Duplex Printing Problem in Adobe Reader X (Mac)

[Alan_Forkosh]

My normal printer setting is for duplex printing. However, Adobe Reader X will only print on one side of the paper.. This is on a MacPro under Mac OSX 10.6.6 and Adobe Reader X Version 10.0.1 printing to a Canon IP4500 inkjet printer. Other applications duplex fine.

Any one else with this problem? Fixes or workarounds?

[karanmalik]

Is it that the duplex printing was working fine before applying 10.0.1 update. Have you tried with duplex printing in Reader X before applying 10.0.1 update. Did it work on version 10.0.0?

Thanks,

Karan

[karanmalik]

Also when you print a file, in Adobe Reader print dialog, at the bottom there are a few buttons namely - Printing Tips, Page Setp..., Printer..., Advanced etc.

Select Printer. This will open printer dialog. here check if option of two sided print is enabled.

Do you still get single sided prints even if this option is enabled?

Thanks,

Karan

[Alan_Forkosh]

Here is more detail on the problem, in reply to the questions posed by Ms. Malik:

The duplex settings for the printer are enabled in the standard print dialog boxes. I did not try anything using Adobe Reader X 10.0.0. I upgraded directly from 9.2.x to 10.0.1. I have not had the duplex printing problem with earlier versions of Adobe Reader and Adobe Acrobat Reader.

[Further update in problem description]

I should note that I was not printing a complete document; I was printing the 1st 2 of 3 pages. When I did print a complete document, duplex printing worked fine, but the order was reversed from normal. I usually specify 'Normal' order in the 'Paper Handling' section of the print dialog for the Canon printer. This usually results in front to back printing.  When I printed a complete PDF, the page order was reversed. If I specified 'Automatic' or 'Reverse' the order was front to back.

Message was edited by: Alan Forkosh

[BoPQ]

I had some problems too, and here are some things I noticed:

It seemed that the duplex setting was not honored unless I specifically chose the Printer button each time I print. If I did click on that button, it showed that the printer setup was already my custom "Double-sided" saved setting. But I still had to go through the dialog and choose Print on the Mac dialog first, then OK on the Adobe dialog.

The other thing is that if I printed an odd number of pages, the first page would come out single-sided and then the rest would be double sided, instead of the expected behavior of having the last page with one one side printed. So if it was a three-page document, I would get page 1 on one sheet and pages 2-3 on another instead of 1-2 on the first and 3 on the second. I was able to fix this by setting "Reverse" in the Adobe dialog and setting "Normal" order in the Mac dialog.

I found this to be a very counter-intuitive and confusing user interface. There is nothing to provide guidance for how the two dialogs interact, but you must use the Mac dialog to get to the printer's duplex setting.

[MacDivaNJ]

I can attest to the fact that problem occurs in both 10.0.0 and 10.0.1. The only way I have found to get a PDF to print Duplex is to either:

1) Take extra steps (and thus clicks) in the "Printer..." button in Reader's Print dialogue box, or

2) Use Preview which is what I am recommending to my users.

[kmpeterson]

Sigh.  Confirming this.  I have in fact reported this via the Adobe bug-report form.

I agree with the workaround: always going to the OS-supplied print dialog (by clicking on the "Printer..." button on the Reader dialog), ignoring the warning, and then clicking Print on the Mac dialog (which simply returns you to the Reader print dialog), and then clicking Print on the Adobe dialog.  In my experience, the extra step seems to fix the problem, though only temporarily.

I'm certainly familiar with the necessity of having this dialog for products like Photoshop and InDesign, but I think this is clearly Adobe barking up the wrong tree with this warning.  I'd be very curious to know what "capabilities" we're talking about here that aren't supported by Mac OS X.  Other than, of course, the "capability" of printing duplex printer jobs on one-sided sheets.

[Guest]

Seriously Adobe (I'm simply replying to you Karan becase you offered an answer), nearly THREE YEARS LATER and we are still dealing with this issue? I am having the exact same problem outlined  by post 5. I have Acrobat  XI (build 11.0.06.70) and OS X v. 10.9.1.

Again, nearly THREE YEARS LATER. Sad does not begin to explain the situation.

