If your printer prints two pages instead of one, this is a strange issue because most printer users on Windows 11/10 have never had to deal with a situation such as this one. We suspect this issue can be attributed to the printer settings rather than anything else.
Stop Printer from printing multiple copies of a document
Stopping a printer from printing two copies of a document instead of one is not difficult, so follow the methods here to set things right:
- Check the printer settings
- Disable bidirectional support
- Install the latest printer drivers
- Run printer Troubleshooter
- Change the number of copies from the document in Word
- Reinstall the printer
1] Check the printer settings
Chances are the issue stems from the settings of your printer. Maybe it is set to print two copies of a document, so one only needs to revert the settings to normal.
- Press the Windows key + I to open the Settings app.
- From there, navigate to Bluetooth and Devices > Printers and Scanners.
- Select the printer from the list of options available.
- Next, you must click on More devices and printers settings.
- Double-click on your printer from the newly loaded window.
- From the printer window, click on Printer, then select Printing Preferences.
- Finally, you must click on the Advanced button at the bottom-right corner of the window.
- Go to the Copy Count area and check if the box contains a higher number than 1.
- If the number is higher, please change it to ensure the printer only prints a single copy going forward.
2] Disable bidirectional support
If the above fails, then the next solution, if you own an HP printer, is to disable bidirectional support. We’re not certain if this feature is available on other brands of printers, so we won’t be talking about them.
- First, you must open the Settings app by pressing the Windows key + I.
- After that is done, click on Bluetooth & Devices, then choose Printers & Scanners.
- Choose the correct printer from the list, then waste no time by clicking on Printer Properties.
- Click on the button that reads, Printer Properties.
- Click the Port tab, and from there, uncheck the box next to Enable bidirectional support.
- Hit the Apply button to initiate the changes.
3] Install the latest printer drivers
- Depending on the situation, the problem here may have much to do with the printer drivers. The best option is to update the Printer drivers to the latest versions to solve the printing issue.
4] Run Printer Troubleshooter
Running the Printer Troubleshooter is one of the best ways to fix most problems relating to your printer.
5] Change the number of copies from the document in Word
Folks who are printing documents directly from within Microsoft Word could be making the mistake of increasing the number of copies to 2. So, let us explain how to change this the easy way.
- Open the Microsoft Word document you want to print.
- From within the document, click on File, then select Print.
- Look for the Copies section and ensure the number is adjusted to 1.
- Once the proper number is set, click on the Print icon to complete your printing task.
6] Reinstall the Printer
In many cases, simple reinstallation of the printer is good enough to solve most problems, and that goes for the printer printing more than a single copy of a document.
- Begin by returning to the Settings app and to the printer list.
- Select the preferred printer, then click the Remove button at the top-right section.
- Restart your Windows computer promptly.
Finally, follow the steps to download and install your printer drivers. This should restore all printers that were previously uninstalled from the system.
Go ahead and check if your printer is still printing 2 or more pages instead of a single page, as requested.
READ: Printer printing symbols instead of words
Why is my printer double printing?
A double-printing printer can be annoying, but the cause is usually nothing major. For example, the issue may be due to an improperly seated ink tank, a misaligned print head, and a dirty encoder strip.
Why is my printer printing two pages on one?
A printer should not be printing two pages of data on a single piece of paper, so if this is happening to you, then please check if the trays are overloaded. If not, maybe the paper is curled, or the print size of the paper is not properly loaded into the tray. Additionally, the paper guides are likely to be tight against the paper stack.
