How to print Word docs controlling 1 or 2 sided printing

[Andy509]

My envy inspire 7255e prints well, bur from Word there is no way to select 1- sided vs. 2 - sided.  pdf files give that choice.  Worse, some of my Word docs automatically print 2 sided and some 1 sided!  How do I control this?

[Max3Aj]

@Andy509, Welcome to HP Support Community. 

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you. 
Here's how you can take control of one-sided vs. two-sided (duplex) printing from Word on macOS 11.0 Big Sur with your HP Envy Inspire 7255e:

Step-by-Step: Force 1-Sided or 2-Sided Printing in Word (macOS)

Option 1: Use the macOS Print Dialog (Preferred)

• In Word, go to File > Print (or press Command + P).
• In the print dialog that opens, click "Show Details" (if it only shows a small summary).
• From the drop-down menu in the middle, choose: 
  Layout
• You'll now see a setting:
• Two-Sided: Set this to either: 
  Long-Edge Binding (for duplex/2-sided)
  Off (for single-sided)
• Once set, you can click Presets > Save Current Settings as Preset to save your preference for future use (e.g., "Word 1-sided").

Option 2: Adjust the Default Setting in System Preferences

If Word keeps reverting settings, you can force the printer's default:

1. Go to System Preferences > Printers & Scanners.
2. Select your HP Envy Inspire 7255e from the list.
3. Click Options & Supplies > Driver.
4. Make sure Duplex Printing Unit is enabled (if supported).
5. Back in the "Print Using" settings, set Default Preset to one you've saved for 1-sided or 2-sided.

Option 3: Save Presets for Different Needs

• After setting your desired options in the Print dialog, click "Presets" > Save Current Settings as Preset.
• Name it like “1-sided Word” or “2-sided PDF”.
• Next time, select your preset before printing.

Word on macOS sometimes uses the default system printer settings, while PDFs may have explicit layout preferences embedded. If one Word doc prints 2-sided and another 1-sided, it could be due to:

• Different page setup templates
• Document-specific print settings
• Inheritances from templates (.dotx)

Optional Fix: Reset Word’s Printing Preferences

If nothing works:

1. Quit Word.
2. Navigate to:
   ~/Library/Preferences/com.microsoft.Word.plist
    
3. Move this file to your desktop (to reset preferences).
4. Restart Word and try printing again.

I hope this helps. 

Take care and have a good day. 

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Select "Yes" on the bottom left to say “Thanks” for helping! 

Max3Aj

HP Support