The Canon imageCLASS MF455dw is a forty page a minute black and white laser with automatic two-sided printing, and when duplex does not engage, prints the back upside down or jams, the cause is a driver setting, the paper or the way the machine's duplex path is used. In the print dialog, open Canon's driver properties, find the Finishing or Page Setup tab and choose 2-Sided Printing, then pick the binding side, long edge or short edge. Some programs display their own duplex checkbox that overrides the driver, so check both.
The checks in more detail
If the option is grayed out, the driver may not know that the duplex unit is installed; open the printer's properties, Device Settings, and set the duplex unit to installed, or install Canon's full driver in place of the generic Windows one. The printer supports automatic duplex on certain paper sizes and weights, and the limits are in the manual: legal size and unusual sizes may be excluded, and heavy or coated paper may not feed through the return path.
Set the paper type in the tray and the driver to match the stock, since it controls the fuser and the feed, and avoid labels, envelopes and transparencies in duplex. A tray overfilled or paper that is damp jams on the return, so use a fresh ream and keep the stack below the mark. If a jam occurs, open the rear cover, pull the paper out in the direction of travel and check for torn scraps. On a Mac, choose Two-Sided under Layout in the print dialog, with the Canon driver or AirPrint.
If the back prints upside down, change the binding setting, which is a common confusion between portrait and landscape documents. If duplex is slow or the printer pauses between sides, that is normal, since the sheet reverses through the path. Check that the firmware is current from Canon's site. If the machine reports a duplex or paper path error with the path clear, power it off and on and test with plain paper. As a workaround use manual duplex through the driver. If the problem persists, contact Canon with the model and serial number.
Differential
Likely causes of “Canon imageCLASS MF455dw will not print or scan two-sided”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
2-Sided Printing not selected
What separates it Only one side prints
How to confirm Select it in the driver and the program
- 2
The duplex unit not marked as installed
What separates it The option is grayed out
How to confirm Set it in Device Settings or install Canon's full driver
- 3
Unsupported paper
What separates it Jams on the return
How to confirm Use supported sizes and weights
- 4
The wrong binding setting
What separates it The back is upside down
How to confirm Switch long and short edge
- 5
Damp or overfilled paper
What separates it Misfeeds
How to confirm Use a fresh ream below the mark
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The paper size and weight
- Whether the option appears
- Where the jam occurs
- The driver in use
Try in this order
0 of 6 completedSelect 2-Sided Printing
ReversibleIn the driver.
Mark the unit installed
ReversibleIn Device Settings.
Use supported paper
ReversibleFlat and dry.
Check the binding edge
ReversibleLong or short.
Clear the rear path
ReversibleIf it jams.
Update the firmware
ReversibleFrom Canon.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Binding edge
- Long or short edge.
- Paper limits
- See the manual for sizes and weights.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If duplex errors continue with a clear path, contact Canon with the model and serial number
- !Use manual duplex as a workaround
- !Update the firmware
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Exact questions
Common questions
Does the MF455dw print both sides?+
Yes, automatically.
Why is the option grayed out?+
The driver may not know the duplex unit is installed.
Why is the back upside down?+
The binding edge setting.
Can I use labels?+
Not in duplex.