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For book-like double-sided printing, choose Flip on Long Edge for portrait pages and Flip on Short Edge for landscape pages. The setting tells the printer which physical edge to use when orienting the back of each sheet. For a calendar-style flip-up result, choose the opposite edge.
What the settings mean
Long edge and short edge name the sheet edge around which the paper turns to expose the other side. Microsoft describes Long-Edge binding as flipping on the long end and Short-Edge binding as flipping on the short end in its Word for Mac duplex-printing instructions. Think of long-edge binding as turning a book page along its spine; short-edge binding is like flipping a calendar page upward.
This setting controls the reverse side’s orientation relative to the front. It does not change the document’s page orientation from portrait to landscape.
Which edge to choose
| Page orientation | How you want to turn the page | Usual setting | Check the result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Book-like, turning left or right | Flip on long edge | The back should read upright when you turn the sheet along its left or right edge. |
| Portrait | Calendar-like, flipping upward | Flip on short edge | The back should read upright when you turn the sheet over its top edge. |
| Landscape | Book-like, turning left or right | Flip on short edge | Check that the page reads upright when turned along the edge acting as the book spine. |
| Landscape | Calendar-like, flipping upward | Flip on long edge | Preview or test a sheet; the result can be less intuitive in landscape. |
This is the usual mapping, not a guarantee for every printer driver. HP’s driver documentation gives a portrait/landscape mapping, while current printer options and labels can vary by model and operating system.
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Why the choice changes with page orientation
The names refer to the physical dimensions of the sheet, not to the way you want the words to read. In portrait orientation, the long edges run vertically, so a book-like turn uses the long edge. In landscape orientation, the sheet is rotated; the book-like turn then uses its short edge. That is why the same reading style can call for different edge settings in portrait and landscape.
Printing a document with portrait and landscape pages
A single binding choice may not produce upright backs for every page in a mixed-orientation job. Microsoft’s retained troubleshooting guidance for Word 2010 and Word 2013 says the selected long-edge or short-edge setting applies to the whole print job, regardless of individual page orientation, and can leave pages in one orientation upside down. For those versions, Microsoft recommends printing portrait and landscape pages as separate duplex jobs with the appropriate setting for each. The guidance applies to those older Word versions; it should not be assumed to describe every current Word version or printer driver. See Microsoft’s Word 2010/2013 troubleshooting article.
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- Inspect the application’s print preview before sending a mixed-orientation job.
- If the preview does not make the reverse-side orientation clear, print a test copy or separate the page ranges by orientation and test them.
- Avoid changing orientation in both the application and printer driver at once unless the printer documentation explains how those settings interact.
If the printer requires manual two-sided printing
Some printers without automatic duplexing let you print both sides by reinserting the paper. Microsoft’s Word for Mac instructions describe printing odd-numbered pages, reinserting the stack, then printing even-numbered pages. Depending on the model, the stack may need to be rotated or reordered. Follow the printer’s on-screen prompts or model-specific manual, and test a sheet first so you can confirm which way the paper feeds.
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- COMPACT, CONNECTED, EXCEPTIONALLY EFFICIENT– Connect with built-in dual-band wireless (2.4GHz/5GHz), Ethernet, or to a single computer via USB interface. Prints at speeds up to 36ppm(2), plus automatic duplex printing saves time and reduces paper waste
- BROTHER MOBILE CONNECT APP – Manage your wireless printer remotely and print from your mobile device anytime, from almost anywhere. Order Brother Genuine Supplies, track toner usage, and complete more work on-the-go(3)
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