What Does Collate Mean in Printing? A Comprehensive Guide

Have you ever printed a big document and dreaded the task of sorting all the pages into the right order?

If so, you’re not alone. That’s exactly the problem collation is meant to solve. In this post, we’ll break down what “collate” means in printing, take a quick trip through its history, look at the different types of collation, and discuss when you should use it. Let’s dive in!

What Does Collate Mean when Printing?

In printing, collating simply means arranging the pages of a multi-page document into the correct sequence, especially when you have multiple copies to print. In other words, it makes sure each printed copy of your document comes out as a complete set in the proper order. For example, if you’re printing five copies of a three-page document, collated printing will give you pages 1-2-3 for the first copy, then pages 1-2-3 for the second copy, and so on. This way, each copy is already sorted from the first page to the last, ready to read or bind, with no extra manual shuffling needed.

Collation is key for projects like booklets, book printing, or reports, where keeping pages in order really matters. Many people simply call this process “sorting” the printouts because that’s essentially what the printer is doing for you. And believe me, it’s a lifesaver when you have a big stack of documents to handle!

A Brief History of Collation in Printing

The need to collate pages has been around since printing itself. In the early days of print, every page had to be gathered by hand. When Johannes Gutenberg introduced the movable-type printing press around 1440, it suddenly became possible to produce thousands of pages a day, which was revolutionary compared to the slow hand-copying methods before. (For context, Gutenberg’s press could churn out about 3,600 pages daily, versus roughly 40 pages by the older hand-printing techniques!) With all those pages flying off the press, printers of that era needed reliable ways to organize them for binding. They used tricks like marking the first or last page of each section and adding small codes or “signatures” to pages to help keep everything in the right order. It was tedious work, but it ensured that books wouldn’t have jumbled pages.

Fast forward to the late 19th century, and technology started lending a hand. The big turning point came in the 1880s when an inventor named Herman Hollerith developed a mechanical tabulating machine to sort data. This was one of the first steps toward automating the collating process. In fact, Hollerith’s machine drastically reduced the time needed for large sorting tasks, paving the way for modern mechanical collation. From then on, as printing technology advanced through the 20th century, collation quickly became a standard part of the process. By the mid-1900s, fully mechanized collating machines were being used in the publishing industry, and eventually, the feature made its way into everyday office printers and copiers. Today, almost all modern printers have a built-in “Collate” option that automatically arranges pages in order for you. What once took teams of people hours of careful sorting can now be done by a machine in seconds – pretty amazing, right?

Types of Collation Methods

Over time, different methods of collation have emerged to suit various needs. Here are some common types of collation you might come across in printing:

• Sequential Collating: This is the most common method. Pages are arranged in their natural order (1, 2, 3, etc.) for each set. Use sequential collation for pretty much any normal document – reports, manuals, booklets or any multi-page handouts where the pages go in numerical order.

• Reverse Collating: As the name suggests, this arranges pages in reverse order (say, 10, 9, 8, etc.) for each set. Reverse collating is handy when the last page needs to end up on top. For instance, if you’re going to flip over a stack of printed sets or you’re binding pages top-first, collating in reverse will put things in the right sequence once assembled.

• Custom Collating: This means arranging pages in a special, non-standard sequence tailored to a specific project. You might use custom collation for unique cases like legal documents or bespoke marketing materials, where maybe you have inserts or sections that need to follow a particular order that isn’t just 1-2-3.

• Manual Collation: Good old-fashioned hand collating. This is literally sorting and organizing printed pages by hand into the correct order. Manual collation might be done for small print jobs or situations where you have multiple versions of documents that need assembling. It gives you total control and accuracy for each set, but of course, it can be very time-consuming if you have lots of pages or copies.

• Automatic Collation: This is collation done by machines or software settings, not by hand. When you check the “Collate” box in your print dialogue or use a high-capacity finishing machine, you’re using automatic collation. The printer takes care of sorting the pages into order, which saves a ton of time and greatly reduces the risk of human error. Most modern printers and copiers will handle collation automatically if you select this option.

Each of these methods has its place. Understanding the different types of collation can help you choose the best approach for your specific printing project – whether it’s a straightforward report or something more complex with special ordering needs.

Collated vs. Uncollated Printing: Key Differences

Characteristics of collated printing

When a printer uses collation, it collects and combines the printed sheets of paper within a predetermined order or sequence.

For example, if you need to print five copies of a three-page document, collated printing would produce the pages in this order: 1,2,3,1,2,3,1,2,3,1,2,3,1,2,3. This arrangement makes it easier to assemble documents without manually sorting the pages, saving time and reducing the risk of errors during the assembly process.

Collated printing impacts efficiency and productivity, especially for large-scale printing projects.

 

Characteristics of uncollated printing

On the other hand, uncollated printing produces all copies of each page together before moving on to the next page. Using the same example of printing five copies of a three-page document, uncollated printing would result in this order: 1,1,1,1,1,2,2,2,2,2,3,3,3,3,3.

