double sided printing

[acsred]

I just switched from a pc to a mac, and I can't figure out how to do double-sided printing now. I just have a normal printer, but I used to be able to print all the odd pages and then put them back in to do the even pages...it would stop when the odd pages were done and tell me when to turn the pages around.
Is there an easy way to do this on a mac? I suppose you could do all the odd pages and then reverse the order and do the even, but I normally send a bunch of things to the printer at once, and I don't want to have to sit and monitor the printer to see when it's done to change it fast.

Any ideas?

 

[brand]

The printer driver has to support duplex printing in order to print on both sides of the paper. Does the driver you are using support duplex printing?

 

[emt1]

The printer driver has to support duplex printing in order to print on both sides of the paper. Does the driver you are using support duplex printing?

This is wrong.

OP, can you specify which app you are trying to print from?

 

[quotemeas]

Actually, no...this is wrong.

This is wrong.

OP, can you specify which app you are trying to print from?

The default printer drivers included in OS X do NOT support Duplex printing. Therefore, the printer diver that the OP installed must support manual duplexing. The pop-up message that appears asking the user to flip the page is not an OS X message but rather text from the printer driver itself. The driver must know to send this message, retain the data, hold the job, and wait for user interaction. The OP's printer driver (the printer itself) must say it supports manual duplexing. Most printers do, but some do not and it is very possible the OP printer does not. Please don't assume that because it works on your system means that it is the same result for others.

To the OP:

Odds are that on Windows, your printer driver supported manual duplexing. It is also very possible that the Mac OS X driver does not. How old is this "normal" printer? Also, in the print dialogue box, do u see an option for two sided printing (see attached image)?

 

[emt1]

The default printer drivers included in OS X do NOT support Duplex printing. Therefore, the printer diver that the OP installed must support manual duplexing. The pop-up message that appears asking the user to flip the page is not an OS X message but rather text from the printer driver itself. The driver must know to send this message, retain the data, hold the job, and wait for user interaction. The OP's printer driver (the printer itself) must say it supports manual duplexing. Most printers do, but some do not and it is very possible the OP printer does not. Please don't assume that because it works on your system mean that it is the same result for others.

To the OP:

Odds are that on Windows, your printer driver supported manual duplexing. It is also very possible that the Mac OS X driver does not. How old is this "normal" printer? Also, in the print dialogue box, do u see an option for two sided printing (see attached image)?

1. Print odd pages.
2. Remove from printer.
3. Flip around.
4. Print even pages in reverse order.

 

[quotemeas]

Hmmm...

1. Print odd pages.
2. Remove from printer.
3. Flip around.
4. Print even pages in reverse order.

So where in the print dialogue box does it allow u to print only odd pages and then only even pages. I guess u could choose "Pages From" and do each page individual (i.e. 1 to 1, 3 to 3, 5 to 5, etc.) but that would be quite the hassle. My bet for the OP would to purchase a new printer that supports a Mac OS X manual duplex driver. Or upgrade to an auto duplexing printer. My HP Photosmart C6280 works great for this (~$175 from a retailer).

 

[emt1]

See screenshot.

 

[quotemeas]

See screenshot.

Nm, it came though finally.

 

[quotemeas]

See screenshot.

Awesome! Did not even know that was there. Well, I stand corrected. emt1's steps can allow u to print two-sided without a printer driver that supports manual two-sided printing.

 

[brand]

This is wrong.

Actually its not, you are wrong.

If the print driver does not support duplex printing, automatic or manual, then the printer will not perform duplex printing. Printing the odd/even pages through the print dialogue box is not your printer supporting duplexing but you manually performing duplex printing. If the print driver supports manual duplex printing then the driver would prompt you to take the paper from the output tray and place it in the input tray and automatically finish the print job. That is not happening if you have print the even than have to go back and manually print the odd pages.

 

[emt1]

Awesome! Did not even know that was there. Well, I stand corrected. emt1's steps can allow u to print two-sided without a printer driver that supports manual two-sided printing.

EMTs save the day