For book-like double-sided printing, choose Flip on Long Edge for portrait pages and Flip on Short Edge for landscape pages. The setting tells the printer which edge to turn the sheet around; it does not change a document’s orientation. Choose the opposite edge when you want pages to flip upward like a calendar.
What “flip on long edge” and “flip on short edge” mean
The labels identify the physical edge around which the sheet turns to expose its reverse side. Long-edge binding turns the page along its long side, like turning a book page. Short-edge binding turns it along its short side, more like flipping a calendar page. Microsoft describes the options this way in its Word for Mac duplex-printing instructions.
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The words can seem backwards because the edge that serves as a book’s spine depends on the page orientation. On a portrait sheet, the long edges run vertically; on a landscape sheet, they run horizontally. The setting describes the sheet’s turning edge, not the direction of the text.
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Which setting should you use?
| Page orientation | How you want to turn the page | Usual setting | Check the result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Like a book, left or right | Flip on long edge | Turn the sheet along its left or right edge; the reverse should read upright. |
| Portrait | Upward, like a calendar | Flip on short edge | Turn the sheet over its top edge; the reverse should read upright. |
| Landscape | Like a book, left or right | Flip on short edge | Turn along the edge acting as the spine; the reverse should read upright. |
| Landscape | Upward, like a calendar | Flip on long edge | Preview or test a sheet because the result is less intuitive in this orientation. |
This is the usual mapping, not a guarantee for every printer and driver. HP’s duplex printing guidance gives a portrait-and-landscape mapping, while current driver menus and labels can vary by model and operating system.
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Why the back of a page may print upside down
The selected edge may not match the way you intend to turn the page. For example, a portrait report meant to read like a book will usually need long-edge binding; choosing short edge instead can make the reverse read upside down when you turn the page from the side. In landscape, book-like reading usually calls for short-edge binding.
Use the application’s print preview if it shows both sides. If the preview is unclear or the driver uses different wording, print one test sheet and turn it the way you plan to read the finished document. Printer menus and preview behavior are model-dependent.
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Printing documents with both portrait and landscape pages
A single binding choice may not orient every page correctly in a mixed-orientation job. Microsoft’s retained troubleshooting guidance for Word 2010 and Word 2013 says the selected long-edge or short-edge setting applies to the whole job regardless of individual page orientation, so pages in one orientation can appear upside down. For those versions, it recommends printing portrait and landscape pages as separate duplex jobs with the suitable setting for each. That guidance is specific to Word 2010 and Word 2013; it should not be assumed to describe every current Word version or printer driver.
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For a mixed document, inspect the print preview first. If it does not make the reverse-side orientation clear, test a copy or print page ranges grouped by orientation. Avoid setting orientation in both the application and printer driver unless the printer documentation explains how those settings interact.
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If your printer requires manual duplexing
Some printers without automatic two-sided printing can still print both sides through a manual process. Microsoft’s Word for Mac instructions describe printing odd-numbered pages, reinserting the stack, then printing even-numbered pages. The required rotation or order can differ by printer, so follow the on-screen prompt or the printer’s model-specific instructions rather than assuming the stack should be reinserted the same way on every machine.
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- COMPACT, CONNECTED, EXCEPTIONALLY EFFICIENT– Connect with built-in dual-band wireless (2.4GHz/5GHz), Ethernet, or to a single computer via USB interface. Prints at speeds up to 36ppm(2), plus automatic duplex printing saves time and reduces paper waste
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