[Guest]

I'm having the same problem - just upgraded from Reader 8 or 9 to X on my Macs running 10.6.6, and *sometimes* documents won't print duplex even though that's my default printer setting.  I haven't been able to narrow down the circumstances, as it's happened to me for both full documents as well as partials of various page counts, and both through the Safari plug-in and the Reader app directly.  Type of printer isn't a factor either, as I use several different kinds in different locations.

[RDC78]

I'm having the same problem, only I can't fix it by going through the extra step. Not only does it fail to print duplex, but it fails to allow me to make any other changes. I teach, and frequently print things out on my personal computer, but I need to print them on fast and duplex, for obvious reasons. The duplex problem would be bad enough, but at least I could fix it by printing odds then evens on the other side, if nothing else works. However, I can't afford to print everything on standard. I NEED to print on fast, but I can't even do that in Adobe. I used to just print things from my Preview, but I have a curriculum I need to print from Adobe, since using Preview causes me to miss about 1/3 of the graphics. Can anyone give me any advice at all? I've got the latest Mac OS, a canon printer, and I just downloaded Reader yesterday. I am so frustrated right now.

[Jubbjubb]

I too have this problem.

How can I access the Mac Printer dialog from the Adobe Menu?

All I can access is Printer or Printer Set-UP, neither of which offer me the option to set Duplex Printing.

Jubbjubb.

[Jubbjubb]

I have solved it!!!

If I click on Printer I get the message telling me to use the Printer Dialog, if I the click on Continue it takes me to the dialog menu.

What a complex counter intuitive bit of programming.

Jubbjubb.

[MACGASM]

After having the problem / aggravation, I went through each area trying to

learn how to get past it.  Finally, I checkmarked 3x "Don't Show Me This Again" 

Then I established a default printer thereby forcing Adobe to retain print preferences

instead of  defaulting to "Any Printer" and losing custom settings

STEPS I TOOK (you may know of something faster, easier?)

CTRL P  or  File, Print to receive standard print dialogue

Within "Printer:"  use drop down to select  "PRINT & FAX Preferences...."

Note: You can set print & fax preferences thru System Preferences, but for

now we're here

Select the printer you will normally use and set up a default printer (for Adobe)

If the Lock at bottom left is closed it will require the system admin ID and PWD

to unlock/lock in order to make changes 🙂

Once finished close this (top left)

You will be returned to this panel

To the right of the "Printer:" drop down is the arrow that expands your options,

make sure it is aiming UP

Middle of screen is "Layout"  Select the drop down and select "Two-Sided Printing"

Look at the next screen image posted below and you will see there's more steps to

follow for two sided printing

Check mark "Print Both Sides"

By Re-Opening the Drop down now showing "Two-Side Printing", you can of

course adjust other items while here

Paper Type/Quality allows you to select items such as print quality, color settings

Select "Print" (bottom right of screen) to return to Adobe Reader Print Page

Save time by opening the "Presets:" dropdown and save this as a custom print setup name

   i.e.  grayscale_DblSided, Color_DblSided...

Finally, Check Mark  "Reverse Pages" to print Back to Front and help Adobe

not to print a single sided first page and double sided pages for the others... Nice!

It's time to press "OK" and hover over the printer to ensure Adobe didn't send

instructions to print your 100 single side pages despite all best efforts

Since going through this rigamarole I have not had to reset it every time

Message was edited by: MACGASM

Message was edited by: MACGASM

[Jubbjubb]

When the Adobe Print Menu comes up, click on "Printer".

You will get the Adobe message telling you to go to the printer Dialog Menu.

You click on "Yes" to Continue and the Dialog window will appear.

Click on "Layout, then alter anything you want, includung Duplex Printing, or whatever your printer calls it.

Jubbjubb.

[drsdeg]

This fixed it for me. Thank you!

[Mikonoda]

The irony of this is that I have the exact opposite problem... Adobe is printing everything duplex always, unless I go through the same rigamorale of going to the print button, confirming that my settings already say NOT to print double-sided, and then printing.

Any of you people unable to double print want to trade printers with me? It would seem like the simplest solution, lol.

[kmbrya]

I came late to the discussion but here's my "FIX" to the duplex printing dilemma: Open any multiple-page PDF in Apple's "PREVIEW" (until now, ANNOYING available on all MACs) — On my 2007 iMAC (OS10.7.5) it will print DUPLEX — NO PROBLEM. I'm pretty jazzed to have such an easy "FIX" (discovered by happy accident) — I hope this work-around helps somebody else — HAPPY PRINTING!