At some point in your life, you’ve probably heard the word “collate.”
At some point in your life, you’ve probably heard the word “collate.” Whether you worked in an office or you’re a dedicated school teacher, in both cases, such a word is in your lexicon. Even so, many people aren’t sure what it’s supposed to mean. If you count yourself as one of them, don’t worry! We’ve got the answers you need. In other words, we can explain!
The Distinctions in Play Here
In simplest terms, collating means to “collect, arrange, and assemble.” Each printed page is added to the binding but not in random order. When you put sheets or sets into small piles and attach them to one another, then you’ve just completed your first collation. When you need to make booklets, catalogs, manuals, and color copies, this is the method you’ll use the most often.
The Basics of This Printing Method
First things first, let’s discuss what collated printing is supposed to be. If something is uncollated, it’s scattered. Anything that you can consider uncollated is simple: it’s produced and then isn’t bound up. For example, say you’ve just printed five pages for a presentation (or a midterm exam), but they weren’t collated properly. They’re not considered a set, and every document is different. When it comes to specific print jobs, you will hear these vocabulary words used here and there. Even if your project is high-priority, you’ve got to check every last box with a deadline coming up. Know which word means what, and you’ll make life easier for you and your printing company.
How Bound Printing is Different
In some cases, perfect binding is the preferred technique. This means that while all your pages are assembled, they aren’t collated just yet. For example, you wouldn’t want your notepads to be collated before they are distributed. A padding compound holds them together. What this means is that each sheet or leaf can be pulled off easily without much resistance. Legal pads look and operate much the same way.
The Applications of Uncollated Printing Materials
Even so, there are some occasions when you don’t want anything collated at all. Some examples of this situation are printing flyers, posters, fact sheets, and brochures. Flyers can (and probably should) be arranged based on the products they are advertising. Any documents, like printed-out spreadsheets and slideshow presentations, should probably be configured similarly.
Let Time Printers Assist You with Your Upcoming On-Demand Printing Needs for the Rest of 2021!
Whether you already know how your latest print products should look or you want further advice, Time Printers is here to help! We service all of Baltimore, Hunt Valley, and Towson. Our team of professionals can answer all of your burning questions. Give us a call at 410-566-3005, and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn for tips and see what we have been working on and what we can do for you. We hope to hear from you soon!