https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=526774
Bug ID: 526774
Summary: Duplex printing produces upside-down back pages
regardless of long-edge or short-edge setting
Classification: Applications
Product: okular
Version First 26.08.1
Reported In:
Platform: EndeavourOS
OS: Linux
Status: REPORTED
Severity: normal
Priority: NOR
Component: printing
Assignee: [email protected]
Reporter: [email protected]
Target Milestone: ---
SUMMARY
Duplex printing from Okular produces incorrectly oriented back pages. The
second side is printed upside down.
This happens regardless of whether "Long side" or "Short side" is selected
under "2-sided printing".
The same PDF printed to the same CUPS printer from Brave/Chromium with
"Flip on long edge" is printed correctly.
This problem appeared recently. Duplex printing from Okular with "Long side"
used to work correctly on this system.
STEPS TO REPRODUCE
1. Open a multi-page portrait A4 PDF in Okular.
2. Open the print dialog.
3. Select the CUPS printer.
4. Under Options -> 2-sided printing select "Long side".
5. Print two pages.
6. Observe the orientation of the back side.
7. Repeat the test with "Short side".
8. As a comparison, open the same PDF in Brave/Chromium and print it to the
same printer using "Flip on long edge".
OBSERVED RESULT
In Okular:
- "Long side" produces an upside-down back page.
- "Short side" also produces an upside-down back page.
- Changing between long-edge and short-edge therefore does not produce the
expected change in back-side orientation.
The problem persists when "Force rasterization" is enabled.
Disabling "Print annotations" makes printing dramatically faster, but does
not fix the duplex orientation.
In Brave/Chromium:
- "Flip on long edge" prints the same PDF correctly on the same printer.
EXPECTED RESULT
For a portrait A4 PDF, selecting "Long side" should print both sides in the
correct orientation, suitable for turning pages like a book.
"Short side" and "Long side" should result in different duplex binding
orientations.
REPRODUCIBILITY
Always.
PRINTER / CUPS CONFIGURATION
Printer:
Kyocera ECOSYS MA3500cix
Connection:
socket://10.0.0.96
CUPS driver:
Generic PCL Color Laser - CUPS+Gutenprint v5.3.5
CUPS reports the following duplex options:
Duplex/2-Sided Printing:
None *DuplexNoTumble DuplexTumble
Default:
DuplexNoTumble
CUPS DEBUG INFORMATION
When printing from Okular with "Long side", CUPS receives the correct-looking
duplex options:
sides=two-sided-long-edge
Duplex=DuplexNoTumble
Gutenprint reports:
Duplex = 1
Tumble = 0
Ghostscript is invoked with:
-dDuplex
-scupsBackSideOrientation=Normal
The Okular job initially showed:
document-name-supplied=okular_UDvqPJ.ps
Despite these apparently correct long-edge duplex settings, the physical back
page is upside down.
COMPARISON WITH BRAVE/CHROMIUM
Printing the same PDF to the same CUPS printer from Brave/Chromium using
"Flip on long edge" works correctly.
For the working Brave/Chromium job, Gutenprint also reports:
Duplex=DuplexNoTumble
Duplex = 1
Tumble = 0
and Ghostscript also receives:
-dDuplex
-scupsBackSideOrientation=Normal
Therefore the printer itself, its duplex unit, and basic CUPS duplex
configuration appear to work correctly.
PRINT ANNOTATIONS / RASTERIZATION
Okular's "Print annotations" option is enabled again whenever a new print
dialog is opened.
With "Print annotations" enabled, printing takes a very long time and Okular
creates a PostScript print job (e.g. okular_XXXXXX.ps).
Disabling "Print annotations" makes the print job much faster, but the duplex
orientation remains incorrect.
Enabling "Force rasterization" also does not fix the problem.
SOFTWARE VERSIONS
Operating System:
EndeavourOS / Arch Linux
Graphics platform:
X11
Okular:
26.08.1-1
Qt:
qt6-base 6.11.2-3
CUPS:
2:2.4.19-1
cups-filters:
2.0.1-3
Gutenprint:
5.3.5-1
Ghostscript:
10.08.0-1
RECENT PACKAGE UPDATES
Relevant recent updates include:
2026-08-21:
qt6-base 6.11.1-1 -> 6.11.2-2
okular 26.04.3-1 -> 26.08.0-1
2026-08-26:
okular 26.08.0-1 -> 26.08.0-2
2026-08-29:
qt6-base 6.11.2-2 -> 6.11.2-3
2026-09-11:
okular 26.08.0-2 -> 26.08.1-1
cups-filters 2.0.1-2 -> 2.0.1-3
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The problem was noticed when attempting to print a larger book in duplex
mode. Long-edge duplex printing from Okular had worked correctly on this
system in the past.
The issue can be reproduced with only two pages.
Because the same PDF prints correctly from Brave/Chromium to the same
printer using long-edge duplex, this appears to be specific to Okular's
printing path rather than a printer hardware or general CUPS duplex
configuration problem.
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