If your printer keeps printing on both sides automatically, you can easily change the settings in Windows to force it to print one side only. The process is easy and takes only a few minutes. Windows provides multiple ways to modify printing preferences, including through the Settings app, Control Panel, and printer preferences window.
Let’s learn it in detail!.
Why Windows Prints on Both Sides Automatically?
Many printers come with duplex printing enabled by default. Manufacturers often activate this feature to reduce paper usage and support environmentally friendly printing practices. However, automatic duplex printing may not always match your needs.
Windows stores printer preferences separately for each installed printer. Once duplex printing is enabled, every print job may continue using two-sided printing until the setting is manually changed.
The exact wording of the option depends on your printer brand. You may see terms such as:
- Print on Both Sides
- Duplex Printing
- Two-Sided Printing
- Double-Sided Printing
- Automatic Duplexing
Disabling any of these options will allow the printer to print on one side only.
Change Printer Setting to Print One Side Only in Windows
Follow these steps to change your printer settings to print one side only in Windows:
- Open the Settings app on your Windows computer.
- Click Bluetooth & devices and select Printers & scanners.
- Choose your printer from the list of installed devices.
- Open Printing preferences or Printer properties.
- Locate the Duplex Printing or Print on Both Sides option.
- Change the setting to Off, Single Sided, or Print on One Side Only.
- Click Apply and then select OK to save the changes.
- Print a test page to confirm the printer now prints on only one side.
These settings can usually be adjusted permanently so future print jobs automatically use single-sided printing unless changed again.
Step 1: Open Printer Settings in Windows
The first step is accessing your printer settings from the Windows Settings menu. This is where Windows stores all connected printers and their default preferences.
Start by clicking the Start Menu located at the bottom left corner of your screen. In the search box, type Settings and open the Settings app. You can also press Windows + I on your keyboard to open Settings instantly.
Inside the Settings window, look for the section called Bluetooth & devices. Click it to view connected hardware devices such as printers, scanners, Bluetooth accessories, and other peripherals.
Next, select Printers & scanners from the menu. Windows will display a complete list of printers installed on your computer. This includes wired printers, wireless printers, virtual PDF printers, and network printers.
Find the printer you want to modify and click on its name. You will now see several management options related to that printer.
This area allows you to manage print queues, run troubleshooting tools, and customize printing preferences.
Step 2: Access Printing Preferences
Once you have selected your printer, the next step is opening the printing preferences window. This is where most print-related settings are stored.
Click the option labeled Printing preferences. Depending on your printer model, you may instead see Printer properties. Either option will eventually lead you to the settings needed for changing duplex printing.
A new window will appear with multiple tabs, such as:
- Layout
- Paper/Quality
- Finishing
- Advanced
- Features
The names of these tabs may vary depending on the printer manufacturer. For example, HP, Canon, Epson, Brother, and Xerox printers all use slightly different interfaces.
Look carefully for any option related to two-sided printing. In many cases, this option appears under the Layout or Finishing tab.
If you are unsure which setting controls duplex printing, search for terms like:
- Print on Both Sides
- Duplex
- 2 Sided Printing
- Two Sided
- Booklet Printing
These settings determine whether pages print on both sides or just one side.
Step 3: Disable Duplex Printing
Now you need to turn off duplex printing so the printer uses single-sided printing by default.
Inside the printing preferences window, locate the duplex printing option. If the setting is enabled, it may show as:
- On
- Enabled
- Automatic
- Long Edge Binding
- Short Edge Binding
Click the dropdown menu or checkbox associated with the setting. Change it to:
- Off
- Disabled
- None
- Single Sided
- Print on One Side Only
Different printer brands use different terminology, but the goal is always the same: disabling two-sided printing.
After changing the setting, click Apply to save the modification. Then click OK to close the window.
Your printer should now default to single-sided printing for all future print jobs.
If the option appears grayed out or unavailable, your printer driver may need updating. Some older drivers hide advanced printing features until the correct manufacturer driver is installed.
Step 4: Test the Printer Settings
After saving your changes, it is important to confirm that the printer now prints on only one side of the paper.
Open any document on your computer. A simple Word document or PDF file works well for testing.
Press Ctrl + P to open the print dialog box. Verify that the selected printer is the same one you modified earlier.
Before printing, check the current print settings. Make sure the option for Print on Both Sides is disabled. Some applications temporarily override system defaults, so it is always good to double-check.
Print a small multi-page document. Once printing finishes, inspect the pages carefully. If each page has content only on the front side, the change was successful.
If the printer still prints on both sides, reopen the printer preferences and verify that the setting was saved correctly.
Change One-Sided Printing Through the Control Panel
Some users prefer using the traditional Control Panel instead of the newer Settings app. Windows still supports this method, and it works especially well on older systems like Windows 10.
Open the Start Menu and type Control Panel. Click the result to open it.
Inside Control Panel, select Devices and Printers. You will see all connected printers listed on the screen.
Right-click your printer and choose Printing preferences.
Navigate to the section containing duplex settings. Disable any option related to double-sided printing.
Click Apply and then select OK to save your changes.
This method achieves the same result as the Settings app and may be easier for users familiar with older versions of Windows.
Adjust One-Sided Printing in Individual Applications
Even after changing Windows printer defaults, some applications may still use their own print settings. Programs like Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Excel, and web browsers sometimes remember previous printing preferences separately.
For example, when printing a PDF from Adobe Acrobat, the print dialog may still show Print on Both Sides enabled even though Windows defaults were changed.
To fix this, open the print dialog inside the application and manually disable duplex printing before printing the document.
Most applications provide a checkbox or a dropdown menu for controlling single-sided or double-sided printing.
If you frequently use a specific application, updating its print preferences once is often enough for future documents.
FAQs
How do I stop my printer from printing double-sided?
Open your printer’s Printing preferences in Windows and disable the Duplex Printing or Print on Both Sides option. Save the changes by clicking Apply and OK.
Why does my printer automatically print on both sides?
Many printers have duplex printing enabled by default to save paper. Windows remembers this preference until it is manually changed.
Can I make one-sided printing the permanent default?
Yes. Once you disable duplex printing in the printer preferences window and save the changes, Windows should use single-sided printing by default for future print jobs.
Does every printer support single-sided printing?
Yes. Even printers with automatic duplex features can still print on one side only when the duplex option is turned off.
Where is the duplex printing option located?
The option is usually found under Layout, Finishing, or Features inside the printer preferences window.
Why are my changes not saving?
This can happen because of outdated printer drivers, application overrides, or network printer restrictions. Updating the printer driver often fixes the issue.
Can I switch back to double-sided printing later?
Yes. You can re-enable duplex printing anytime by returning to the printer preferences and turning the setting back on.