Copier Tab FAQ's

What Are Copier Tabs?

Copier tabs are blank, unprinted index tabs. The user imprints custom tab titles on demand using a high-speed copier, or laser printer. They allow creation of custom printed tabs using print-on-demand technology, saving time and money. Generally the other pages of a document are printed at the same time as the tabs, delivering a finished, assembled document in one pass.

Who Uses Copier Tabs?

Copier tabs are used by ...

Corporate repro centers, particularly in larger corporations
Insurance, pharmaceutical, financial, legal, services and others
Commercial printers and quick printers are adding electronic printing

What are Typical Applications for Copier Tabs?

Applications are almost limitless, but often include:

Training Manuals
Product Specifications
Procedure Manuals
Directories
Almost any bound document with more than a few pages can benefit from tabs

What is a Tab-Capable Copier?

A copier or printer that can print on tabs, text pages and other parts of a document in one pass, delivering a complete, assembled document ready for binding. Some machines such as DocuTech can also thermal bind in line.

What Machines are Used to Print Copier Tabs?

The Xerox DocuTech and 5090 families are the most commonly used machines. Increasingly popular are other models from Kodak, Oce, Ricoh, IBM, Heidelberg and many others. More and More machines are being introduced with tab printing capabilities, including affordable mid-range models in addition to high volume production equipment. Here is a list of some Tab Capable Equipment.

How can I print my own Copier Tabs?

We carry a list of Copier tab templates for Microsoft Word which you are more than welcome to use to print your own tabs.

How Do You Select Among the Different Collating Sequences?

Simply choose the collation to suit the machine you will print with:

Reverse Collated is the most common sequence (also called single reverse, SRC or DocuTech style). It is used primarily in the Xerox DocuTech but also in machines from Kodak, Oce, Ricoh, IBM, Heidelberg and others. They are packed in 5-4-3-2-1 order, the revers of how they will appear in the finished document.

Double Reverse is the second most popular collation (also called DRC or 5090 Style). It is used primarily in the Xerox 5090 family (5090, 5390 and 5690). It is in 5-5-4-4-3-3-2-2-1-1 order.

Straight (also called single straight, SSC, forward, 5100 Style) is used primarily in the Xerox 5100 family (51XX, 58XX and 59XX) as well as DocuColor 40 and some others. It is in 1-2-3-4-5 order.

Uncollated (also known as single position) can be used in any tab-capable machine.

What's different and better about DocuCopy Copier Tabs?

DocuCopy tabs are made using a very high quality xerographic grade 90# index stock (110# for some items). The surface, smoothness, moisture content, conductivity and stiffness are optimized for laser printing and copying. The die cut edges are very smooth and dust free to avoid photoreceptor contamination. They are accurately collated to insure trouble-free performance. They are packed in moisture barrier sealed inner boxes

The DocuCopy line is also the most extensive available, with over 100 varitions including various paper weights, tab sizes, trilar colors, collating sequences and punching styles.

What do these terms mean?

Bank - A complete row, or set, of tabs. A bank of five tabs is the most common.

Cut - Refers to the tab size, as in "one-fifth-cut" which is 2" long. Tab sizes can vary from 1/2 cut to 1/25 cut

Trilar - Is the trademarked name for special laminated copier tabs. The toner-receptive tab surface can be laser printed so the finished tabs look like traditional offset printed tabs. Available in clear and six colors. Sometimes called "plastic", "laminated" or "mylar".

Tab Extension - Refers to how far the tab sticks out from the body of the sheet. The most common tab extension is 1/2".

Can I use these in my desktop laster or inkjet printer?

Not normally. Most of these printers can only feed paper up to 8-1/2" wide. Tabs are 9" wide

Are custom copier tabs available?

Yes! Endless variations are possible, including tab sizes from 1/2" to 5" long, various paper weights, colors and textures, sheet sizes including European A4, printing of colored tabs, logos, etc., special hole punching including 19-hole GBC, velobind, twin loop wire binding, and spiral coil binding, hanging tabs for medical charts, and many more. If you have questions or need a quote on custom copier tabs please call us a 1-800-944-4573 or email us at sales@mybinding.com