As a professional in the printing industry, you understand the importance of organisation and efficiency in print production workflows. Collating, the process of assembling printed sheets of paper in a specific, proper sequence, is a critical step in many printing jobs. In your role, you likely handle collating daily, but do you fully grasp the nuances of this process and how it impacts the order and accuracy of your print output? This article will provide an in-depth look at collating, examining the types of collating equipment in use today, the role collating plays in various print finishing workflows, and best practices for efficient, error-free collated print projects. With a deeper understanding of collating, you can optimise this important production step and deliver print products that exceed your customers’ expectations.
What is Collating in Printing?
Collating refers to the process of organising individual printed sheets into complete sets in the correct page order before binding. In short, it ensures that the pages are in the proper sequence for assembling a complete book or booklet.
The collating process typically involves feeding printed sheets from multiple printing presses into a collating machine. The machine then gathers the sheets in the correct order to form complete book sets. These book sets are then ready for binding operations like folding, stitching or gluing the spine.
For complex print jobs with numerous pages or signatures, the collating process can become quite complicated to achieve the proper page sequence. In these cases, the printer may need to collate sections in stages before final collating into book sets. The collating machine uses sensors to detect registration marks or codes on the printed sheets to determine the proper collation order.
Some printers use automated collating systems with conveyor belts to transport and collate the sheets at high speeds. For smaller print runs, manual collating is still common where human operators physically organise the sheets into the proper sets. In either case, careful planning is required in the prepress stage to design the layout and impose the pages correctly for efficient collating.
The collating process is a crucial step in any printing workflow to produce a high-quality final product. Proper page order and collation help ensure all the content is present and the publication has a professional finish. For self-publishers and printers alike, understanding collating and its role is essential to achieving a successful print project.
The Benefits of Collating for Printing
Collating is an important process step in commercial printing that provides several key benefits. Packaging Ideas Organisation and efficiency. Collating organises printed sheets into their proper sequence to assemble the final product, whether a book, manual, or other document. This organisation and ordering of sheets streamlines the overall printing workflow and minimises errors and wasted resources.
Cost savings.
Collating multiple sheet sizes or types together into the final product reduces the number of press runs needed, lowering costs. For example, cover sheets, internal pages, and tab sheets can all be printed separately and then collated together. This is more efficient than running each part separately on the press.
Customisation.
Collating enables customisation of print jobs by allowing you to print components independently and then collate them in different combinations. For example, you can print generic internal pages in bulk but then customise the cover sheet for different clients or versions. You get the efficiency of longer press runs combined with the flexibility of customising the final collation.
Quality control.
Collating also provides an opportunity for quality control checks to ensure the proper sequence and inclusion of all necessary sheets before the final product is bound or finished. Catching any issues at the collation stage prevents wasted time, effort, and expense further down the production line.
In summary, collating is a simple but crucial process that provides organisation, maximises efficiency, reduces costs, enables customisation, and improves quality for commercial printing. Its benefits ultimately enhance productivity and profitability. By understanding how collating works and fits into the overall workflow, you can leverage its advantages for your own printing needs.
The Role and Importance of Collating in Printing Workflows
Collating plays a crucial role in printing workflows. Collating refers to the process of assembling loose printed sheets into the correct order for binding. Without collating, the printed sheets would be disorganised and unusable.
Sorting and Gathering
The first step in collating is sorting the printed sheets by page number or position. The sheets are then gathered together with all pages in the proper sequence. This step ensures that each book or document contains a complete set of pages in the correct order.
Checking for Accuracy
Collating also involves checking each set of gathered sheets for accuracy to confirm all pages are present and in the proper order with no duplicates or missing pages. Quality control checks are essential to producing a high-quality final product.
Preparing for Binding
Once the sheets have been collated, they are ready for binding using methods like stapling, stitching, or gluing. Binding transforms the loose pages into a usable book, magazine, or other document. Without collation, binding would not be possible and the final printed product could not be created.
In summary, collation organizes printed sheets into their correct sequence so they can be transformed into a usable document through binding. Collation, along with high-quality digital printing and binding, allows for the efficient production of books, magazines, catalogs, and more. Collation is a small but crucial step that enables the creation of a final, polished product.
How Does Collating Work? The Step-by-Step Process
Collating refers to the process of assembling printed sheets into the proper sequence for binding into booklets, books, or other printed material. This is done to ensure the pages are in the correct order before the binding stage.
Sorting
The first step in collating is sorting the printed sheets by page number. The printed sheets are stacked on a table with the first page on top, followed by the second page, and so on. This step is crucial to ensure each booklet or book contains pages in the proper sequence.
Gathering
Once the sheets have been sorted, they are gathered into booklets or books. The operator gathers the first sheet from the top of each stack, then the second sheet, and so on until each booklet or book contains all the pages in order. This step requires careful attention to detail to avoid incorrectly assembling the sheets.
Checking
A quality check is then performed to verify the collated sheets are in the correct sequence. The operator reviews each booklet or book page by page to confirm they are properly assembled before moving to the next step.
