How to Disable Two-Sided Printing on Mac (Permanently)

How to Permanently Disable 2-Sided Printing on Mac: In this video, I'll show you how to stop your Mac from printing double-sided.
STEPS:
1. Open Terminal.
2. Enter: cupsctl WebInterface=yes (then hit enter and close Terminal).
3. Open any web browser and go to localhost:631 (hit enter).
4. Click "Printers" in top right.
5. Click on your printer.
6. To the right of the "Maintenance" drop-down menu, select "Set Default Options" from the other drop-down menu.
7. Look for "2-sided printing" or "two-sided" (and change settings).
8. Click "Set Default Options" and enter username and password for Mac Operating System.
And that's it. That's how you permanently stop your Mac from double-sided printing.
Hope that helps :)

[@jagkalsi2961]

Wow! After months of wanting to through my printer through the window, I now have it resolved. I'm not one to comment and 'like' videos on KZbin, but this most definitely deserved them. Easy to follow, clear, and most helpful. Thank you.

[@CRHawk]

I really appreciate you taking the time to post this with such clear instructions. Initially, this did not solve my problem...but I finally figured out the issue. If any of you are still getting double sided printing as your default after following this video to the letter, then try this: 1) System Preferences 2) Printers & Scanners 3) Open Print Queue... 4) Settings 5) Check the box labeled "Use Generic Printer Features"

[@CarolineWolterHall]

I don't have any such option. I have a Mac Mini and the dumbest incompatible HP Envy printer. At my wits end. I uncheck "Collate" but it still prints double-sided. I can't check for updates. It's a really old Mac (late 2012).

[@cardiacmedicalservices]

Absolutely great instructions. You did not leave out a thing and it worked. Follow this guy step by step and you will not be disappointed. I have never written a review on youtube but this was definitely worth it. I have been dealing with this issue for months and it was a huge help. Thank you. 😊

[@LindseyWatson-lo3yu]

Crazy that this is the ONLY useful tutorial online about this (I don't know if there are others, but I have been trying to figure this out for months). THANK YOU for posting this and helping so many of us!

[@JohnYetter]

Thank you so much for this helpful video. I have been struggling with this issue for 2 years. I am not a mac user but have to use it for work. I frequently forgot to manually fix the setting before I print and then wind up with double-sided pages. I am so happy to have this issue finally resolved!

[@betsyk22]

BLESS YOU for your service!!! How does this have only 132 likes at this point?!?! I almost gave up bc it didn't work the first time. My Terminal program had some weird stuff in it. I tried again, cutting and pasting from your Steps above (expand the instructions under the video folks) and then refreshed the browser window, and was successful. Again, a million thanks.

[@davidscheier7622]

This was brilliantly explained and, after a lot of frustration scrolling through other sites, your tutorial worked perfectly. Thank you!

[@zHqqrdz]

Other coworkers tried to fix this issues for days. I fixed it in 5 minutes thanks to this video. My boss now thinks I'm a printer guru. Thank you.

[@RachelJeanneMusic]

This is my favorite video on the internet

[@loribeckerph.d.7637]

FANTASTIC. The only thing that actually worked. I felt compelled to leave a comment. Thank you so much!!!

[@fourteenten6170]

Thank you for taking time to post this very helpful tutorial!

[@mikestedham1127]

Perfectly explained! Was able to follow your instructions exactly which fixed my issue. Exemplary!

[@annemarieawis2722]

I am FOREVER in your debt!!! I have spent hours and hours on this issue and it fixed my problem in 10 minutes!!!!! Thanks so very very much!!!!

[@harlanlachman1326]

Please add my thanks and appreciation to those below. Clear, concise instructions make the terrifying use of Terminal OK. I especially liked that your knowledge includes figuring out things that could be different when following the instructions. Success! Hoo Rah! Thanks!

[@alexishigdon8465]

Wow! What a great tutorial. Without a lot of excessive verbiage, you managed to explain step-by-step, 1,2,3 how to turn off two sided printing. It totally worked for me first try. Now I can help others. Can't thank you enough, two thumbs up, gold star, and now, a new subscriber

[@farmfreshcarolinas3622]

Thank you so much!!! This was driving me crazy!! I was having to print one page at a time or put blank pages in between to get things to print on single pages. So helpful!!

[@TheSeattlenews]

Thank you!! I was nervous to make changes to the computer but this was so straightforward and it worked!!

