What Is A Duplex Printer: Quick Guide

Do you want to save on paper by printing on both sides? Your printer is capable of doing that! This useful setting is called duplex printing. In this article, you'll get to know more about this feature and answer the question, what is a duplex printer, and how can you benefit from duplex printing?

A Quick Guide on Duplex Printing

Not all printers are capable of double-sided printing. Some are only capable of printing single-sided documents and are called simplex printers.

So, what is a duplex printer?

Simply put, a duplex printer is a printer with the ability to print on both sides of the same paper.

Many office printers use duplex printing for their documents since this feature is more cost-effective and efficient.

There are two types of digital duplex printing:

1. Auto duplex – is when the printer automatically flips the paper after each impression to print on the second face.
   
   
2. Manual duplex – is when you manually flip the paper for the second face to be printed. With this method, you'll have to make changes with your settings, so the odd pages will be printed, followed by the even pages after feeding the printer manually.

Note: Manually feeding back the paper to your printer might cause damage. Always check with your printer's manufacturer for any alternative recommendations.

How to Set Up Auto Duplex Printing

The steps for auto duplex printing depends on the make and model of the printer.

1. In the main screen, look for 'General settings'
   
   
2. An option labeled 'two-sided printing' will be in one of the menus, and this is the section to edit to enable duplex printing.
   
   
3. In changing this setting, all the documents sent to the printer will print double-sided automatically.
   
   

If you wish to edit the printer setting with a PC, these are the steps:

1. After selecting the printer model used, go to 'Printer Properties.'
   
   
2. If the settings for duplex printing don't appear on the first window, look for the 'printing default’ button and click it.
   
   
3. Under additional features, you will see a checkbox for duplex printing.
   
   
4. Click ‘OK’ or 'Save' and start duplex printing.

Note: Unless you make changes to these new settings, your printer will keep duplex printing until it is changed.

The Benefits of Duplex Printing

Now that you know what a duplex printer is, let's look at some of the ways you can benefit from it:

1. Eco-friendly

• Duplex printing cuts paper waste while producing the same output.

2. Volume-friendly

• Some duplex printers offer booklet format printing, which makes it easy to manage large-scale, high-volume printing.

3. Energy-efficient

• Your duplex printer processes on one sheet instead of two, resulting in energy-efficient printing. 

4. Efficiency

• Auto duplex printing is faster than others, which saves your time and effort.

Conclusion

It's interesting how modern printers change the way we handle our tasks. Features like double-sided printing have made a lot of time-consuming activities easier. Now that you know what a duplex printer is, you can start making the most of it.