Collimators were devices used to reorganize loose gas or plasma into a structured beam. Segmented collimators were used to create segmented beams, known as "bolts". Small gravity rings were often used alongside collimators to help mold the plasma into a desired shape.
These devices were used in all blaster (including artillery-grade blasters) technology to generate the beams or bolts, usually comprising superheated tibanna or similarly structured artificial gasses. Lightsabers and sometimes phaseblades also used collimators. While the color of the blaster bolt was usually determined by its heat, density, and chemical structure, certain crystalline lenses were installed into or near collimators to influence a beam or bolt's color, though had little effect on a blaster's overall efficiency.