
When printing in Microsoft Word, collated copies are set as default.Ĭollate printing is also used prior to binding leaflets and books. Whenever you print a document from your computer, the check box for collated copies is usually already ticked.
#Collate when printing pdf#
You have probably used collated printing more often than uncollated printing, because the vast majority of Microsoft Word and PDF documents are meant to print out in collations. Because the sheets of paper will already be grouped in sets with the proper order, collated print jobs can save you a lot of time, hassle, and paper cuts.Ĭollate printing is hugely useful, and for this reason it typically comes standard in most home and office printers. Photo by Mark Ordonezįor example, if you need handouts for several dozen people, collating the copies means you won’t have to manually sort the pages after they’ve finished printing. The more pages in the document and the more copies you need, the more time you can save through collated printing. But thanks to technological advancements, we can take for granted the fact that even the most basic home printers can automatically collate our documents for us.Ĭollate printing should be used anytime when you need a number of copies of a multi-page document that is meant to be read sequentially. This means that collated print jobs produce sets of documents that come out of the printer in the correct order.ĭocuments can also be collated manually – as they always were in the days of printing press. In this context, collated documents are those whose individual sheets are automatically printed as logical sets. The term collate has many different applications, but in printing terminology it refers to a specific automated print setting. The definition of collate simply means to group text or information together in a logical order.

Printing un-collated will ensure that all of the copies of a single page are printed together. For example, it is best to print un-collated if you have a document such as: Though you will likely want most of your documents collated, there are several instances when printing un-collated is the better choice. When to Collate Your DocumentĬollating is most often used when you are printing multiple copies of a multi-page document. If the document you are printing is only one page in length, it does not matter if you have the collate feature enabled, as it will not affect how your document is printed. The collate option will typically be denoted by a diagram of three pieces of paper stacked on top of one another. Click “File” and select “Print.” A new window will appear.Once you are ready to print your document, you can ensure it prints collated by following a few simple steps: While collating by hand can be tedious and lead to mistakes in your document, collating on your printer gives you the peace of mind of knowing that your document will be put together efficiently and correctly. If you leave the document un-collated, the printer will print all three copies of page 1, followed by all three copies of page 2, and so forth: 111, 222, 333, 444, 555. Selecting the collate option on your printer does not alter the number of pages that you print it simply organizes them in a different configuration.įor example, if you are printing three copies of a five-page document, the collate setting will ensure that the printer will print one copy of each page, and then repeat: 12345, 12345, 12345. In printing terminology, collating is the process of combining multiple sheets of paper to create a set or, more simply, printing a document in order.


4 When to Leave Your Document Un-CollatedĬollate is defined as collecting and combining text, information, or data.