Packaging
Finally, the collated and checked booklets or books are packaged and prepared for the binding stage. They are stacked, counted, and secured with straps or shrink wrap for storage until they proceed to binding. Proper packaging helps keep the sheets in sequence and prevents loss or damage.
By following these systematic steps, collating helps ensure an accurate assembly of printed sheets into the proper sequence. Care and attention to detail at each stage of the process are necessary to achieve a high-quality final product. With the advancement of automated technology, collating machines now handle much of the sorting, gathering, and checking steps, but human oversight and management are still important.
Types of Collating Equipment Used in Printing
Sorting and Gathering Collators
The most common types of collating equipment are sorting and gathering collators. Sorting collators receive printed sheets and sort them into the proper order to create booklets or book blocks. The sheets are then gathered together for binding. Gathering collators perform the same function but at a higher speed and volume. These collators can handle a wider range of sheet sizes and numbers. They are well suited for longer print runs.
Rotary Collators
For very high-volume work, rotary collators offer the fastest collation speeds. Rotary collators use a series of rotating bins and paddles to collate sheets into the proper order. The sheets are then gathered and transferred to the binding equipment. Rotary collators can achieve collation speeds of up to 40,000 sheets per hour depending on the model. They do require a larger footprint and higher capital cost, so they are best suited for industrial printing companies with very high production demands.
Offline Collators
For some printing workflows, an offline collator may be used. Offline collators are able to collate and gather printed sheets but do not have a direct interface with the printing press. The printed sheets are loaded manually into the collator, which then sorts and gathers the sheets. Offline collators are more affordable and compact but are labour-intensive since an operator has to manually load and unload the sheets. They are a good option for small print shops with lower production volumes.
In summary, there are several types of collating equipment available for managing various printing workflows and production volumes. The appropriate choice depends on factors like print run size, sheet size, cost, and available floor space. With the range of options, print providers can find a solution well-suited to their needs.
How to Enabling or Disable Collating
To enable or disable collating on your printing device, you will need to access the print settings on your computer and select the appropriate options.
Accessing Print Settings
Open the document or item you wish to print and select “File” then “Print” or press Ctrl/Cmd + P. This will open the print dialog box. The options available will depend on your printer model and the printer software installed on your computer.
Locating the Collate Option
Look for an option labeled “Collate” or “Collating” – this may be a checkbox, drop-down menu or button. If collating is currently enabled, the option may say “Collated” or “Group pages by copy”. To disable collating, select “Uncollated” or uncheck the collating checkbox.
Understanding How Collating Works
When collating is enabled, the pages of your print job will be organized so that each copy receives one of each page in order. For example, if printing three copies of a three-page document, the pages would output in this order: 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3.
With collating disabled, the printer will print all copies of each page together before moving on to the next page. For the three-page, three-copy job above, the pages would output in this order: 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3.
Collating is important if you wish to have pre-assembled booklets or manuals, while uncollated printing can save time when you intend to collate and assemble the pages yourself. Be sure to select the appropriate option based on your needs for the specific print job.
Why do we Collate Printing?
Collating plays an integral role in the printing workflow by organizing and assembling printed sheets into the proper page sequence. Without collating, the pages in a printing job would be out of order and unusable.
Grouping Printed Sheets
Collating is the process of gathering printed sheets and arranging them in the correct page order to form complete booklets, books or other printed pieces. During high-volume printing, hundreds or thousands of sheets are printed then stacked in a random order. Collating machines grasp each sheet and assemble them into the proper sequence based on the page number markings. This creates organized stacks of sheets that can then be bound into finished products.
Efficient Workflow
Collating streamlines the printing workflow by automating the sorting and arranging of printed sheets. Manual collation would be extremely time-consuming and impractical for large print jobs. Collating machines can grasp, sequence and stack sheets at a rapid pace to keep up with the high-speed output of modern printers. By automatically collating sheets, the printing process does not have to stop and wait for manual sorting and can continue uninterrupted.
Preventing Errors
Proper collating also helps prevent errors in the final printed product. If sheets are bound out of sequence, the finished booklet or book will contain pages in the wrong order. Collating machines have sensors to detect page markings like page numbers and barcodes to ensure each sheet is in the correct position in the stack. This results in a flawless, properly-sequenced finished product ready for binding and distribution.
In summary, collating serves a crucial function in printing by efficiently organizing, arranging and checking printed sheets to enable a smooth workflow and high-quality finished products. Without effective collating, the printing process would slow down, be prone to more errors and yield unusable results.
Conclusion
As we have explored, collating plays an integral role in printing workflows. By understanding what collating is and why it is important, you can better grasp printing processes. With this knowledge, you can make informed decisions when setting up print jobs, selecting equipment, and configuring workflows. Collating may seem mundane, but it has significant impacts on print quality, efficiency, and costs. Mastering collating principles empowers you to optimise your printing operations. We hope this overview has provided useful insights into this critical yet underappreciated step. Knowledge of collating equips you to take your printing capabilities to the next level.
