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When working in Photoshop to create marketing material, you may run into a situation where you need to print double-sided. This is often required for media such as brochures, pamphlets, and lookbooks. But you may be wondering how to align the documents to achieve a double-sided print.
As a general rule, Photoshop cannot print more than one page at a time. Instead, each page should be saved as a separate Photoshop document, and then compiled as a PDF Presentation. From here, the file can be formatted to print double-sided, depending on the printer being used.
Though helpful in many ways, Photoshop can often be difficult to navigate. Keep reading to learn more about aligning a double-sided print in Photoshop, so that all of your marketing material comes out just right.
How Do You Print Double-Sided In Photoshop?
Photoshop offers an abundance of tools that can be helpful when creating designs for print. However, if you are trying to print multiple pages or a double-sided document, this is where things can get tricky.
For the most part, Photoshop is not set up to work with multiple pages in one document. This is actually better suited for programs like InDesign. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t possible.
Generally, you will need to create each side of the page as its own separate document, and then combine them to get the end result. Before this is done, however, you’ll want to make sure each document is properly aligned and ready for print.
Align Your Documents In Photoshop
When creating multiple documents in Photoshop that will later be printed on the same media, it’s crucial that every piece is aligned. That means that your canvas for each document should be set to the same size.
For example, if you are making a double-sided business card, you will create two documents that are both the same size.
To do this, select File from the options menu and click New. Create a custom document size by changing the width and height to your preferred size. So, in the case of a business card, you will change the measurement type to Centimeters, setting the width to 9 and the height to 5.5. Then hit Create.
Once your first document is created, you’ll repeat the process to make the second one. Remember to choose the same measurement as the first. You may also want to name each one something like Business Card Front and Business Card Back so that you don’t get confused during the design process. This also makes things easier when locating the files to print or make changes later on.
Combine As A PDF Presentation
After you have completed your designs for each document they will need to be combined. While there are a number of ways to do this, the easiest method is to create a PDF Presentation. This is a built-in tool in Photoshop that allows you to convert several PSD documents into one PDF file.
To do this, click File in the options menu and select Automate. You will then need to select the option, PDF Presentation. A new window should pop up.
From here, click Browse under Source Files and select the documents you would like to add. So, from our example earlier, you would select Business Card Front and Business Card Back.
In the Output Options, select Multi-Page Document next to Save as. Then click save. You will now have a multi-page PDF document that you can format for double-sided printing.
Set Up Print Properties
Now that you’ve created your multi-page PDF, all that’s left is to set up print properties. Since each printer is vastly different, you’ll have to open up your print properties and set the preferences for your current project.
Keep in mind that double-sided printing is an attribute that isn’t included in every printer. If your printer lacks the required functionality, it may be best to send your document to a print shop.
How To Create Double-Sided Prints Without Photoshop
If you don’t have Photoshop, another great option for creating printed material is to use sites like Placeit or Canva. Some of the items that can be created on these sites include:
- Brochures
- Pamphlets
- Business cards
- Catalogs
- Menus
- Book covers
The method on these sites is somewhat the same, in that your design will be two separate files combined into one PDF document.
Final Thoughts
Printing can be one of the trickiest aspects when working with designs. Hopefully, this quick guide gave you the information you need to turn your Photoshop design into a multipage document for easy, double-sided printing.
