How to print double-sided on a Mac

In short

Choose File, Print in the app, open the Double-sided menu in the print window and choose On. For pages that should flip like a notepad, choose On (Short Edge). Then click Print. The option only appears if the printer can print on both sides.

3 of 6 steps show a real screenshot from our MacBook Pro.

Steps

1. 1

   Open the print window

   With the document open, choose File, Print, or press Command + P.

   Done
   
2. 2

   Choose the printer

   Check the Printer menu at the top. The double-sided option depends on the printer selected there. In our picture it reads No Printer Selected, which is why no Double-sided menu appears.

   Done
   
3. 3

   Open the Double-sided menu

   It is in the main part of the print window. Apple says the options you see depend on the printer and the app, and that more settings appear further down the window. The print window in our pictures has no Show Details button.

   Done
   Illustration
4. 4

   Choose On

   On turns the pages over on the long edge, like a book. This is right for normal upright documents.

   Done
   Illustration
5. 5

   Or choose On (Short Edge)

   This turns the pages over on the short edge, like a calendar or notepad. Use it for landscape pages and slides.

   Done
   Illustration
6. 6

   Click Print

   The Print button is at the bottom right. In the picture it is grey because no printer is selected on that Mac.

   Done
   

If you do not see this option

• There is no Double-sided menu Apple says the options in the print window depend on the printer and the app you print from. A printer that cannot print on both sides shows no such menu. Source: Choose print options before you print on Mac
• The Printer row reads No Printer Selected That is what our picture shows. Apple says you first need to set up a printer to work with your Mac, by cable or over Wi-Fi with AirPrint. Source: Print documents on your Mac

If this does not work

• The backs come out upside down Apple says On (Short Edge) sets up binding at the top of the page. Switch between On and On (Short Edge) and print again.
• The printer cannot print on both sides Apple says you can print only odd or only even pages: click Paper Handling and set Sheets to Print.
• The Print button is grey In our picture it is grey because no printer is selected. Choose a printer in the Printer menu first.

Good to know

If there is no Double-sided menu, the printer or the app does not support it. Check the printer's manual. Some printers need the duplex unit switched on in System Settings, Printers & Scanners, under the printer's options.

Without a duplex printer you can still do it by hand: print the odd pages first, put the stack back into the tray and print the even pages. Test with two sheets first to see which way round the paper has to go.

If the printer does not appear at all: how to add a printer to a Mac.

About this guide

Device

Mac

Shown on

macOS Tahoe 26 (MacBook Pro)

Real screenshots

3 of 6 steps

Checked

October 2026

Sources

2 official, linked below

Sources

• Apple Support: Choose print options before you print on Mac
• Apple Support: Print documents on your Mac

Links checked October 2026. Menus and features can change with updates.

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