How to Print a PDF Double-Sided Without Duplex Printing

How manual double-sided printing works

Printers without duplex printing (the feature that automatically flips the page) only print on one side. The trick is to print in two passes: first, print the odd-numbered pages (1, 3, 5…), then reload the stack in the tray and print the even-numbered pages (2, 4, 6…) on the other side.

Most problems come from loading the paper the wrong way on the second pass or printing the even pages in the wrong order. That’s why you should start with a two-sheet test.

Step 0: Test with two sheets

1. Get two used sheets of paper for a test. Use a pencil to draw an arrow in the top corner of each sheet, pointing toward the inside of the printer, and write “top” on the side facing you.
2. Print pages 1 and 3 of any document.
3. Check which side was printed and how the pages are oriented in relation to the arrows. This shows whether your printer prints on the top or bottom side of the paper, and whether printed pages come out face up or face down.
4. Reload the sheets and print pages 2 and 4. If the back is upside down or printed on the wrong side, adjust how you reload the stack and write down the correct method on a note to keep by the printer.

This test only uses two sheets of scrap paper and can save you from wasting an entire print job.

Print odd and even pages

Some programs have a built-in option:

• Adobe Acrobat Reader: in the print window, under More options, choose Odd pages only, then Even pages only.
• Word: go to File › Print. In the pages field, choose Print Odd Pages Only or Print Even Pages Only.
• Printer drivers: many manufacturers offer a “manual duplex” mode that prints the odd pages and prompts you to flip the paper.

If your PDF reader (such as your browser’s built-in viewer) doesn’t have this option, use the Extract PDF pages tool to create two files: one with only the odd pages and one with only the even pages. Then print each file separately as usual.

When the even pages print in reverse order

Many printers stack pages face down or face up so that, when you reload the stack, page 1 ends up at the bottom. As a result, page 10 prints on the back of page 1, throwing off the entire order.

If your test shows this is happening, reverse the order of the even-page file with Reverse PDF page order before the second pass. That way, the last even-numbered page prints first and ends up on the right sheet.

Documents with an odd number of pages

A 9-page PDF has 5 odd pages and 4 even pages. One sheet will have nothing printed on the back during the second pass. If it’s in the wrong place in the stack, it can throw off every page. Here are two ways to handle it:

• Remove the last printed sheet (page 9) before reloading the stack.
• Or add a blank page at the end with Add a blank page to a PDF, and choose the option to make the page count even. The document will then have 10 pages, so both passes use the same number of sheets.

The same tool can help when each chapter needs to start on a front-facing page: insert a blank page before any chapter that would otherwise start on the back.

Tips to prevent paper jams

• Let the ink or toner dry for a few minutes before printing the second side.
• Fan the stack to separate the sheets, then tap the edges to align them.
• Very thin paper (under 75 g/m²) may let text show through from the other side. For important documents, use slightly heavier paper.
• For long documents, print in batches of 20 to 30 sheets. If something goes wrong, you’ll waste less paper.

Frequently asked questions