What is Duplex Printing? An Easy Guide for Double-Sided Prints

There are several printer categories now available in the market. Each of them has its own unique set of features and technologies. Some of them are known for their efficiency, while others are known for their printing quality, and the list goes on and on. 

At first, they were broadly classified into two major categories (inkjet and laser printers), but now, this number has scaled up to 6. In today’s article, we will take a look at one of those models which recently joined the list of modern printing technologies – Duplex Printing. The top printers from HP, Brother, Canon, etc., are gaining massive popularity. However, for now,  the following are some bullet points we will discuss in this article.

Duplex Printers: Introduction

Printers consist of an engine that is responsible for all the functions happening in them. From the rollers to the inks, everything is controlled by this engine. Printing machines with a single engine are called Simplex Printers. While on the other hand, when the number of engines in that machine increases from one to two, they are classified as Duplex Printers. 

These engines work simultaneously on each side of the sheet to give a quick print output. Many new and innovative models from each manufacturer are now introduced in the market that have a built-in capacity to provide you with a double-sided print, which is also known as Auto Duplexing.

However, this duplexing can be done both automatically or manually. Modern printing machines with suitable features are able to do this automatically, but in many budget-friendly simplex printers, the operator has to flip the page manually. 

These Printers save more money, time, and energy compared to regular ones. It also increases the accuracy of the sequence and is also suitable for large volumes of prints. In this article, we will discuss everything about Duplex Printing and how to do it.

Duplex Printers vs. Simplex Printers

As we told you that these two complex yet useful machines are equipped with new technology and features. Therefore, it has become more important for us to discuss the differences between them.

	Duplex Printer	Simplex Printer
Printing	Prints both sides simultaneously	Prints one side each time
Time Saving	Saves more time	Takes more time
Cost Effective	Cost less in the long term	costs higher in the long term
Number of Pages	Duplex printers use less number of pages	These printers use more pages

This is a short comparison between these two candidates. You can choose one of them with respect to your budget and needs. However, suppose you do not have a cash crunch and deal in a high volume of prints. In that case, we recommend you go for a duplex one since it reduces the cost and saves time and raw materials like paper, ink, etc.

Duplex Printing: Leverage Over Simplex Printers

Printers that have double-engine and can print both sides of the sheet simultaneously are blessings. They come with a number of points that provide them with an edge over others. Let us discuss those points in this section of the article.

1. Cost Saving: When it comes to cost,  double-engines contribute to more cost-saving printing as all the materials that are involved in printing are used in way less quantity. Since it takes less time to print (thanks to its double-sided printing feature), the power and sheets of paper involved are marginally less than single-engine printers.
2. Time-Saving: With the latest technologies involved, Duplex printers are able to take and process commands more quickly. And since both sides are inked at the same time, it reduces the time and effort involved.
3. Saves environment: With the reduction of pages involved in the total project, back-to-back prints allow the whole matter to be inked in the minimum number of pages. Moreover, it becomes easier for organizations to recycle those prints once their purpose is served.
4. Bang for the Buck: The term bang for the buck is used when a product outstands the cost involved with it in an impressive manner. This is just the case for the Duplex printer. It may initially feel heavy on your pocket, but believe us, for long-term usage, it would be a blessing in disguise for your organization.
5. Easier to Operate: We are saying this because if you decide to print on both sides via a single engine, it may get frustrating. You might have to flip the page manually after each print and carry on the process. Here come Duplex printers with an edge, the motor installed in them does not require you to flip the pages each time to get a double-sided print.
6. Saves Electricity: As mentioned earlier in this section, they use fewer resources compared to ordinary ones. The time involved in their printing is low. Therefore, it consumes less power compared to regular ones. 

These were the advantages that we had been talking about since the start of the discussion. No doubt that Duplex printers are more expensive than regular ones, but it is worth buying according to their long-term reviews. 

How Does It Work?

