Index Tabs
What Are Index Tabs?
Index tabs are die-cut shapes on the edge of book pages that allow readers to quickly navigate between different sections. They are widely used in manuals, textbooks, catalogs, reference books, and training materials. With index tabs, your book becomes more user-friendly and professional in appearance.
How to Prepare Your Index Tabs File
Designing index tabs requires a little extra preparation compared to standard book files. Here’s what you need to do:
- Prepare your inside pages as usual – set up your book pages in CMYK color mode with 300 dpi resolution.
- Draw the tab outline with a spot color – use a spot color to indicate the die-cut tab shape on the page edge. Each tab position should be clearly marked.
- Include bleed for the tabs – just like the rest of the book, the tab area also needs a 0.125 inch (3 mm) bleed to ensure accurate trimming.
- Save your file as PDF – export the completed file (including the spot color layer for tabs) as a print-ready PDF.
Our Index Tab Printing Services
At QinPrinting we produce index tabs by precision die-cutting the inner pages. Service options include:
- Custom the number of tabs.
- Customize tab shape and size (rounded, stepped, oval, etc.).
- Print text or graphics directly on the tab area.
- Combine tabs with hardcover or softcover book production.
