Printing on both sides of the paper, also known as duplex printing, allows you to conserve paper by using both sides. Most HP Color LaserJet printers, including the CP5225, come with built-in duplexing capabilities that allow you to easily print on both sides of the paper. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the steps for setting up duplex printing on your HP Color LaserJet CP5225.
Benefits of Duplex Printing
Here are some of the benefits of printing on both sides of the paper:
- Saves paper – You can cut your paper usage in half by printing on both sides.
- More professional looking documents – Two-sided pages have a more polished, professional appearance than single-sided pages.
- Cost savings – Reducing paper usage leads to cost savings on paper purchasing.
- Environmental benefits – Conserving paper helps protect the environment and promotes sustainability.
Given these advantages, it’s easy to see why taking advantage of your printer’s duplexing features is worthwhile. The HP Color LaserJet CP5225 makes duplex printing easy to set up.
Checking Duplexing Capabilities
The HP Color LaserJet CP5225 comes with automatic two-sided printing, also called auto-duplex printing. This means the printer can automatically print on both sides of a sheet of paper without you having to manually flip the pages over.
To confirm your CP5225 model has auto-duplexing:
- Check the printer specifications – The product details for the CP5225 confirm it has automatic two-sided printing.
- Look for a duplexer – Open the rear output door of the printer and you’ll see the duplexer module inside.
- Check the printer driver – Open the print dialog box on your computer and look for a “Two-sided” or “Duplex” printing option.
If you see the duplexer module, have the two-sided print option, and the CP5225 specifications indicate duplex support, then you’re ready to set up two-sided printing.
Enabling Two-Sided Printing
You’ll need to adjust your printer settings to enable duplex printing as the default. Here are the steps:
- Open the Printers & Scanners preferences on a Mac or the Devices & Printers settings on Windows.
- Right-click on the printer icon and select Printer Properties.
- Click on the Finishing tab.
- Locate the Two-sided Printing option and change the setting to either Long-Edge Binding or Short-Edge Binding:
- Long-Edge Binding flips pages like a book along the long edge.
- Short-Edge Binding flips pages like a notepad along the short edge.
Now two-sided printing will be enabled by default whenever you print from an application to your HP CP5225.
Duplex Printing from Applications
You can override the duplex defaults when printing from any program:
- Go to the Print dialog box in your application such as Word or Photoshop.
- Locate the Two-sided dropdown and select a binding option.
- Choose Long-Edge, Short-Edge, or Single-sided.
- Click Print and your job will use the selected duplex option.
So you can still quickly change to single-sided pages on the fly as needed while keeping two-sided as your standard setting.
Paper Considerations for Automatic Duplex Printing
The HP Color LaserJet CP5225 supports plain paper in sizes Letter, Legal, Executive, Oficio, and A4 for automatic duplex printing. Make sure you select paper types that are compatible:
| Paper Type | Duplex Compatible? |
|---|---|
| Plain Paper | Yes |
| HP Brochure Paper | Yes |
| HP Brochure Matte | Yes |
| Glossy Paper | No |
| Photo Paper | No |
| Cardstock | No |
| Labels | No |
| Envelopes | No |
Stick with regular plain paper or brochure paper when duplex printing. Glossy paper, photo paper, heavy cardstock, labels, and envelopes should not be duplexed as they could jam the printer.
Adjusting the Registration
If content on the back sides of your duplex print jobs isn’t aligning correctly with the front sides, you may need to adjust the registration. Here’s how:
- Open the Printers & Scanners settings.
- Right-click on your CP5225 printer and select Printer Properties.
- Go to the Configure tab and locate the Printer Settings section.
- Click on the Printer Settings button.
- Go to the Paper Trays menu and select Image Registration.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to run a test print and alignment routine.
This will calibrate the printer and ensure the duplex registration is aligned properly for two-sided print jobs.
Troubleshooting Duplexing Issues
If you encounter any problems getting two-sided printing to work properly on your HP CP5225, here are some things to check:
- Confirm the duplexer unit is installed correctly in the printer.
- Make sure you are using supported paper types and sizes.
- Check for paper jams inside the duplexer unit.
- Clean the duplexer following printer maintenance directions.
- Print a configuration page and verify the duplexer is listed as an installed accessory.
- Go through the registration alignment process again if needed.
- Update the printer driver and firmware to the latest versions.
In most cases, duplex issues can be resolved by adjusting settings, cleaning, or aligning the duplexer module.
Conclusion
Setting up two-sided printing on the HP Color LaserJet CP5225 is straightforward once you know the steps. Just remember to enable duplexing in the printer properties, choose compatible paper types, and adjust the registration as needed. Following these guidelines will allow you to easily conserve paper and reduce waste by duplex printing on your CP5225.