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Acrobat Not Printing Double Sided

New Here ,
Jul 27, 2016 Jul 27, 2016

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I recently switched my work computer from a PC to Mac, but have worked on Macs for years so I'm not exactly a newbie. In Acrobat, it's not allowing me to print double-sided. I have printed from this computer to the same printer (Canon iR-ADV C5030/5035 UFR II) from other programs, and it allows me to print double-sided just fine. But it seems as though Acrobat doesn't even recognize that double-sided is an option on the printer. Other resources says to download new drivers for the printer, but that doesn't make sense since other programs will print double-sided.

Has anyone experience something like this before?

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Print and prepress

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correct answers 1 Correct answer

Community Expert , Sep 04, 2017 Sep 04, 2017

Adobe Acrobat reads from the OS what the printer driver advertises as features to the OS. If the double sided feature is not advertised and you need to pass through a printer dialogue established by the printer manufactorer, you cannot blame Acrobat for this. Acrobat allows only for a shortcut, avoiding the printer dialogue at all during it's print job preparation.

It seams to be obvious, that a correct printer driver tells the OS about all of it's features. This is primordial for a seamless inte

...

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Community Expert ,
Jul 30, 2016 Jul 30, 2016

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I would also recommend to download a new driver, as this indicates that your driver is not passing on the correct information to Acrobat.

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Community Beginner ,
Jul 31, 2016 Jul 31, 2016

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Disagree.

I have exactly the same problem, but I do not believe the driver is the issue because:

The same printer is registered in two ways, WIRELESS and LAN.  Each has a different name and IP address, (normal).

Print a document to the Wireless version and the double-sided option is there.

Print the same document to the LAN version and there's no double-sided option.

Print a document to the same choices from Microsoft WORD and BOTH Wireless and LAN printers offer the double-sided option.

If you open the same original PDF document with Microsoft EDGE (Microsoft's Windows 10 web browser), it also offers duplex printing on both the wireless and the LAN versions of the printer.

So, the system driver *IS* capable of finding the double-sided capability.  The only thing that doesn't recognise it is DC.

I have also uninstalled and reinstalled both the printer and its drivers and DC, rebooting the computer after each uninstall and reinstall.

My environment:

Surface Pro 4

Windows 10

Adobe Acrobat Reader DC - 15.017.20050 (no further updates available)

Brother MFC-9970CDW

Firware version: L

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Community Expert ,
Jul 31, 2016 Jul 31, 2016

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It is not said, that both kinds use the same driver. What hinders you to update the driver or even try to do it?

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Community Beginner ,
Jul 31, 2016 Jul 31, 2016

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The driver was removed and replaced with the removal and reinstallation of the printer (that was explained in my reply above) AND if the driver were at fault, why can both MS Word and Edge readily offer AND execute duplex printing on this printer?

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Participant ,
Oct 31, 2016 Oct 31, 2016

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This is fairly lame not to have Two-Sided as a choice, since Acrobat is otherwise great for large documents.

However, here's my workaround for Mac.

1. Save finalized PDF to a folder as a PDF.

2. Open the PDF in "Preview" – the name of a standard app supplied with MacOS
3. Print from the app "Preview"
4. check the 'Two-Sided" box

5. Write a message to Adobe to fix that nonsense…

=8^}

Screen Shot 2016-10-31 at 1.06.09 PM.png

Preview has it Acrobat "Pro" doesn't 

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Community Expert ,
Oct 31, 2016 Oct 31, 2016

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Preview is not in any way a correct PDF viewer as it supports only a subselection of the PDF functionality. Many PDFs will look different. Avoid using it for opening PDFs.

How the print dialog looks depends more on the used printer driver. You might download a newer one.

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Participant ,
Nov 01, 2016 Nov 01, 2016

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The question was about printing double-sided. In this case I had a 90-page statement to be reviewed for an IRS audit.

I would have preferred to use the powerful Acrobat program that comes with my Creative Cloud subscription.

This is a "workaround" and it does print two-sided. I've tried it and it works for this particular project. Preview is provided free with MacOS and will work for basic PDF editing. As with any external program workaround, it might not provide the results one is looking for. However printing two-sided is one of those things that is lacking in Acrobat and a few other Adobe apps for the near-term.

Willi, you don't offer a solution that you've tested, you're guessing at possible "shotgun approach" fixes, which can cause undesired incompatibilities elsewhere. Ultimately, they just waste time.

