Tabbed dividers are a proven way of organizing information - an early example of "user friendly" technology. Their simplicity and ease of use have kept them in demand even during the electronic information age.

Most commonly used in three-ring binders, tabs are also found in mechanically bound books such as directories, cookbooks, instructional manuals, and software documentation, and even perfect bound books.

This on-line guide will help you understand key terminology and design and production specifications used in manufacturing and printing books with tabs.

Tab Sizes and Styles The most common tab height is 1/2" which is the standard for a book with 8-1/2" x 11" pages. Other common sizes are 1/4" and 3/8". Usually, the smaller the trim size, the smaller the tab.
	Standard dies for tabs cut rounded corners. Other styles, such as those shown here, would require custom dies and a different manufacturing method, thus driving up cost.

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Banks and Cuts
A single row of tabs is referred to as a bank of tabs. Cut pertains to the length of the tab. This illustration is one-fourth cut. If the cut were one-eighth, the tabs would be half the length thus giving you eight tabs to a bank.

At Tabs, our standard dies are adjustable from a length of 1/2" (20 tabs per bank) to 10" (one per bank).

To figure the length of tabs on an 11" sheet for planning and typesetting purposes, indent 1/2" on each end and divide the remainder by the number of tabs you want in a bank. For example, to come up with seven tabs to a bank, the tab length would be 10" / 7 = 1.43".

More than one bank of tabs may be necessary depending on the amount and size of type desired. For example, your book may require only eight dividers, but if the type on the tabs won't fit on 1-1/4" tabs (10 / 8 = 1.25), you will need two 4-tab banks.

At Quality Information Packaging, we can produce as many banks of tabs as your book requires, and even mix the cuts between banks. In the example above, for instance, rather than two one-fourth cut banks; the first bank could be one-fifth cut and the second bank one-third cut.

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Tab Planning Overlay
Our Tab Planning Overlay Guide is available by calling our office or requesting it on-line. The Guide is a clear plastic template illustrating the cuts and spacing for 1/2" tabs on banks with anywhere from two to ten tabs. Use of the template will help you determine type size for your tab copy and the number of banks needed.

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Strip Mylar® Reinforcement
A strip of clear acetate can be applied to the side of the tabbed sheet to add strength to the holes and prevent tearing under heavy use.

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Body Copy
Does the job have body copy? (Body copy is printing that is on the body of the tabbed page, not the tab.) Body copy can be common to all the divider pages, or different on each - the former is less expensive to produce.

If you're planning to print body copy on your tabbed pages, some precautions are necessary. When Mylar® is attached to the tab, it is heated to more than 330 degrees. This heat can make conventional inks look like tie dye on most stocks. Use of heat-resistant inks and wax-free varnishes helps eliminate this problem.

If you're going to print tabbed pages with heavy ink coverage, avoid excessive amount of press powder because it can affect the adhesion of Mylar®. Porous stocks are optimal for Mylar® jobs because air has the ability to escape into the paper. Coated stocks, along with heavy ink coverage, can trap air and create bubbles that distort the readability of the tab. Careful prepress planning can help avoid these pitfalls.