Duplex Printing from Multiple Trays

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated March 5, 2024)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021

Lesley has a printer that has multiple paper trays. She has the letterhead in tray 2 and the continuation bond in tray 3. She wrote a macro that prints the first page from tray 2 and the rest of the pages from tray 3. She has a need, though, to create a macro that will print duplex from tray 2 (which covers the first two pages of the letter) and the rest of the pages duplex from tray 3.

This can be done with a macro, but the approach is probably not what you'd expect. In general, what you need to do is this:

Create a new printer definition in Windows that prints from tray 2 in duplex.
Create another new printer definition in Windows that prints from tray 3 in duplex.
Create a macro that prints pages 1 and 2 of a document to the printer you created in step 1, then prints starting at page 3 to the printer you created in step 2.

The key here is to create the printers definitions in steps 1 and 2. If you don't do this, you can't force the printers (within a macro) to print in duplex. The reason is that duplex is handled at a printer level, and Windows doesn't make those settings available to Word. However, since the printer definition is set to print duplex, anything you send through that "printer" (in Word) is automatically in duplex.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (5681) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. Learn more about Allen...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Getting Context-Sensitive Help

Word employs what is called a context-sensitive help system. This means that the program tries to direct you to the ...

Discover More

Make that Chart Quickly!

Need to generate a chart in the fastest possible way? Just use this shortcut key and you'll have one faster than you can ...

Discover More

Disabled Page Setup Tools

It can be frustrating if you expect to use some of Excel's tools normally available on the ribbon, but those tools are ...

Discover More

The First and Last Word on Word! Bestselling For Dummies author Dan Gookin puts his usual fun and friendly candor back to work to show you how to navigate Word 2013. Spend more time working and less time trying to figure it all out! Check out Word 2013 For Dummies today!

More WordTips (ribbon)

Generating a PDF that Uses CMYK Colors

Getting a Word document into a PDF format that a commercial printer can use can be challenging. This tip examines just ...

Discover More

Printing Document Properties

Word maintains quite a bit of information about a document in a special collection of items called "properties." You can ...

Discover More

Printing Images Based on Hidden Text Setting

When you print your document, the images in the document are normally printed. What if you want only some of your images ...

Discover More

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

Notify me about new comments ONLY FOR THIS TIP

Notify me about new comments ANYWHERE ON THIS SITE

Hide my email address

What is 2 + 8?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)

This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu interface.