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General discussion

Double-sided printing with OSX?

Jul 10, 2005 4:02AM PDT

Has anyone performed double-sided printing using OSX? I have a Mac Mini running OS10.3.9 and an HP842C printer and a RX500 Epson all-in-one. In classic mode I'm able to print double-sided from all my OS9 applications. When I print from OSX applications the double-sided option is grayed out, so can't print double-sided other than manually by printing the even and odd pages. I would really like to know if anyone has successfully printed double-sided usiing a real printer and OSX (10.3.9).

Thanks in advance.

Discussion is locked

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Double sided printing
Jul 10, 2005 8:10AM PDT

you might want to check out the HP web site for the latest drivers for the 842C. HP are very proud of the fact that there are a bunch of printer drivers included with OS X but the problem is that they are Print Only drivers and do not give the added extras, like double sided printing.
Before you install the new driver, delete the old printer from your printer setup utility. Then install the new driver.
Check out the Epson website too.

P

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update your drivers
Jul 10, 2005 10:00PM PDT

Sounds like a driver issue frankie.
My cannon ip 4000 at home prints on both sides fine.

Grim

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Nice to Know
Jul 12, 2005 6:39AM PDT

Many thanks mrmacfixit and grimgraphix for your suggestions re double-sided printing. It was nice to know that the ip4000 Canon printer was able to print double-sided in OSX. I had already installed the latest OSX drivers for both the Epson and HP printers, after deleting them from the printer list, but nothing changed. When I use the print command->layout, the double-sided option is there but grayed out.

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Sorry Frankie
Jul 12, 2005 7:46AM PDT

Best I can suggest is to contact Epson & HP via email regarding this issue. Also check the message boards at apple.

Good Luck !

Grim

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Latest from HP
Jul 19, 2005 1:34AM PDT

I put this question to HP customer service and their reply was that a duplex unit (a physical device) was required to enable the HP842C to print double-sided with OSX, but none is available for this particular printer. They suggested using the print odd then even pages method to print double-sided. It seems strange to me that the same semi-automated software method to print the odd then even pages as used for OS9 could not be duplicated for OSX.

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Time to upgrade?
Jul 19, 2005 6:43AM PDT

Maby its time to upgrade Frankie...I can highly recomend the cannon as a good text printer, a great photo printer, and a so-so graphics printer and it printer control panel is easy to use. I bought it based on cost per page/photo as broken down by Consumer Reports magazine. It was also one of the fastest out there for printing pictures as well. The only thing I don't like about it is it spools to printer s-l-o-w but once the printer gets the document it zips through them quick. I don't know if there is a new model out for mine ( the ip 4000 ) but I know you can still pick this model up on the web.

Thanks for posting the update and good luck !

grim

grimgraphix.com