[@OdelliaFirebird]

I got a Canon i-SENSYS MF754Cdw and they forgot to put the double-sided option in their print options. This is basically my only option to remove the double-side default. So thank you for a thorough explanation. I had found this on a forum, but couldn't get the login. So, you solved the issue I have been banging my head on for the past 6h! I would never have guessed it was the user login, not the printer's. Super thanks!

[@mikegrom2874]

Thanks SO MUCH!!! The double sided printer default was driving me crazy and thought that I was going to live with it forever!

[@carolstein6305]

Thank you for taking the time to post this.. and so clearly presented! Terrific and very much appreciated.

[@ciaragilsenan8319]

You GENIUS!!!! Thank you so much. This was really killing me - even when I 'turned off' double-sided the bloody thing would go ahead and do it anyway. GRRR.

[@WilfredoRamos808]

God bless your hearts for showing me how to solve this problem. Nothing I did previously worked! Thankss!Thankss!Thankss!Thankss!Thankss!Thankss!Thankss!

[@KittenStitcher]

Thanks so much -- good lord, does it seem like these things are harder than they need to be? You helped a ton!

[@chadsavard5319]

THANK YOU!!! This has relieved so much stress from me. Know that you are an angel. I wish you the best. Printers hate me (I think they are the first computers to gain consciousness like in the Matrix lol) because they go out of their way to be annoying. Saved me from returning a 400$CAD printer!

[@rachelgoldbeck1995]

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! I was so annoyed at why no matter what I selected it wouldn't single side and thats because my defaults were set to duplex! You are a life saver!

[@RobertaTachi]

I like your explanation. However, I did everything exactly as you said but my computer does not change. Even it shows "off (1-sided)"on the settings and I click - set default settings. It does not save it after putting my user name and password. I wonder if it is because I updated to Big Sur.

[@user-gw2ft6yv7h]

Thank you so much! This advice was extremely helpful!

[@bouwmeester10]

You're a legend!!!! great explanation and perfect sequence of steps!

[@davidhollander2315]

Excellent video, very clearly presented - thank you! At first, the connection to localhost:631 failed (macOS Ventura 13.1, Safari 16.2). No helpful message appeared that "Web Interface is Disabled"; but running the Terminal command "cupsctl WebInterface=yes" did the trick, and I could see the CUPS 2.3.4 page in Safari, and set the Default Options. On another Mac, running macOS Monterey 12.6.1, I needed to do this trick first in order to connect to localhost:631: System Preferences... > Security & Privacy > Firewall > Unlock and then relock the padlock. That allowed Safari to load CUPS 2.3.4; then I also needed to run the Terminal command above to change my settings.

[@danprince9694]

Excellent about setting default for printing. I need help two set default to single sided copying not 2 sided copying for mu canon MX 532

[@jimlaira]

Just found this fix for the one sided copy. Amazing tutorial. Thank you.

[@kenmillenDarl]

Excellent video - well presented and very clear. Worked for me!

[@michaelspiekerman5260]

Outstanding. Even Apple support did not know this. Thanks much for your public service!

[@mohammadhosseinaliazizi28]

you're a life saver! thank you very much for such easy to follow and detailed instructions.

[@monicaking6876]

great video easy to understand for someone who has no idea about computers. THANK YOU

[@nueirat]

great, direct and working steps, thanks

[@bfjones1239]

I know this comment is very late, so I hope it gets answered. I followed your instructions exactly and my screens showed the same as you said they would. My default settings for my Brother HL-L8350CDW show to be singled sided. It still prints double sided. Thoughts?

[@gustavorojas612]

damn you the only one showing how to get the user&password for cups thank you every much i was about to give up, you save my life.

[@TheBonefixr]

How do you turn two-sided back on? When I go to CUPS, I don't get a one or two side choice. Thanks.

[@easybullet3]

Such a good video, but unfortunately the option for 2-sided printing was not on my list of choices. My computer does have 2-sided printing (and has been used before to do this). But wont work on my new computer :(

[@OlrikH]

I can't even thank you enough for this Video!

[@greghall7126]

Did not work for me either. It shows the default option as one sided but continues to print as 2-sided.

[@iammarcnixon]

Same for me ughhhhh

[@jlcontarino]

Very clear and thorough instructions, thank you!

[@GlowBright333]

So Happy! Thank you, this worked! Brother printer on Mac High Sierra.

[@philstamatyades6947]

THANK YOU for the good tip!!! Nobody else had a solution. You did! Thanks.

[@sharikmarius]

Perfect! Exactly what I was looking for. Thank you!

[@design126]

This video just SAVED MY LIFE!!!!!! Thank you for this bro!!!! 🔥

[@trutoscience5835]

Fabulous! Thank you! Deadline life saver!

