Announcing our new 11" x 17" Tabloid Size Binders.  These hold 11" x 17" documents, standard 3 hole punch.  White vinyl with clear cover overlay on front, back and spine.

Ideal for spreadsheets, small space plans, schematics, maps or any document in landscape format.

 

We pride ourselves on stocking one of the most complete selections of preprinted custom/legal index tabs.  However, blank index tabs are often a desirable option. Blank index tabs are appropriate for three basic applications:

Write on Tabs -  This index will have a tab that can be written on with pencil or ink pen.  It provides a quick, inexpensive document divider where the appearance of the finished product is not a consideration.  You may use this method in constructing a rough draft of the finished document or where you wish to erase and rewrite the tab multiple times.  The tab itself may be plain paper stock or coated with a mylar plastic to add durability.  All our coated tabs can be written on.

Label on Tabs - This index is constructed in the same manner as the write on tab but you will instead place a preprinted label directly on the tab.  This label is typically on a backer sheet that will run through a laser or inkjet printer and can then be removed from the sheet and placed on the tab.The most popular label for this purpose is commonly called a bates label, available in white or clear and it works best on a 1/5 cut index tab set.Both blank "write on" and "label on" tabs are appropriate for small quantities of custom wording tabs.  This is also the preferred method for a small quantity of custom wording tabs in bottom tab, legal or A4 sizes.

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.

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. Click here for a list of tab capable equipment.

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.

 

Check out this new product from Fellows. If your storage needs dictate that items be separated or compartmentalized, the divider storage box may be just what you are looking for.

For those instances where you do not need preprinted index tabs we now stock a wide array of blank side index tabs in a variety of cuts as well as blank bottom tabs.

One factor to consider is whether or not the document that you need to bind is already GBC punched.  If it is, then just select a comb that is the appropriate length.

If it is not already punched then you must ask yourself - "Self - I have a legal size 14 x 8.5 document and I can obtain legal size covers and GBC combs from Indoff but can I punch this document?".

Many medium duty GBC style punch binding covers have an 11" length capacity (if you are not sure, count the punch pins/teeth). If there are 19, then it is one of these and will work for binding letter size documents on either edge or smaller.  Some machines have a 12" length capacity and will accomodate the A-4 size 11.69" length as well.

Your better quality commercial grade office punch/bind (combo) machines, like the one we distribute, and punch only equipment will usually handle document lengths up to 14", legal size.

If you have a document that you wish to bind over 14" in length, it is best to have the commercial printer that produces the document also prepunch it for binding.  We would provide you or the printer with the binding combs necessary to finish the document.

It is entirely possible (and frequently done) when producing promotional and marketing materials to encounter a document produced in a custom (non-standard) size.

This is done to draw attention to and differentiate the document.  In situations such as this, the binding size and length can be smaller or larger than the sizes we have already discussed.

If you should need to GBC bind one of these sizes, there is good news.  The unfinished GBC combs that we carry are originally manufactured in 4' (48") long strips containing 80 teeth or loops.  We are able to custom cut these for you to any length your finished product would require.

Please contact us for lead time, minimums and pricing.

Did you know that all of our index tabs are manufactured in the USA and feature recycled stock with a minimum of 30% post consumer waste?

Please check back often as we add a new category of products to aid your organization in their "green" efforts.

On occasion, you will come across documents that are not standard 11" x 8.5" that you will need to bind or reproduce and bind.

They may include legal size or A4 (European standard). See my previous blog in January 2007 for a detailed description on these items. 

In order to bind these additional sized documents, you will want to select a binding comb of the corresponding length.  To bind the left margin of a legal size 14" x 8.5" document, choose a legal size binding comb at 14" length.   This size comb will have 24 teeth (loops).  In order to bind the left margin of an A4 size 11.69" x 8.27" document, choose an A4 comb at 11.69" length.  This size comb will have 21 teeth (loops).

 

What I want to share here concerns the length of the comb.  The aforementioned 11" long comb is designed to bind a standard 11" long by 8.5" wide (letter size - US) document at the left hand margin.  This allows the pages to be turned from right to left as is customary with 3 ring binders and preprinted books and magazines.  An 11" comb will have 19 "teeth" or "loops" that correspond to the 19 slotted holes punched in your document.

The most commonly used GBC binding combs, also referred to as spines or elements, are 11" in length and are available in a variety of diameters between 1/4" and 2".  The diamater of the rings determines the capacity or thickness of the document you are able to bind.  Refer to the previous weblog to view a conversion table that will help you determine the ring size you should select for your particular job.