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Duplex Batch Printing

lmckenna
Registered: Aug 28 2008
Posts: 7

I frequently get requests for large numbers of .pdf files to be printed double-sided.

It's easy enough to open each document and print it double sided, but if I want to send a batch of documents to a printer, there's a problem. The most efficient way for us to print a long run of documents is to use Acrobat's batch processing feature, which allows me to have Acrobat run a command or series of commands (the print command, in this case) on all the documents in a given directory. So what I would do is open the "set printer properties" menu for the appropriate printer from the "Start" menu, set the printer to duplex, and then run the batch in Acrobat. The problem is that, when using the batch processing feature, the printer properties appear to reset after the first document is printed, returning to single-sided printing. If I check the printer properties, the duplex option is still selected (there's a check in the appropriate checkbox), but only the first document is printed double-sided.

Is there a way around this? I’d like to use Acrobat’s batch processing feature to send a large number of documents to a printer and have them print double-sided (i.e., duplex), but I can’t figure out how to do it.

Thanks for your help.

My Product Information:
Acrobat Pro 8.0, Windows
daka630
Expert
Registered: Mar 1 2007
Posts: 1420
Imckenna,

In each PDF's Document Properites, under the Advanced tab the Print Dialog Presets pane has a "DuplexMode" setting.
The values are Simplex, Duplex Flip Long Edge, Duplex Flip Short Edge.
How to set the desired value by means other than opening each PDF, accessing its Document Properties and manually setting the desired duplex value is the question, no?.

Looking over Job Definition Files (JDF) I see that, when "Add Section" is used the General tab lets one select Single or Double Sided Printing and an "Add Files" feature is present. So, it appears that PDF files associated with a JDF could all be printed duplex. As I've had no occassion to work with JDFs I'm not able to provide you more specifics (something new to learn).Be well...

Be well...

kevin.rowe
Registered: Oct 22 2007
Posts: 5
Remember when printing duplex pages, you must account that not all pages end correctley. If you have numbered pages in sections, you must insert a blank page to insure the odd numbered pages are on the front, even numers on the back. Make a word doc that states the page is intentionally left blank so end users don't think it is blank in error

Long time blueprint/reprographer. Promotion of Acrobat in our industry goes back to Acrobat 3.0. Succesffully argued / promoted Acrobat over DWF file format to the world's largest construction initiative - Wal-Mart