Duplex Printing or Two Sided Printing With Tray Selector

One of the few printing features that cannot be directly controlled using a Tray Selector profile is duplex printing, double-sided printing or two sided printing. Most users simply want to click a button in Word to either print single sided or double sided (duplex). This short blog article shows how to set this up with Tray Selector.

Following these steps and instructions will illustrate how to print Duplex using Tray Selector.

• Step 1 > Take note of your printer model and it’s port setting
• Step 2 > Install a new 2nd printer driver that points to the same physical printer
• Step 3 > Configure this new 2nd printer driver so that it prints everything duplex
• Step 4 > Install the printer on the client PC (if required). Further help her
• Step 5 > Create a new Tray Selector button named duplex that points to this printer

Notes:

• This example is for a network printer that is shared out from a server. We use an HP LaserJet printer in this example but the same process can be used for other printer types.
• If the printer in question is shared via a PC or server, then these steps need to be carried out on that PC or server.
• If the printer is either physically connected to your PC, or accessed directly from your PC across the network using it’s IP address, then steps 1,2,3 and 5 only need to be carried out on your PC

Step 1: Take a note of your printer model and port setting

Within the printers folder, right click on the existing printer icon, and choose Properties and then click on the Ports tab. The dialogue box should look something like this:

Step 2: Install a double-sided printing 2nd printer driver that points to the same physical printer

• Double click the Add Printer Icon

In this example we need to choose the option for installing a local printer, based on the settings noted in the first step.

• Select Use the following port and choose the option to match the one noted from the existing printer.

• Choose the manufacturer and printer model from the lists. Again this should match the printer model you noted at the beginning. You may need to install a new driver but if you already have a driver for this printer installed for single-side printing then you probably don’t need to again for duplex printing.

As this model of printer has already been installed, you will probably see the following message:

• Choose to keep the existing driver.

• Give your printer a name that will differentiate it from the existing one. In this example it’s called Duplex for duplex printing.

• If this printer is to be used by other users, then you need to give it a share name, again I have called this one Duplex.

Step 3: Configure this new 2nd printer driver so that it prints everything duplex

• Click on Printing Preferences

Using options found on the wizard that follows choose the method of duplex printing you require.

The look and position of this option will vary between different printer drivers, but basically what you are trying to achieve is that everything sent to this printer driver will print double sided and in most cases it will be flipped on long edge.

Step 4: Install the printer on the client PC (if required)

This process has created a shared network printer that prints all documents double sided.

You then need to set this up as an available printer for all users that require it.

• Do this by clicking Add Printer

• This time choose Network Printer

• If the printer has been shared out from a Windows server then you will need to choose Find printer in the directory.

• Choose Find Now