Double-sided printing: which edge to flip
“Flip on long edge” or “flip on short edge” decides whether the back of your page comes out upright. Here’s how to choose, even with a one-sided printer.
The short answer
Use flip on long edge for a normal upright document. Use flip on short edge for a booklet, where two pages sit side by side on a sideways sheet. If your printer can’t print both sides, print the fronts, put the pile back in, then print the backs.
Start your book, freeWhat you need
- The file you want to print
- A printer
- One spare sheet of paper for a test
Step by step
Choose the right edge
Imagine turning the sheet over. A booklet sheet is printed sideways, so it turns around its short edge. Long edge would leave every back page upside down.
For a booklet, with two pages side by side on a sideways sheet, flip on the short edge. Find the two-sided setting
Open the print window and look for Two-sided, Print on both sides or Duplex. In Chrome it’s under More settings. On HP, Canon, Epson and Brother printers the name and place can differ, but the choice is the same.
The same three settings work on most printers, though the names can differ. Print at actual size
Set the scale to actual size (100%). “Fit to page” shrinks the pages and moves them away from the fold.
No duplex? Print in two rounds
This is manual duplex. Print the fronts, let the ink dry, put the pile back in and print the backs. Foldio runs a two-sheet test once per printer, so it knows how your pile goes back.
With a one-sided printer, you print in two rounds. Foldio tells you how your pile goes back in. Test one sheet first
Hold the sheet with the front facing you and turn it over like a book page. If the back is upside down, tell Foldio and it fixes the file for your printer.
If something goes wrong
- Every back page is upside down
- Switch to the other flip edge. For booklets from Foldio, use flip on short edge and run the Printer test once.
- There’s no two-sided option
- Your printer may print one side at a time. Use manual duplex, or check the print window’s More settings.
- The back printed on the same side as the front
- The pile went back in the wrong way. Foldio’s two-sheet test catches this before you print the whole book.
- Paper jams on the second round
- Let the ink dry and fan the pages before you reload them, so they don’t stick together.
Questions
People also ask.
What is duplex printing?
It means printing on both sides of the paper. An automatic duplex printer turns the page itself, and manual duplex means you turn it.
What does flip on short edge mean?
The sheet turns over around its short side, like a page of a booklet printed sideways. Use it for booklets.
What does flip on long edge mean?
The sheet turns over around its long side, like the pages of an upright report. Use it for normal documents.
Should I flip on the long or short edge?
Short edge for sideways pages and booklets, long edge for normal upright documents.
What is manual duplex printing?
You print one side, put the pile back in the printer and print the other side. It works on any printer.
How do I print a PDF double-sided?
Open the PDF, select Print, then turn on two-sided printing and choose the flip edge. On a Mac, the option is Two-Sided in the print window.
What is a duplex test page?
It’s one test sheet that shows which way your printer turns the back. Foldio’s Printer test uses it to correct your file.
Ready to print yours?
Foldio is free to start, with no sign-up, and your files stay on your computer.