If you mention the printer, OS and driver that you've successfully tried to get Acrobat DC to print a large document two-sided, you are answering the question. If you're unable to do that…

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Community Expert ,
Nov 01, 2016 Nov 01, 2016

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If you suggest to use a program that is not capable to show or print all PDFs correctly, it is not a solution for anyone. That is why your solution is not a solution but anything else.

And what is shown in the Acrobat's print dialog depends on the printer and the installed printer driver. I cannot test YOUR printer as I don't have this one. If your dialog does not show all features your printer has, you have to consult the printer's support.

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Participant ,
Nov 01, 2016 Nov 01, 2016

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Look, I don't have a $20,000 IBM Infoprint or a $5,000 large format HP printer. In fact, I'm willing to bet 70% of the Acrobat DC users rarely change any Advanced Print Settings or use them. Most use Acrobat for input and eDoc output.

My suggestion is a workaround, it's not preferable. Like some Marines say: "If it's really, really stupid — but it works, it's not really "stupid."

So Mr. Adelberger, I provided an Image that shows a "two-sided" printing option. Let's see an image — within the Acrobat DC output dialog box, that shows "two-sided" printing for a HP Officejet Pro 8610 or whatever consumer level 3 in 1 printer that an average user might have.

Do you even have a two sided printer to test your "solutions" on? If you do, provide the evidence…

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Community Expert ,
Nov 01, 2016 Nov 01, 2016

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It is not a matter of the printer I am talking about.

I am against recommending trash applications like Apple Preview as it does not support a variety of PDFs. This forum is full of reports of people using Apple Preview to read their PDFs.

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Participant ,
Nov 01, 2016 Nov 01, 2016

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Willi Adelberger wrote:

It is not a matter of the printer I am talking about.

I am against recommending trash applications like Apple Preview as it does not support a variety of PDFs. This forum is full of reports of people using Apple Preview to read their PDFs.

Willi, if you have such an agenda, you might be of more help by starting another discussion. "Propaganda against Apple Preview"

Workarounds are just that, not the solution that would be desired — Acrobat easily recognizing the two sided-capacity of the selected printer — but a temporary method to obtain similar results.

There are also several threads in this forum for folks looking to print two-sided. So far they've only obtained similar time-wasting dissembling from those who should be developing solutions instead of excuses. Not one of them has been properly answered.

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Community Expert ,
Nov 02, 2016 Nov 02, 2016

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It is not a propaganda. Apple Preview can only support a limited selection of PDF features.

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New Here ,
Oct 31, 2017 Oct 31, 2017

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Why are you complaining when a solution was provided? I am actually using Teledyol's "workaround", aka my solution, and thanks to him I am able to print my large doc in two sides. Adobe! Please find a solution for this silly problem...

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Community Expert ,
Oct 31, 2017 Oct 31, 2017

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Please ask the printer (driver) manufacturer to pass that information on to the OS. Adobe Acrobat asks the printer capabilities, but if nobody tells Acrobat, that the printer does duplex printing, it can not enable that option.

ABAMBO | Hard- and Software Engineer | Photographer

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Community Expert ,
Nov 01, 2016 Nov 01, 2016

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Only those who have exactly that printer can install the driver.

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New Here ,
Sep 09, 2018 Sep 09, 2018

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This worked for me! Thanks so much.

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Community Beginner ,
Sep 02, 2017 Sep 02, 2017

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I, too, had the same problem on my Mac (Running Sierra, and fresh installed, updated Brother printer driver).  Despite the fact this is almost a year old, I figured I would reply with a solution since it is clear the respondent was missing the point you were making.  I'm using Acrobat DC with a one month old Brother printer capable of two-sided printing.  Other program print dialogs show the two-sided printing checkbox option but Acrobat DC does not, just like you experienced.  However, by selecting the "Printer..." option found next to the "Page Setup" option at the bottom left of the print dialog screen as produced by Acrobat DC, it opens up the system print dialog screen.  Before that dialog opens, you will be given a warning (from Acrobat DC).  Just select "yes" and the system print dialog will open.  You should notice that the two-sided print option will be available.  Click the checkbox for the "Two-sided" option, then select "Print".  That dialog will close and return you to the Acrobat DC dialog.  Select "Print" from there as well.  This worked for me.  As a side note, that work-around you provided also worked for me, too.  Hope this helps if you hadn't found a solution as of yet.

