Collating Copies

If you work where there is a good size copy machine, you already know what it means to collate something. With a copier, it means the multi-page document you are copying is placed in complete sets that can be used right away. It is the same in Word. If you have a document that consists of five pages, and you are printing multiple copies, you can either print them collated or normal. When they are collated, they are in page 1—5 order for each of the five sets. If they are not collated, five copies of the first page are printed, then five of the second, and so on.

To control collating, follow these steps if you are using Word 2007:

1. Press Ctrl+P. Word displays the Print dialog box. (See Figure 1.)



Figure 1. The Print dialog box.

2. Specify the number of copies you wish to print.
3. Click on the Collate check box. If the check box is selected, this indicates the copies will be collated.
4. Click on OK. Your document is printed.

If you are using Word 2010 or a later version the steps are a bit different because Microsoft got rid of the Print dialog box. Follow these steps, instead:

1. Press Ctrl+P. Word displays the print options on the File tab of the ribbon. (See Figure 2.)



Figure 2. Printing Options Pane

2. Using the Copies control, specify the number of copies you wish to print.
3. Examine the controls in the Settings area. You'll find one that controls collation.
4. Change the collation setting as desired. (You can select either Collated or Uncollated.)
5. Click on the Print button. Your document is printed.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (8057) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Collating Copies.