This method can be beneficial in certain situations, such as when different pages need to be distributed to different people. For instance, if you’re printing flyers for various products or services, uncollated printing allows for easy distribution of specific pages without sorting through a complete set.

Uncollated printing has its advantages in scenarios where individualised distribution is required. It allows for easy customisation if you hand out different pages to different people. This can be particularly useful for surveys, where participants receive a unique set of questions tailored to their responses.

When Should You Use Collation (and When Not)?

Now that we know what collation is and how it can be done, you might wonder: when is it actually valuable to collate your prints? The short answer is that almost any time, you’re printing multiple copies of a document that has more than one page. In these cases, using the collate feature is usually a smart move because it ensures each copy comes out as a complete, orderly set. You won’t have to spend your afternoon sorting pages, and you greatly reduce the chance of pages getting mixed up or out of order. Collating makes your workflow more efficient, and your final document sets are ready to go immediately, which also looks more professional.

For example, imagine you’re a teacher printing a 10-page exam for a class of 30 students. If you don’t collate, your printer would spit out 30 copies of page 1, then 30 copies of page 2, and so on – and you’d have to manually assemble each student’s exam from those stacks. Talk about a headache! But if you print with collate turned on, it will print pages 1 through 10 in order for the first student’s exam, then 1 through 10 again for the next, and so forth. The exams come out already sorted for each student and ready to hand out. Teachers frequently rely on collating for exactly this reason – it lets them distribute complete test booklets or packets to each student without any manual sorting. The same goes for businesses printing multi-page handbooks, brochures, or reports in quantity. Collation saves time and ensures each client or team member gets the full document in the correct order.

On the other hand, there are times when you might not want to collate. If your print job consists of separate, stand-alone pages or mixed documents that you plan to distribute individually, printing uncollated can actually be more convenient. When you print uncollated, the printer will group all copies of the same page together (e.g. all the page 1’s together, then all the page 2’s, etc.) instead of making complete sets. This can be useful if different pages are going to different people or locations. For instance, suppose you’re printing a batch of flyers or forms on different topics to hand out at an event. If you print uncollated, you’ll get a stack of all the copies of flyer A, then a stack of all copies of flyer B, then all of flyer C, and so on – making it easy to separate and distribute each set of flyers by topic. You don’t need collated sets in that case because you want the same pages grouped together.

In summary, use collate when you need complete sets of a multi-page document for each recipient or use – it will save you time and ensure accuracy. Skip collating (i.e., print uncollated) when you actually need grouped stacks of individual pages or when each page will be used separately. And, of course, if you’re only printing a single copy of a document, collation isn’t needed at all – there’s just one set of pages, so there’s nothing to sort or group!

How to set Collation in Microsoft Word

If you’re printing multiple copies of a document and want to ensure the pages are organised in the correct order, collating is an essential step. Here’s how you can easily set collation in Microsoft Word:

1. Open your document in Microsoft Word.
2. Click on the File tab at the top left corner of the screen and select Print.
3. In the Print dialog box, look for the Copies section.
4. You’ll see a checkbox labelled Collate (represented by an icon with stacked pages).
   • Check this box to enable collation, which ensures each printed set contains all the pages in the correct order (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3).
   • If you prefer uncollated copies, uncheck the box. This will print all pages of the same type together (e.g., 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2).
5. Once your preferences are set, click Print to begin printing with the selected collation option.

Setting collation in Microsoft Word helps streamline the printing process and ensures your multi-page documents are organised correctly without the need for manual sorting afterwards.

 

Conclusion

Understanding what collation means in printing and knowing when to use it can greatly improve your printing experience. It might seem like a small printer setting, but it dramatically saves time and avoids mistakes. Instead of dealing with a chaotic pile of papers and manually organizing them, you can let your printer do the heavy lifting and walk away with neatly assembled documents. Whether you’re a teacher handing out class materials, a business professional preparing reports, or anyone who prints multi-page documents, collating is a simple feature that adds a lot of convenience and professionalism to your print jobs. Now that you’re armed with the knowledge of collation’s meaning, history, the various methods, and when to use them, you can print confidently and keep everything in perfect order!

FAQs

1. Should I choose to collate when printing documents?
   Collation is beneficial when you are printing multiple copies of a document with several pages that need to be organised in a specific sequence. By collating, each set of the document will be a complete replica of your original multi-page document, maintaining the intended order.
2. What is the difference between collated and uncollated printing?
   In collated printing, documents are assembled in a sequential order, which means if you are printing multiple copies, each copy will contain all the pages arranged from the first to the last. On the other hand, uncollated printing produces separate sets of pages, which means each set may contain only one specific page repeated rather than a sequence of different pages.
3. When is it appropriate to use the collate function in printing?
   You should use the collate function when printing more than one copy of a document that includes multiple pages, and you want each copy to maintain the correct order from the first page to the last.
4. Does collated mean the same as double-sided printing?
   No, collated printing and double-sided printing are not the same. Collation ensures that the pages of a document are printed in the correct sequence, whether the printing is done on one side of the paper or both. Double-sided printing refers to printing on both the front and back sides of each page, which does not necessarily affect the sequence of the pages.