How can you find out if a printer can do double-sided printing?

[Herringtrader]

Hello,

I just bought an EPSON STYLUS CX4200 all in one printer. It was really shocking to find out that this model is not able to do double-sided printing. I just wasted $95! I read a lot of information on shopping websites about different printers but I haven't read any information on any models referring to double-sided printing capability. I thought all printers can do that!

How can anyone find out if a printer can do double-sided printing without buying it?

Can anyone please recommend me a cheap inkjet printer (not all in one) which can do double-sided printing?


Thanks,

Herringtrader

[michaewlewis]

look up the printer first on the manufacturer's website. If it can do automatic double-sided printing, it will probably say it does auto-duplex.
All printers can do double-sided, a few can do it automatically, most need the user to flip the page over.
You probably won't find an auto-duplex printer very cheap. And it definitely won't be small.
Go to HP.com, epson.com, or brother.com and do a search for auto-duplex printers.

[Dusty]

Here... is a listing of HP printers.   A Yes in the Duplexer column indicates double-sided printing.   Lots of info on double-sided printing techniques on the WWW.

Good luck

[Joe_Flanagan]

Can anyone please recommend me a cheap inkjet printer (not all in one) which can do double-sided printing?

The printer you seek is here:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,2085388,00.asp
http://techbargains.com/news_displayitem.cfm/91026
Best in class, period.

[Herringtrader]

Thanks Jflan! I already bought it!

[Joe_Flanagan]

Cool !
Let us know how it works out.
If you're in North America and want to print CD's/DVD's post back.
If you're elsewhere, have fun !

[contrex]

I have got a Canon Pixma ip4200 printer, the model before the 4300, and i can only say that it is a very good printer. The automatic duplex printing (printing on both sides of the paper) does sound handy but you should know that if you are doing duplex black printing on plain paper the printer may not use its large black tank of pigmented ink. (Which it normally uses in economy mode on plain paper)  Unless they have changed this, like the 4000 and the 4200, it will use its small black dye-based ink instead in duplex mode so you may find that what you save on paper you spend on ink. Of course to get around that you can always do manual duplex printing, like you can with any printer.

Manual duplex printing is where you first print the odd numbered pages, 1,3,5,7 etc and then you take the stack of printed pages and put it back in the printers feed tray facing backwards and then you print the even numbered pages 2,4,6,8 on the backs of the already printed pages.

I am still glad I got this printer though. It has very good paper handling, and the cassette is a nice feature. I do not traditional sheet feeders that poke up from the top of the printer where the paper can curl and get creased. The ability to print on CDs and DVDs is very handy. USA models have this feature disabled for "legal" reasons. The RIAA doesn't want you guys doing this. But you can legally order the CD tray from Europe or another free part of the world and reset the printer's "zone" using front panel button press sequences. Google will find them for you.

[Joe_Flanagan]

The automatic duplex printing (printing on both sides of the paper) does sound handy but you should know that if you are doing duplex black printing on plain paper the printer may not use its large black tank of pigmented ink. (Which it normally uses in economy mode on plain paper)  Unless they have changed this, like the 4000 and the 4200, it will use its small black dye-based ink instead in duplex mode so you may find that what you save on paper you spend on ink.

Not exactly...
When printing in duplex, a composite black is used.  This occurs because
when printing in duplex mode, data is converted to a graphics stream and
spooled to the driver and printer.  The printer does not see this data
as characters or text, but as a graphic stream.  The printer will use
the pigmented black for non duplex standard text output when set to
plain paper.  This applies to both iP4200 and iP4300 printer models.

Composite black is a black produced using all dye-based colors.

Canons tend to be stingy on ink usage and ink costs are low as compared to some other brands so I wouldn't worry about that aspect.
With these superb printers the casual observer will not see a difference in quality of text between duplexed black and dedicated black.

jflan

"Never miss a good chance to shut up"
Will Rogers

[contrex]

if you are doing duplex black printing on plain paper the printer may not use its large black tank of pigmented ink. (Which it normally uses in economy mode on plain paper) ... it will use its small black dye-based ink instead in duplex mode so you may find that what you save on paper you spend on ink.

Not exactly...

When printing in duplex, a composite black is used.

Mainly using the dye black, hardly touching the CMY cartridges.

This occurs because when printing in duplex mode, data is converted to a graphics stream and spooled to the driver and printer.  The printer does not see this data as characters or text, but as a graphic stream.

I can see you copied this, and pasted it in, but I wonder why? What has this got to with Duplex mode? All GDI printers, whether duplex capable or not, whichever side of the paper they are printing on, do this. It's called rasterization.

The printer will use the pigmented black for non duplex standard text output when set to
plain paper. This applies to both iP4200 and iP4300 printer models.

Which is what I said. So why the "not exactly"?

Composite black is a black produced using all dye-based colors.

Yes, but this is irrelevant.

Canons tend to be stingy on ink usage and ink costs are low as compared to some other brands so I wouldn't worry about that aspect.

Have you ever owned one? Now that the refillers can reset the chipped cartridges, I can see a set of ink tanks finally costing less than the printer did...

  With these superb printers the casual observer will not see a difference in quality of text between duplexed black and dedicated black.

I beg to differ. "Casual" as in "White cane and guide dog"? Maybe you need spectacles? What's with the "stingy" and "superb"? Did you copy that from a Canon publicity release?

Anyway, duplex is so slow you may as well do what the pros do with these priners, and duplex manually.

[Joe_Flanagan]

My apologies, contrex.
I didn't know that you were in your own universe 

[contrex]

easier to make silly remarks than to answer my points.