The Complete History of Collating

Collating – the process of organising sheets in the right order – has been around for as long as people have had papers to sort. It’s an important step to make sure documents are easy to read and work properly, especially when they’re bound into books, leaflets, or other formats.

It might not sound glamorous, but the history of collating is actually a fascinating journey through how people have organised and shared knowledge throughout time, as well as a great example of how much mechanisation can change an industry.

We at Col-Tec have been in the world of collation for over 20 years, so we know just how big an impact it has. Come along with us as we dive into the full history of collation, from its simple beginnings to the advanced machines we use today!

Ancient Origins

Before paper was invented, ancient civilisations recorded information on materials like papyrus, parchment, and vellum. These materials shaped how texts were stored and organised:

• In ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome, papyrus scrolls were widely used starting around 2500 BCE. Some scrolls, like those for large works such as Homer’s Iliad or Odyssey, were too long to fit on just one, so the text was spread across several. To keep them in order, scribes would label each scroll (for example, “Book 1” or “Book 2”). This simple method of marking helped make sure the scrolls stayed in the right sequence.
• Around the 1st century CE, scrolls began to be replaced by parchment and vellum codices, especially in the Roman Empire. These codices were early versions of books, with individual sheets bound along one edge. As codices became more popular, more structured methods of collating were developed to keep the pages, or “quires” (sections of the codex), arranged correctly. Scribes introduced “signatures,” small symbols or letters in the margins, to guide the bookbinding process. This system made it easier for bookbinders to align the quires in the right order.

Medieval Collating Methods (5th – 15th CE)

Collating became much more refined during the Middle Ages, especially in monasteries where scribes worked to create large, multi-volume manuscripts. The invention of the index, chapter headings, and marginal annotations all helped make documents easier to organise.

Scribes and bookbinders also used techniques like “catchwords” – a word written at the bottom of a page or section that matched the first word on the next page. This helped keep pages in the right order, which was especially important when working on long manuscripts, religious texts, and other extensive documents.

The Printing Press and the Renaissance (15th – 16th CE)

The invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg around 1440 was a major turning point for collation (and for the world as a whole!). The printing press made it possible to mass-produce books, with printers able to churn out about 3,600 pages a day, compared to just forty through hand-printing and only a few by hand-copying. This huge leap meant printers needed a better, more reliable way to organise all those pages before binding them into books.

Printers and bookbinders began using a combination of techniques like signatures, catchwords, and numbered pages to keep the sheets in the right order. Marking the first and last pages of gatherings (small sections of a book) became standard practice, reducing errors and making collation much more dependable.

Industrial Revolution and Early Machines (18th – 19th Centuries)

By the 18th century, industrialisation and the expansion of the publishing industry called for even quicker and more efficient ways to organise printed materials. Early machines like hand-cranked collators and simple gravity-fed systems began to appear around this time, helping printers keep up with the increasing demand for books, newspapers, and other printed goods.

Here’s a simple timeline of how collating machines developed over the years:

• Hand-cranked collators: By the late 1700s and early 1800s, hand-cranked collators started showing up in some printing shops. These machines had trays or bins for different sheets of paper, and when the operator turned the crank, the machine would pick one sheet from each bin and stack them together.
• Gravity-based collators: In the early to mid-1800s, some shops used simple gravity-based machines where sheets would drop from trays into a stack in the correct order. These machines were basic but marked a step toward more mechanised systems, especially useful for smaller print runs.
• Rotary collators: By the mid-to-late 19th century, more advanced rotary collators appeared. These machines had several bins arranged in a rotating system, making it easier to gather pages automatically, which was a big help for large-scale printing projects like newspapers and books.
• Fully mechanised collators: By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, fully mechanised collators were becoming more widespread. These machines could automatically gather, organise, and stack pages at high speeds, making it much easier for printers to keep up with the fast-paced production of modern printing presses.

This period marked the shift from basic hand-operated machines to the more complex automated systems we’re familiar with today.

Modern Collating Machines (20th Century)

As the 20th century advanced, fully automated collating machines became a standard tool in the printing and publishing industry. These machines were capable of handling large print runs and complex tasks, like assembling magazines, newspapers, and books with multiple pages or inserts.

In the 1920s, William L. Thomas patented one of the earliest automated paper collating machines, which streamlined the process of sorting and organising printed sheets. This innovation marked the beginning of more efficient production lines in the industry.

By the 1940s, further developments in mechanical and electronic systems led to even more advanced collating machines, capable of working with a wider variety of formats and paper types. These machines were widely used in large printing houses and businesses that needed to organise documents, reports, and forms efficiently.

The Digital Age (Late 20th – 21st Century)

The rise of digital technology in the late 20th century brought another big change to how documents were created and collated. With the arrival of photocopiers, printers, and digital printing presses, automatic collation became a standard part of the printing process.

Today, most printers and copiers have built-in collating features that automatically sort and arrange multi-page documents as they print. That doesn’t mean dedicated collating machines are out of use – in fact, modern large-scale collators are more advanced than ever, capable of handling not only paper but also materials like plastic cards, wrappers, and more!

At Col-Tec, we’re proud to be part of the long history of collation. As the leading name in the UK and global collation industry for over 20 years, we supply our Signature and custom collators to businesses and organisations all around the world, for all kinds of projects. We’re always looking for new, creative ways to innovate and push the boundaries as we work to shape the future of collation.

Want to see how our next-level collator machines can benefit your business? Book a consultation online or call us on +44 01425 627755, and let’s get started!