How do I change the default setting to turn off printing on both sides?

Hello Ann!

I hope you are doing well.

​To set single-sided (simplex) printing as the default in Adobe Acrobat, you'll need to adjust your printer's default settings at the operating system level, as Acrobat utilizes these settings during print operations. 

Additional Considerations:

• Printer Capabilities: Ensure your printer supports single-sided printing and that duplex printing isn't set as a hardware default.​

• Application Settings: While Acrobat doesn't have a built-in option to set default print settings, it adheres to the system's printer defaults. Therefore, adjusting the printer's default settings should reflect in Acrobat's print behavior.

For Windows Users:

1. Access Printer Properties:

   • Press Win + R, type control printers, and press Enter to open the Devices and Printers window.​

   • Locate your printer, right-click on it, and select "Printer Properties".​

2. Modify Printing Defaults:

   • Navigate to the "Advanced" tab.​

   • Click on "Printing Defaults..."

   • In the Printing Defaults window, find the setting for "Print on both sides" or "Duplex printing".​

   • Set it to "None" or "Off" to disable duplex printing.​

   • Click "Apply" and then "OK" to save your changes.​

By adjusting these settings, Acrobat should default to single-sided printing, as it inherits the printer's default preferences.

For macOS Users:

1. Set Default Print Preferences:

   • Open a document and select "File" > "Print".​

   • In the print dialog, choose your printer.​

   • Click on "Show Details" to expand the print options.​

   • Find the "Two-Sided" checkbox and uncheck it to disable duplex printing.​

2. Save as Default Preset:

   • At the "Presets" dropdown menu, select "Save Current Settings as Preset...".​

   • Provide a name for the preset, such as "Single-Sided Printing".​

   • Ensure the preset is set for "All Printers" or the specific printer you're using.​

   • Click "OK" to save the preset.​

By creating and selecting this preset, your print jobs should default to single-sided printing. See this article for more detailed information: Print double-sided | Adobe Acrobat, Reader

Thanks,

Anand Sri.