What Does Collate Mean When Printing?
Have you ever hit “Print” and seen the word “Collate” but didn’t know what it meant? Whether you're printing homework, office reports, or PDF files, understanding this setting can help you save time and keep your printed documents in perfect order . Let’s explore what collate means in simple terms and why it matters. What Does Collate Mean in Printing? In printing, collate means to print a multi-page document in the correct sequence for each copy. So, if your document has 5 pages and you print 3 copies , this is what happens: Collated : Set 1 → 1-2-3-4-5 Set 2 → 1-2-3-4-5 Set 3 → 1-2-3-4-5 Uncollated : Page 1 × 3, Page 2 × 3, Page 3 × 3, etc. When using the collate printing option, your pages are printed as full document sets , making it easier to bind , staple , or distribute . Collated vs Uncollated vs Duplex Printing Feature Collated Printing Uncollated Printing Duplex Printing Page Order Pages printed in full sets (1-2-3) Pages grouped by number (111-2...