When printing duplex, how would I fix the fact that the back page prints upside down?

Question

I am running Windows 8 with Microsoft Word, and I am making a booklet. When I try and print duplex, the first side prints fine, and then the second side prints upside down. I have tried the thing where you set it to "flip on long/short edge," and it did not work either way. I have tried this with both portrait and landscape; no matter what, the back side still prints upside down. If it helps, my printer is an HP Photosmart 5520. Thank you so much.

Solution

You noted trying each of these settings:

• Flip on long/short edge
• Portrait/Landscape

However, you didn't mention which combination therein you tried.

The reason I mention this is because I'm picturing say for example a calendar; if you're in Landscape & Flip on Long edge; then the normal / expected result would be that the back page is printed upside-down relative to the front page.

This is because, when you flip to the next page of the 'calendar', the upside-down page would now be right-side up by the change in position.

The same would hold true, for Portrait & Flip on Short Edge as well; because if it's in portrait and the flip is at the top you'd assume the same sort of change in position.

If it still didn't work after trying either of these two scenarios:

• Flip on long & Portrait
• Flip on short & Landscape

Then I would strongly suspect the cause is a bug. In that case, you should check if there are any updated drivers for the printer, which I think you'd find here: http://support.hp.com/us-en/product/HP-Photosmart-5520-e-All-in-One-Printer-series/5157533/model/5157535/drivers/

And check Windows update in case the issue is the fault of Word. You might have to check the 'optional' updates as well as the 'important' updates to be through.

Comments

[Michael Frank]

How have you set up the individual pages? One page in Word = one page in the booklet, or have you rotated to landscape and used columns to create pages?

[timewilltell]

I selected "booklet" in the page layout settings in word. As a result, the pages just seem to have gotten smaller. Also, now two pages go on each side of the paper (for a total of 4 pages per sheet of paper). They are in the correct format for printing. I just need to fix the simple issue of making both sides of the paper face the same direction.

[timewilltell]

That's what I may do. No big deal, really. Only maybe a 10 page document or so. Thank you for the help anyway. :D

[Burgi]

This would not necessarily work for the OP as they have a totally different printer to you.

[DavidPostill]

Please don't add "thanks" as answers. Invest some time in the site and you will gain sufficient privileges to upvote answers you like, which is the Super User way of saying thank you.