Flip on long edge vs flip on short edge: which should I choose?

If you have a duplex printer, one that prints across both sides of the paper you’re likely to be faced with the choice of flip on the long edge or flip on the short edge. What is the best option for your paper? Let us guide you.

Flip over the long edge

Flip on the long edge is the choice you’re probably looking for when printing a document in a normal portrait orientation and wish to read it as an actual book.

The below document is an example where the printer is instructed to turn over the long edge

flip on long edge vs short edge

Flip over the short edge

Flip of the short edge is a consideration when you print a document in landscape orientation and, you want the document to read as the book with page 2 being facing the opposite direction to page 3 and the list goes on.

This type of book (design available at Adobe Stock, by the way) could have been created using a flipping motion on one of the edges:

Two of the main choices you’ll encounter in the majority of printing jobs. However, if you’re curious about what other options are including flipping the shorter side of printing portrait-oriented and so on – the diagrams on print-conductor dot com should help.

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