The Tab Department faq page

We recommend reviewing your proof the same day you receive it, as your order does not enter the queue until we receive approval of your proof. Turnaround is calculated from approval of the proof so delay in approving the proof will delay the production time of your order. Your credit card is charged when your order is placed so not responding to your proof is not a cancellation of your order. If you want to cancel your order contact us so we can process a refund. If you place an order but never approve the proof or contact us to cancel your order your order will just remain in limbo forever.

We only accept approval of your proof via e-mail. We are always available by phone or chat to answer any questions, however.

Spelling, capitalization, punctuation, colour, orientation, and sequence. The customer is responsible for checking all the details are correct before approving your order for printing. This is the last chance to spell check and confirm all the details are correct, and not missing any characters or digits. Please be extra careful with index tabs that use uncommon abbreviations or which are not in English since we will not be able to act as a second set of eyes on those. For English tabs we will look at them before printing and if we see an error we'll halt production and bring it to your attention but final responsibility for accuracy rests with you. If there is a spelling mistake that is discovered after production we can fix the problem by replacing the affected tabs for an additional charge.

Our staff have been producing index tabs for years so they might include some suggestions that have worked for similar jobs. There is nothing necessarily wrong with your order but with years of experience you just know certain things that may not occur to someone who isn't setting up index tabs every day. You may choose to adapt the suggestions or ignore them and proceed with the original setup. If you want to discuss your project, someone from our prepress team is always available so don't hesitate.

We make every effort to produce product as accurately as possible, however, colour monitors display colour using RGB and are illuminated while we print with CYMK on paper. Depending on your monitor's colour calibration the printed product might not be an exact colour match. If you know the Pantone colour you can supply that in the notes section and our prepress department will do our best to match it. If you don't know the Pantone colour but have other printed material that you'd like us to match you can send us the sample and we will do our best to match it. Obviously this will add time to the turnaround as we cannot begin production until your sample arrives.

We do an excellent job of matching most colours using digital printing. Some colours, like fluorescents, are difficult to match with digital printing. If we feel this might be a problem someone from our prepress department will contact you to discuss your job. If colour matching is an obsession we understand and can print your index tabs on our offset presses. This will cost more and take longer but we are happy to do it. Unless your project involves a shade that is difficult to produce digitally this is generally not worth pursuing but we offer it for customers where cost is not a concern and even the most negligible variation in shade is unacceptable. For best results please see our File Preparation section in this FAQ.

Adjustment, modification, or correction of files is not included in the price of custom index tabs. We do not charge for small additions or edits to text but if your files require more than that and additional time from our prepress team or designers is required then we will need to charge for that. We will always confirm and get approval before any additional charges are incurred. We have a team of highly capable and experienced designers -- request a quote for design services and our designers will help you out.

If the Tab Department is required to make extensive changes to the artwork provided by our customer, then we charge $70/hr with a minimum charge of $35. If there are problems with your files we will contact you before doing anything and discuss the issue with you to find a solution.

Anything is possible but a hard proof is not included in the price. If you want a single version of your actual finished product sent to you prior to purchase we can provide a special quote for that. Please note that the cost of making custom index tabs / custom binders involves a lot of setup and so for typical orders the cost of making a single version of your custom product will often not make economic sense. The Tab Department has sample packs that you can request as well as we are happy to put together a personal sample pack that had finished products similar to your order.