[@michaelaromesburg2468]

I used my username and password as noted in the video, but I still cannot gain access. I used this site before and it changed my printer default to one sided as per the directions, but now it reset back to 2 sided printing (I have no idea why) and now it's stuck printing 2 sided and my passwod will not work. Any tips? I tried everything in this video already.

[@misscritique8863]

This did not work for me. After the last step, you need to click on "Set Default Options." Not sure why you didn't do that. I was then asked for an Administrator ID and Password, which I do not have. Perhaps changes have been instituted in the 3 years since this has been posted.

[@user-jj9jj1tx8k]

hi mmx! thank you very much. your video is helpful.

[@stvnchng4755]

This didn't work for me with an Epson WF4630. Any ideas?

[@davidpyke2412]

I thank you so much. Apple refuses to provide these instructions and when you question their veracity, they gaslight you.

[@gracietheweimaraner]

That didn't work for me, although it's a well-crafted video with super clear directions. What did work, was turning off the double-sided option in MS Word. I'd been printing Word docs double sided and the setting was still in place. After I turned it off, it 100% solved the problem. I hope this helps others.

[@SierrawithaT]

Thank you, worked perfectly 👍🏼

[@brianmcdonald6148]

Awesome video! Fixed my problem! Thank you.

[@hamfatgmailcom]

AWESOMELY DONE! WORKED WELL. A PRO!!!!

[@matejsuchanek9358]

Thank you so much! It's resolved my long-term issue.

[@leonardopiga9670]

Worked just the way you explained, thank you for the help!

[@tamibromley9041]

This was super helpful. THANK YOU!

[@pedromoreira1973]

Thank you. Extremely Helpful

[@carminecoccimiglio667]

Unreal job - thanks a lot! perfect! you're awesome and greatly appreciated!

[@WilfredoRamos808]

Why would something sooo basic in a computer gets hidden away? Omg Thanks again!

[@victornegru4820]

Very clean info. Thank you!

[@JoshuaDay0550]

youre the fucking man - saved me an hours worth of headaches

[@joeysprincesskc]

Amazing!!! thank god I found this video. Thank you!!

[@jeffmcmullin6459]

Thank you! Great video, very helpful.

[@office9026]

thank you! thank you! super explanation and it worked!

[@amyguskin9670]

Thank you, so much!!!

[@jeremyo2366]

Awesome! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

[@lisasmith129]

thanks very helpful

[@deniserose6164]

Brilliant! Worked perfect and thanks!

[@brandiesisk7602]

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

[@josephca12]

Really helpful! Thank you.

[@breeherenow]

WOW! thank you so much!

[@mikeharrow8023]

Thank you this worked, it should not be that hard to do, but thank you all the same

[@adamg.1845]

Holy mother of god. Thank you!!!

[@TheunisBekker]

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

[@carolinesimonesoundvision7156]

THANK YOU SO MUCH x

[@joeblow7489]

That was a pain - but THANKS!!!

[@idubbzz7790]

my local host keeps going back to user name n appass word like its wrong

[@amemitt]

Thank you!!!

[@bridgetfaria8824]

thank you!!!!

[@ptturboe5792]

Thanks!

[@theodorehartman5086]

After watching this and fixing my issues of double sided I realize I know almost nothing about the Mac OS I am using. Lean something everyday.

[@abihailgimena8747]

Now how to print two sided? I can’t activate it

[@takatanka9564]

thank you so much!

[@shannanroberts1612]

This worked the first time but not every other time, about the throw my printer 😭😭😭😭

[@vincentsim7743]

THANK YOU!!!

[@melaniearriaga8613]

Love you!

[@CollegeCandy]

Great video

[@rosemaryterrace]

THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!!!

[@CarpenterBretL]

Thank you. problem solved

[@donnadauphinais8697]

Good grief, THANK YOU!!!

[@mdrnprimitve-wesupportsmal6507]

Thanks a lot you stopped me throwing my printer out of the window, i hate this type of nanny crap from a company that charges £100 for a power cable

[@johncerza9429]

FRIGGIN BRILLIANT!!!!!!!!! WAHOOOOOOO

[@jj3rd]

thanks for the tutorial but this shouldnt even be this complex smh. what is apple/mac thinking lol

[@warawaraable2830]

Im stuck what is the localhost password.......

[@warawaraable2830]

ho, im so dumb its my user password lol

[@warawaraable2830]

thank a lot

[@suzannekuziak3347]

Didn't work for me :(

[@pedromoreira1973]

And It didn''t work... still printing two sided