut.

Step 4: Input only odd page numbers in the ‘Pages option.’

In the print window, you will find the ‘Pages’ option, where you can select the pages of your document that you want to print. To print on both sides of the sheet, first print all the odd pages. 

To do this, click on the arrow next to ‘All’ then select the ‘Custom’ option. Then, enter only odd page numbers (e.g. 1, 3, 5, 9).

Another way of completing this step is by using the system dialog. To do this, click on the ‘More settings’ option below the ‘Color option.’ At the end of this section, you will find the ‘Print using system dialog’ option. Click on this to open up another dialog box where you can change the page range.

Step 5: Click on Print.

After finalizing your settings, click on the Print button.

Step 6: Flip the stack of papers in your printer.

Once all the odd pages you selected have been printed, flip the stack of pages in your printer. Now, it’s time to print all the even pages.

Step 7: Open the print window again and select even pages.

Next, open the print window again (use Control/Command + P). Now, input all the even page numbers in the ‘Pages’ option (either in the Google Docs window or in the system dialog box).

Step 8: Click on Print.

Click on Print to print the remaining pages in your document.

Note that when you’re performing two-sided printing using a manual printer, you don’t have to select the ‘Two-sided’ option in the print settings. This is because each you’re printing, you’re only printing on one side of the page so this step is unnecessary.


Conclusion 

Whether you have a duplex printer or a manual one, Google Docs allows you to print on both sides of the page conveniently. Depending on the type of printer you have, you can follow one of the above two methods. Thank you for reading this article and we hope you found it useful!

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