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Macbook won't let me enable double-sided printing (i.e, there is NO duplex or 2-sided option where there should be)?

The "Apple Recommended" answers for this problem DO NOT WORK for me (e.g., If I click "System Preferences" > "Printers & Scanners" > "Options and Supplies" there is NO "Options" button and NO "Duplex Unit" option or any other option related to two-sided printing). Instead, there is only the box shown in the image I've uploaded here. Also, if I go to print there are no two-sided options via clicking ANY of the options available. I can see online that many people have this same problem, and people keep providing answers that ignore the fact that we don't seem to have the options others are using. Can Apple please help us? My printer is shown in the image. Thank you very much.

Posted on May 18, 2022 1:16 PM

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Posted on May 18, 2022 1:42 PM

That print queue is installed with the AirPrint Driver. The AirPrint driver works from lots of devices, m but has NO OPTIONS specific to the model of printer.


If you want the Options, you would need to create a new print queue, and take extreme care to select the Manufacturer's driver (IF such a driver is still available) not AirPrint Driver.

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May 18, 2022 1:42 PM in response to CantChangeiCloudEmailOnPhone

That print queue is installed with the AirPrint Driver. The AirPrint driver works from lots of devices, m but has NO OPTIONS specific to the model of printer.


If you want the Options, you would need to create a new print queue, and take extreme care to select the Manufacturer's driver (IF such a driver is still available) not AirPrint Driver.

May 18, 2022 1:51 PM in response to CantChangeiCloudEmailOnPhone

You have to have Admin rights, and use the Add-a-printer dialog to add an additional print queue for that same physical Printer.


System preferences > Printers & Scanners > ...


use the Plus [+] button under the list to get the add-a-printer box:



then proceed slowly and see what Drivers it proposes. the instant default will be AirPrint, but in many cases, you can override that and choose the printer-maker's driver instead.

May 18, 2022 1:45 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Thank you for responding. To get to that window, I'm merely going from "System Preferences" > "Printers & Scanners" > "Options and Supplies" and never see a chance to choose between a Manufacturer's Driver vs. an AirPrint Driver. Can you please tell me where I can go to select the Manufacturer's Driver? Thank you very much.

May 18, 2022 1:53 PM in response to CantChangeiCloudEmailOnPhone

You can go to the mfr's website:


https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/selfservice/hp-color-laserjet-pro-mfp-m477-series/7326560/model/7326586


The printer has been discontinued, so it may not even include these features or it may/may not have a driver compatible with your system. The site would not even recognize my OS - it showed 10;15 even though I am on Monterey (12).

May 18, 2022 2:23 PM in response to CantChangeiCloudEmailOnPhone

Over the years, HP sourced printers from lots of different sources, and included whatever drivers were available. Lots of different printer worked pretty well for a long time.


When Apple introduced 10.15 Catalina, Apple declared: No more 32-bit software shall run. HP faced a HUGE dilemma. They could either:


• revise Hundreds of drivers for printers for which they were not making any new sales, -OR-


• Tell everyone to use the AirPrint driver, and deal with the customer blowback of losing features like automatic duplexing.


(They mostly chose the latter.)



Macbook won't let me enable double-sided printing (i.e, there is NO duplex or 2-sided option where there should be)?

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