If you are using KDE4, you may discover that a number of applications that use GTK/GNOME (e.g., Firefox and Thunderbird) to print, their Print…|Page Setup screens will not let you select any Two-Sided options. Since there is no nice global KDE4 printer configuration tool yet, the fix is to:
- Access CUPS using a web browser via http://localhost:631/.
- Click on the Printers tab.
- For the desired printer, select Set Printer Options.
- Change the Duplexer Installed setting from Not Installed to Installed.
- Click Set Printer Options.
Also, if you are using HPLIP and are having issues with the print margins, then this may help:
- Upgrade to the latest stable CUPS, if you haven't already done so.
- Upgrade to the latest stable HPLIP, if you haven't already done so.
- Run the hp-toolbox tool.
- Delete all of the relevant HP printers.
- This will delete all settings and PPD files for those printers.
- Recreate all of your HP printers.
- This will recreate all default printer settings, PPD files, etc.
I recently encountered this issue on a computer which was only resolved by (i) ensuring the latest stable releases of CUPS and HPLIP were installed and then (ii) deleting all HP printers and recreating them. With hp-toolbox, deleting and recreating all HP printers is quick and easy: simply use the round "-" (to delete) and "+" (to create) buttons.
NOTE: If you do this for an HP printer supporting duplex printing, remember to follow the directions given earlier to set the Duplexer Installed setting to Installed! 🙂
Finally, avoid using "testing" or "unstable" versions of CUPS or HPLIP unless you have a newly released printer that was unsupported, or, there is a critical bug fix for your printer that must be fixed.