Can someone explain what the “Collate” checkbox actually does in the print menu?
I’ve tried printing multi-page documents with it turned on, and then again with it turned off, but the final output looks exactly the same to me. If there’s a difference in how the printer processes or organizes the pages, I’m completely missing it.
Is it only meant for specific types of print jobs or multiple copies?
Thanks!
Collate means the printer will organize pages in the correct order when printing multiple copies of a document.
For example, if your document has 3 pages and you print 2 copies:
With collate ON:
Copy 1 → Page 1, Page 2, Page 3
Copy 2 → Page 1, Page 2, Page 3
With collate OFF:
Page 1, Page 1
Page 2, Page 2
Page 3, Page 3
You usually notice the difference only when printing multiple copies. If you print just one copy, the output looks the same.