Logic behind two sides print

-1

I don't know where to ask this, but I don't get the logic of some programs when printing. I did try Acrobat Reader and Powerpoint and they behave the same. When I select two side printing, I get the option how to turn the page, either like a book or "upwards". If we have a A4 (letter) page, it means on long edge (like a book) or short edge (upwards). This is at least the theory I understood.

If I want to print 4 page together, the logic seems to be rewersed. If I print two per page not.

I tried to thing of a reason, but I gave up. Right now I always print 8 pages first and see if they get printed like I want and then continue.

What is the logic behind the switch in the way 4-page and 2-page print are printed in duplex?

Example: On Acrobat Reader:

select Multiple page per sheet :4.
Print on both side of paper, flip on short edge.
Orientation Portrait.
How will it print the sheets?

Answer: it will print in a "notebook" way, that is the axis of rotation of the sheet is on the top (that is the long edge)

I am beginning to think it's a bug on the printer drivers.. (Ricoh Aficio)

maugch

Posted 2017-04-07T11:16:47.350

Reputation: 119

1What is your actual question? – CharlieRB – 2017-04-07T11:39:34.170

@CharlieRB I've updated the question with an example on how to reproduce what I meant. – maugch – 2017-04-07T12:12:35.527

please add also a screenshot to you example. Is "auto-rotate pages within each sheet" checked? I've tried your settings and it just works fine for me – Máté Juhász – 2017-04-07T12:20:14.707

4 pages per sheet looks (and prints) just fine to me. Each of the pages is in portrait orientation on a portrait sheet of paper. Proportions are correct. Portrait orientation in the print dialogue box is the orientation of the paper sheets, not the document. Are all pages in your document portrait, or are some (or all) landscape? – hdhondt – 2017-04-07T13:00:43.320

@MátéJuhász I try with auto rotate – maugch – 2017-04-07T14:29:12.700

@hdhondt 4 pages per sheet, order horizontal, print on both sides, flip on short edge, orientation landscape. My document is landscape and the paper is landscape as well. I still need to flip it on the long edge (not like a book) – maugch – 2017-04-07T14:30:54.670

Please edit your question instead of answering in comment. Don't forget to add screenshot. – Máté Juhász – 2017-04-07T14:53:55.913

"I still need to flip it on the long edge" - in that case, select "Flip on long edge" instead of "Flip on short edge". – hdhondt – 2017-04-08T01:13:35.140

@MátéJuhász done. – maugch – 2017-04-10T10:14:40.643

@hdhondt please reread my question. I've edited it. The problem is that I select "flip on short" to flip on long WHEN it's 4 page on a sheet. When it's just 2, it works as I logically expect (flip short, means i flip on short) – maugch – 2017-04-10T10:16:03.857

I've tried to reproduce your issue (Windows 7, Adobe reader XI, Konica Minolta), but couldn't. It always prints correctly for me, so you're right, it maybe your printer driver. (I'd also try to reinstall Adobe Reader). – Máté Juhász – 2017-04-10T11:30:48.573

@MátéJuhász Thanks for the effort. I thought to update Adobe Reader, but then I remembered that I had the same issue with Powerpoint. I think I have to ask the sysadmin about new drivers. (ps did you put -1 to my question?) – maugch – 2017-04-10T11:57:01.767

it wasn't me who downvoted your question:) – Máté Juhász – 2017-04-10T12:02:25.850

If it works on 2 pages/sheet, but it's reversed on 4, and it's the same in all apps, then yes it seems like a driver issue. You can try a different driver (e.g PostScript or PCL5 instead of PCL6). Does this work correctly on other PCs? If it does, then just reinstall your current drivers. – hdhondt – 2017-04-10T23:11:02.600

Answers

You seem to be confusing two separate things: duplexing and booklet or n-up printing.

Duplex printing means that the printer will print on both sides of the paper. In other words, page 1 will go on one side, page 2 on the other, and so on. When you do that you have the option of telling the printer how the paper should be "flipped". For a normal A4 portrait page, you would normally flip along the long edge, so the pages will be able to be read like an a4 book. If the A4 document is in landscape format, then it is more difficult to decide which way it should be flipped, along the long or short edge, The answer depends on what you are going to do with the finished pages. Do you want to bind them along their long edge (the top) or the short edge (left edge)?

2-up printing lets you print 2 pages on each A4 sheet side. To put 2 (reduced) A4 pages on one A4 sheet, two portrait pages will be printed on one landscape sheet. For booklet printing the printer/driver also rearranges the pages so that they will be in the correct order when all the sheets are put together and folded in the middle. In this case you you may not want to bind them along any edge. For a booklet the thing to do is to staple them together along the centre fold. As the printer needs to flip the sheets to duplex, the edge to flip them over is the short edge. If they were flipped along the long edge, the back of the page would be upside down compared to the front.

If you are printing more than 2 pages per side, then it is important to consider how you are going to read the printed document.

In all cases, if in doubt about the correct setting, consider how you will be reading the document (portrait or landscape sheets) and how you will be turning the sheets while reading. In portrait cases you will most likely turn the sheets like a book (flipping along the long edge). For landscape sheets both are equally likely. In this case, flipping along the long edge produces a "notebook" style print, where you flip the pages up instead of to the left.

To repeat, think about how you'll be reading the document and decide from that which edge is the one to flip along.

I hope this clarifies it somewhat for you. I'll try to respond if you have additional questions.

hdhondt

Posted 2017-04-07T11:16:47.350

Reputation: 3 244

Well I print 4 sheets per page to save space, so booklet printing can be used to print more page in a single sheet side. If you add it to duplex you then have different behaviours. Try it yourself. I will update my question – maugch – 2017-04-07T12:09:38.627

To connect your explanation to mine, I should say that if you make a duplex of a 2 page per sheet, when I set orientation: Portrait, the mini A4 are portrait on a landscape sheet. BUT. If I set Duplex, the flipping is meant on the mini A4, not on the sheet it self then, right? – maugch – 2017-04-07T12:15:58.847

When you say "4 sheets per page" do you mean you are printing 4 pages per A4 sheet? In that case duplexing should normally be set to flip along the long edge. If you're printing 2 pages per sheet then it's along the short edge if you turn the pages left to right when reading. If you're flipping them up like a notepad then use long edge binding. It really all depends on how you want to flip the pages while reading them. – hdhondt – 2017-04-07T12:30:21.517

To re-emphasize my last comment: the important thing is to consider how you will hold the document to read it, and how you intend to turn the pages. I'll add that to my answer. – hdhondt – 2017-04-07T12:41:24.173

Thank you for your detailed answer, but it helps me only to understand that there is a real issue here. If I say "Flip on long edge", it means that the long edge of the piece of paper is the axis of the flipping, right? So the movement should be clear. What I want to do is always have a "Book flipping edge" (like you call it), so in a landscape page, I want to flip on the short edge. This does not happen if I select "Flip on short edge" and have 4 pages per sheet. – maugch – 2017-04-07T14:39:39.110

You'll have less confusion if you set these print settings on the printer's Properties rather than through this prompt - leave this section as if you were printing a regular A4 sheet, and use the combination print functions in the driver itself.

Use the 'Properties' button next to the printer name to do this; that way, it'll only apply to this document and not change your default settings.

Silas B

Posted 2017-04-07T11:16:47.350

Reputation: 330

I did set this on the printer indeed and had no issues. Google,Adobe and Microsoft have problems. – maugch – 2017-05-30T06:16:06.947