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New Here ,
Apr 02, 2018 Apr 02, 2018

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Wow--I have been totally stumped about this for months and finally decided to try to get some info and stumbled on this post. Thank you so much. What a ridiculous problem. And how is the ordinary person supposed to dig up such a totally unobvious solution. So thanks again.

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Community Expert ,
Apr 04, 2018 Apr 04, 2018

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Well, the printer driver programmer did a very bad job! his should go to his forum.

ABAMBO | Hard- and Software Engineer | Photographer

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Community Beginner ,
Sep 02, 2017 Sep 02, 2017

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pic1.png

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Community Expert ,
Sep 04, 2017 Sep 04, 2017

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Adobe Acrobat reads from the OS what the printer driver advertises as features to the OS. If the double sided feature is not advertised and you need to pass through a printer dialogue established by the printer manufactorer, you cannot blame Acrobat for this. Acrobat allows only for a shortcut, avoiding the printer dialogue at all during it's print job preparation.

It seams to be obvious, that a correct printer driver tells the OS about all of it's features. This is primordial for a seamless integration of the whole soft- and hardware chain.

ABAMBO | Hard- and Software Engineer | Photographer

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Participant ,
Sep 04, 2017 Sep 04, 2017

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Otherwisegood, I tried that very same thing, but its capricious, at best. A "Two-sided" printing checkbox should be on the primary "Pages to Print" on the APDC Application dialogue box. It's a feature request and Adobe could do it if there was a will…

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Community Expert ,
Sep 05, 2017 Sep 05, 2017

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As I said : Acrobat reads the features it gets from the OS. If the printer driver does not advertise that feature to the OS, Acrobat can't use this information. This is a problem, the printer driver developper needs to solve. Only when the OS returns a feature and Acrobat does not read it, you have a problem where Adobe is to blame.

ABAMBO | Hard- and Software Engineer | Photographer

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Community Beginner ,
Oct 16, 2017 Oct 16, 2017

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To get Acrobat to do double sided printing -- at least for my Brother HL-2280DW printer -- the key was whether the printer's setup in Control Panel reflects that the printer's Duplexing Unit IS or IS NOT installed. 

Interestingly, however, even when that option is set to "Not installed," MS Word's printer dialog still includes Duplexing as an option and it will make my Brother printer print on both sides of the paper whenever I desire.  So Microsoft must use a more sophisticated technique for obtaining information about the printer's capabilities and/or for controlling or communicating with these printers than the apparently simpler "ask the OS" "shortcut" method Adobe employs. 

That said, I don't know whether the following will work for ALL Brother printers, but here are steps that worked for my Brother HL-2280DW:

In Windows’ Control Panel | Devices and Printers,

(a)  Right-click on the Brother printer, then

(b)  Click on “Printer properties” (about ½ way down – DO NOT click on “Properties” at the bottom!!); then

(c)  you should see a screen something like this:

(d)  Click on “Preferences”;

(e)  Now, you should see a screen like this:

(f)  Click on “Advanced”;

(g)  Now you should see a screen like this:

(h)  Click on the “Device Settings” tab;

  Under “Installable Options, if it shows your printer’s Duplex Unit to be “Installed,” I don’t know what to tell you to do next; however, if – as I suspect – it shows your printer’s Duplex Unit as “Not installed,” click on those words and you should get a dropdown that looks like this:

(j)  Click on “Installed” (which should cause it to show that your printer’s Duplex Unit is “Installed”; then

(k)  Click on “Apply” (at the bottom) and it now should look like this:

(l)  Click on Apply and you should be out of the Printer dialogs and can get out of the Control Panel.

(m)  NOW, return to Acrobat and select the Brother printer. About 60% of the way down the printer dialog, there now should be a checkbox next to “Print on both sides of paper,” with radio button choices below for you to pick a “flip” side.

(n)  After confirming that the duplexing will occur in the manner you prefer, click on “Print.”

Apparently, the printer property setting identified above (g, h, i, k) is the what Adobe's software looks to in deciding whether or not to reference two-sided printing in its printer dialog. 

Nevertheless, it would be far less confusing if -- rather than not mentioning duplexing at all -- Adobe's printer dialog instead includes a note along the lines of "This printer's properties do not identify that it has duplexing (two-sided printing) capability."  That at least would tell the user that, if the user knows the printer CAN duplex,then there's likely something wrong in the printer's properties settings, which would give the user a place to start looking for a fix. 

Paul

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