The Tab Department faq page

Most of our binders are D-rings. In our experience they are the best marriage of capacity, affordability, and style and so to simplify inventory and pricing all our binders are assumed to ship with D-rings.

We can produce custom binders with round rings if a customer insists. You will need a custom quote but in general you can expect them to be about $0.50-0.75 less than the online price.

We can also provide round ring clear view and pictorial binders but turn-around will not be as fast because we do not have them made and on the shelf waiting to ship.

Sometimes called a turned-edge or casebound binder, casemade binders are constructed with a non-vinyl cover material that is glued to and wrapped around board to create a hardback-book finish.

Casemade binders are generally made with a paper, cloth, leather, or canvas type material that is glued to board with the edges folded around the board; a liner is glued to the inside to cover the raw board. Vinyl binders are made using vinyl material for the outside and inside. Board is placed between the cover and liner materials and the vinyl are heat-sealed together.

Both a clear overlay binder and a pictorial binder have clear vinyl on the outside of the binder. These binders are customized by printing cardstock and inserting the printed material between the clear vinyl and the binder. The difference between a clear overlay binder and a pictorial binder is that a clear overlay binder is open at the top. This allows the cover sheet and spine to be removed and replaced with a different cover sheet and spine. A pictorial binder is exactly the same as a clear overlay binder except that the opening at the top is sealed after the front and spine artwork are inserted.

Poly binders are made with a hard plastic material called polyetherlene. The binders are made by die-cutting the shape of the binder and spine hinges are scored to create backbone. Poly binders are extremely durable.

The Tab Department has white and black clear overlay binders in most sizes ready to go. For larger sizes (4" and 5" binders) we typically have stock but not always.

Colours other than white or black are no problem but they will require a custom quote. Please contact us and we'll be happy to provide you with a price and turnaround time.

All vinyl binders are made of PVC sheeting, which is a type of plastic. It will soften when heated and become brittle when exposed to the cold. Although Tab Department only sells binders of quality vinyl they are vinyl which can crack in cold temperatures, especially when dropped. Vinyl binders can withstand cool temperatures but if your intended use is in a refrigerated environment or if the binders will be used outdoors in winter climates we would suggest a poly binder or a casemade binder instead.

There are different materials we can use to manufacture your custom binders that can withstand rough environments and temperature extremes. The most durable is polyethylene. The Tab Department sells custom poly binders in a variety of colour, thicknesses, and finishes. Poly binders are water and grease resistant and can withstand almost anything you can throw at them.

The Tab Department can also manufacture water proof / tear proof custom index tabs that are nearly indestructible if your use requires it. Even the internals of the binder can be printed on synthetic paper that is water and tear proof.

Yes, it is possible to have photographic style printing on custom binders.

Yes but we strongly caution against it. In the process of screen printing, specks and flaws in printing large panels are visible. In some instances it is possible to mitigate this by printing an additional lighter shade of the same colour as a solid. If your custom binders involve screen printing a large tint panel we will contact you to discuss the project before proceeding.

Yes. The process is called choke and spread and involves laying white ink first and then overprinting the light colour. Using this method it is possible to produce a clean bright colour on a darker substance. The process does result in a slightly darker outline around the artwork where light ink prints directly on the darker base material so not all artwork can be printed using this method -- shapes and thick lines are suitable while text is not. If your custom binders involve printing light colour onto a dark substance please call us to discuss your project so we can review your intended artwork.

Yes. At The Tab Department we can customize your binders in pretty much any way you'd like. The online store offers the most common options. If you are looking for foil stamped, de-bossed or stamped binders, or appliqué customization we can do all of those and more. Some of the options not listed require the manufacture of a special die. There is no effective way to have an automated pricing system for these kind of binders so please contact us and we'll give you a custom quote and turnaround time.