Duplex printing, also known as double-sided printing, is a feature that allows a printer to print on both sides of a sheet of paper automatically. This feature is essential for saving paper, reducing printing costs, and being environmentally friendly. In the Apple environment, specifically on macOS, enabling duplex printing can be straightforward if your printer supports this functionality. This article will guide you through the steps to enable duplex printing on macOS, ensuring you can take full advantage of this feature.

Examples:

1. Check Printer Compatibility: Before enabling duplex printing, ensure your printer supports this feature. You can usually find this information in the printer's manual or on the manufacturer's website.

2. Add Printer to macOS: If your printer is not already added to your macOS system, follow these steps:

   • Open "System Preferences" from the Apple menu.
   • Click on "Printers & Scanners."
   • Click the "+" button to add a new printer.
   • Select your printer from the list and follow the on-screen instructions to add it.

3. Enable Duplex Printing: Once your printer is added, follow these steps to enable duplex printing:

   • Open a document you wish to print (e.g., in Preview or any other application).
   • Go to "File" > "Print" or use the shortcut Command (⌘) + P.
   • In the print dialog, look for the "Layout" option in the drop-down menu.
   • Check the "Two-Sided" checkbox to enable duplex printing.
   • Depending on the printer model, you may have additional options such as "Long-Edge binding" or "Short-Edge binding" to specify the orientation of the duplex print.

4. Save Duplex Printing Settings: To make duplex printing the default setting for your printer, follow these steps:

   • In the print dialog, click on "Presets" and select "Save Current Settings as Preset..."
   • Name your preset (e.g., "Duplex Printing") and ensure "All printers" is selected if you want this preset to be available for all printers.
   • Click "OK" to save the preset.

5. Using Terminal for Advanced Configuration: For advanced users, you can use the Terminal to configure duplex printing settings. Here is an example command to set duplex printing using the lpadmin command:

   sudo lpadmin -p <printer_name> -o sides=two-sided-long-edge

   Replace <printer_name> with the name of your printer as it appears in the "Printers & Scanners" preferences.