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- How to print Word docs controlling 1 or 2 sided printing

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05-03-2025 09:58 AM
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?
05-04-2025 07:28 AM - edited 05-04-2025 07:28 AM
@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:
- Go to System Preferences > Printers & Scanners.
- Select your HP Envy Inspire 7255e from the list.
- Click Options & Supplies > Driver.
- Make sure Duplex Printing Unit is enabled (if supported).
- 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:
- Quit Word.
- Navigate to:
~/Library/Preferences/com.microsoft.Word.plist
- Move this file to your desktop (to reset preferences).
- Restart Word and try printing again.
I hope this helps.
Take care and have a good day.
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Max3Aj
HP Support