What is what does it mean to collate when printing?

When printing, collating refers to the process of arranging multiple copies of a multi-page document so that each copy is printed in the correct page order.

  • Without collation, each page is printed multiple times before the next page is printed. For example, if you are printing three copies of a 3-page document, it would print page 1 three times, then page 2 three times, then page 3 three times.

  • With collation, the pages are arranged into complete sets as they print. Using the same example, it would print pages 1, 2, and 3 in that order, then repeat the sequence two more times to produce three complete and ordered copies.

Choosing whether or not to collate is usually a setting available in your printer's dialog box or within the software you are printing from. Enabling <a href="https://www.wikiwhat.page/kavramlar/Collation%20Setting" target="_blank">collation setting</a> is crucial when you need neatly assembled sets of a document. This eliminates the need to manually sort the pages after printing, saving time and effort.