Printing double sided InDesign

The post I wrote about this issue was misplaced on this question. I was having issues printing double-sided, which isn't what the OP was asking about. Sorry, I had too many windows open and you can ignore what I wrote (unless someone can tell me HTF I can delete a post.)

The other answers are technically correct, but likely didn't help solve the issue. While it is true that you have to select "Printer" (bottom of first screen) and "Two-Sided" (second screen near top), you also have to have "All Pages to print" selected rather than the "Current Page" you're on, which is very likely what was causing your issues (it was ready to print all the pages on both sides, but you still weren't asking it to do so because you had print "current page" only selected). At least that's what I'm guessing was the issue, as was mine 5 minutes before I typed this. I realize this is an old thread, but other people will read this for answers so I'm posting it anyway because after reading all the answers, I still had to figure it out for myself anyway.

When you initially create a new document for a double-sided pamphlet, I think you need to uncheck "facing pages" and give your document some bleed space 3mm or so, and that's that. Facing Pages should be checked off for a two-sided one page pamphlet. You're printing one document on both sides which isn't the same as printing a book (many pages). Once you're done with your document, you can export it as a PDF included the crop marks and bleed so the press shop knows how to set it up. Might be a variation if you're printing at home on your own desktop printer compared to some massive high-quality print run on a professional hardware. Other settings such as PPI for images, DPI, CMYK, and all that will depend to what output printer you're sending it to. A $250 Epson or a $1500 Epson isn't the same as a Xeikon PX3300HD (it prints at 1200dpi).. 

It's not necessarily that it's handled by the printer as to more how it's set up. A printer at home can do duplex, many do. No doubt about that. It's more about how the document is setup. A pamphlet should, in my opinion, be set up as "no facing pages" (uncheck 'facing pages' when creating a new pamphlet document). You can have a no facing pages or facing pages and still instruct the printer to do duplex. 

If facing pages is on, you'll notice a difference in how the pages are presented in the interface in InDesign. A pamphlet properly set up at the start with "facing pages" unchecked will show up differently in the pages interface in InDesign. It's showing you one piece of document with two sides not two pages. Confusing a bit, but physically, it's like taking one A4 on your desk, table, whatever, and there's only one physical page on the table. Facing pages, means, every physical piece of paper you lay flat on your desk, you'll have as many pages, two pages, means it two A4 on your desk that can print both sides. 

For a one tri-fold pamphlet, you only need one page. It should be "no facing pages" (facing pages unchecked when creating new document). That's it. 

Upside print? Depends if you're printing at home. Might be the way you are inserting the page back into the printer. Properly set up it shouldn't do that. 

If you're printing from home, you'll probably have to select "print double-sided" on your home printer. How you insert the page back in, should be as according to the printer's instructions. Either way, that part, you'll need to read your printer's instruction or manual. 

Again, a printer can print both sides of any document. That is not the same as setting up a one page non facing page document. In InDesign, telling it to do "no facing pages", tells it that the two pages you see in InDesign are the front and back of the document. 

There are videos on this concept on YouTube. 

This was solved over HERE. In your document, go to File > Print. At the bottom of the box, there's a button called "Setup..." - clicking this brings up a warning, clicking OK brings up printer preferences. Select your printer, click "Preferences" and one of them should be double sided printing. Two years late, but hopefully it helps anyone else looking for the same thing!

Hi Jenifer,

Thanks for reaching out. I'd recommend checking out an old but similar discussion on https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign/printing-2-sided-from-indesign/td-p/2222207?page=1
Let us know if it helps.

Regards,

Ashutosh