A double-sided print can be given by any printer, whether it is single-engine or double-engine. Both of them have their own functioning method with their own mechanical techniques. If you have set up your printer wirelessly in the correct way, you can get a duplex print from any printer.

Single-Engine Printers: These are most commonly found in the market. The majority of the population that uses printers go for a single-engine machine. 

If you command a printer for a duplex print, the engine will first print on one side of the sheet and then on the other. The roller machinery flips the page automatically, but sometimes, you might have to flip the page manually.

Double-Engine Printers: As the name suggests, double-engine printers are integrated with two engines that ink the pages at the same time. Both of the engines take their individual command from the system and give prints which can also be termed auto-duplexing.

There is no need to flip the page in these printers as the sheets are printed in only one go. Canon USA brilliantly demonstrated this process in their short but informative YouTube video.

This is how these magnificent machines work. With evolving technologies, new features are getting integrated into them. More fast and accurate printing quality is getting introduced with them. New generations and models are in development all the time. 

How to Do Duplex Printing: Any Printer

To set up duplex printing on your computer, follow the given steps:

1. Go to the Start Menu.
   

   

2. Search for the Control Panel.

   

3. Click on the View Device and Printer button under Hardware and Sound button.

   

4. Select the Printer Device.
   

   

5. Right Click on the icon and click on Printer Properties.

   

6. Go to Device Settings.

   

7. From the Duplex Unit option, select Installed from the drop-down menu.
   
8. Click Apply.
   

   

9. Click OK.
   

   

Now, the settings of your computer have been updated and it will print the pages from both sides by default. To print the document from your PC:

1. If you want to print a sheet from MS Office, go to the File Menu.
   

   

2. Click on the Print button.

   

3. From the print button, click on Print One Sided to change the settings.
   

   

4. Change the settings to Print on Both Sides.

   

5. Click on the Print button.

   

Some printer systems might not require flipping the page manually.

This way, you can get duplex printing from any printer that is available at the moment. Well, until now, one thing that must have gotten into your mind is that duplex printing is a much cheaper and viable option for you or your organization. But to what extent can the numbers differ? The article’s next section will calculate this with a hypothetical situation.

Money Saver

For this case study, suppose that organization A needs 100 printed papers daily. Keeping this situation in mind, let us perform some basic calculations.

Printed Papers	Requirements (Single Side Prints)	Requirements (Double Sided Prints)
Per Day	100	50
Per Week	500	250
Per Month	2000	1000
Per Year	24000	12000

So, this table shows how much paper it requires for the same volume of prints. Now we will calculate the amount that organization A can save by duplex printing. For this, we assume that the paper cost (per sheet) is 2 Pesos.

Time Period	Print Requirement	Cost per Sheet	Single Side Print	Duplex Printing	Savings
Per Day	100	2	200	100	100
Per Week	500	2	1000	500	500
Per Month	2000	2	4000	2000	2000
Per Year	24000	2	48000	24000	24000
Total Savings (%)					50%

This is how much money they can save on their paper needs annually if they go for duplex printing. 

But one thing here to note is that the paper supply is not the only thing that matters in the printing cost. Other factors like power consumption, cartridge charges, maintenance, etc., are also counted in the expenses. 

Considering all of them, the organization’s funds can be saved up to 30-35% of the expenses in the long term. The machine may cost high at the initial stage, but with a far-vision, it is a more viable option.  

Conclusion

It must be clear now how duplex printing and Auto Duplexing features can reduce the hassle and pain of your life. Printing has never been this easy. With new technologies and advancements, a number of types of printers have given us so many options, among which we can choose the best for ourselves. 

The duplex printer is one of those new and latest technologies. Printing on only one side of the paper can be an irrational and immoral decision. It can lead up to unnecessary piles of garbage. Instead, we can use duplex printing and can save as much paper as we can.

Moreover, it reduces the cost for your organization and consumes less energy and fewer resources. Enjoy your savings on the resources or invest that money in some other important things in your business. 

Frequently Asked Questions