Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are Copier Tabs?
Copier tabs are blank, unprinted index divider tabs. The user imprints custom tab titles as needed 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?
A growing number of companies use copier tabs, including:
- Corporate repro centers, particularly in larger corporations
- Insurance, pharmaceutical, financial, legal, services and others
- Commercial printers and quick printers who are adding electronic printing
What are typical uses 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?
It is 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 can also bind inline.
What machines are used to print Copier Tabs?
DocuCopy® Copier Tabs can be printed on a wide range of equipment by leading manufacturers including Canon, Heidelberg, Hitachi, IBM, Kodak, Kyocera, Minolta, Nexpress, Océ, Pitney Bowes, Aficio, Gestetner, Savin, Ricoh, Lanier, Xerox, Konica, DocuTech, and Toshiba. Click here to see the complete list of tab capable printing equipment.
What collating sequence do I need?
Simply choose the collation to suit the machine your customer will print with:
- Reverse 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 Canon, Kodak, Océ, Ricoh, IBM, Heidelberg and others. They are packed in 5-4-3-2-1 order, the reverse of how they will appear in the finished document.
- Double reverse (also called DRC or 5090 Style) 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 single position) can be used in any tab-capable machine.
What is different and better about DocuCopy® Copier Tabs?
DocuCopy® Copier 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 various paper weights, tab sizes, Trilar™ colors, collating sequences and punching styles.
What is Trilar™?
Trilar™ is Holmberg's special toner-receptive tab lamination. The tab’s glossy surface can be laser printed so the finished tabs look and feel like traditional offset printed tabs. It is available in clear and six colors, and is sometimes described as "plastic", "laminated", or "Mylar®".
Can the print wipe off the Trilar™?
In most cases, toner adheres perfectly to Trilar™ tabs, and the print does not wear off under normal use. No special machine adjustments are typically required. In rare cases where the toner does not adhere properly, have your service technician check the transfer assist blade’s condition and timing, fuser temperature and other basic settings.
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. Sizes can vary from ½ cut to 1/25 cut.
- Tab extension - Refers to how far the tab sticks out from the body of the sheet. DocuCopy® Copier Tabs are ½"
What if are my tabs out of order?
Miscollations - missing or extra tabs - are extremely rare. A more common cause is an operator misloading the feed tray by not removing the entire tab bank from the box, or by placing new tabs in a tray already containing a partial bank of tabs. Take care when handling to maintain the factory collating sequence.
Can I use these in my desktop laser or inkjet printer?
Not normally. Most of these printers can only feed paper up to 8 ½" wide, and most tabs are 9" wide.
Can I print tabs on both sides?
Two sided printing (duplexing) is not recommended. Most machines do not even allow you to program two sided tab jobs. Even if you do print the back of the tabs by running them through the printer a second time, fuser oil residue from the first pass may reduce toner adhesion.
How do you position the tab copy?
Each carton includes a layout guide illustrating how to position your copy. You can download a Microsoft Word template below to simplify the process.
Are custom copier tabs available?
Yes! Endless variations are possible, including tab sizes from ½" 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 and spiral style, hanging tabs for medical charts, and many more. Custom tabs get the same careful manufacturing and protective packaging as stock tabs.
What do I need to ask my customer?
Do they have a tab capable copier or printer? If so, what make and model is it? Knowing this lets you determine the correct collating sequence to provide. Refer to the Tab Capable Equipment list for details.
The next time you help your customer plan a printed document that uses loose-leaf binders or other document components, suggest that they consider including tabs. They are a practical solution to the challenge of organizing information.
Can I run DocuCopy® Business Papers in my copy machine?
Refer to the General Information checksheet to learn more about DocuCopy® Business Papers.
For more information and assistance, call an Account Representative at 800-328-5101 or contact customerservice@holmberg.com.