Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: Using Duplex Printing.

Using Duplex Printing

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated November 14, 2020)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003

Some printers support duplexing, meaning that they allow printing on both sides of a piece of paper. Being able to print on both sides depends on what type of printer you have set as your default printer. For instance, an HP OfficeJet Pro L7780 prints duplex but other models of HP printers may not offer this as an option. Assuming that you have a printer that supports duplexing and that you have a printer driver that supports it, you can turn it on by following these steps:

Choose the Print option from the File menu. Word displays the Print dialog box.
From the list of available printers, select the printer on which you want the document printed.
Click on the Properties button. This displays a Properties dialog box for the printer you selected.
Select the Paper tab, then click the More Options button.
Change the Duplex Printing option to either Flip on Long Edge or Flip on Short Edge, depending on how you want your document printed.
Close the dialog boxes and print your document.

Again, these steps will vary based on the printer you are using. You may need to look around in the printer's Properties dialog box to see where the actual control for duplexing is located. (Another good place to look is on the Finishing tab, if such a tab exists in your printer's Properties dialog box.)

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (406) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Using Duplex Printing.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. Learn more about Allen...

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