creating tab pages

[zesource]

Hi there,
I was approached by a local publisher to do some type setting work. The book is about 120 pages but he wants me to work on tab pages first. My problem is I have never desinged book layout before and he asked me to do this because he doesn't read the language that the book was written in. This may be simple question for you but not simple for me.
What is tab pages? I understand tabs as in tab spaces or keyboard tab.

I am a graphics desinger but never dealt with books.
thanks
z

 

[jmgalvin]

I always understood Tab pages to be ones with a part that partially sticks out the edge opposite binding with tabs on them - usually used for marking sections in books, usually manuals. Sort of like the tabs on file folers that stick up so you and label teh folder.

Then again, I could be wrong.

Using OSX 10.3.9 on a G4

 

[Eggles]

I agree that tab pages are probably those designed to have a small section of the right hand edge stick out. But this is not a design issue (apart from creating the page size and right hand margin distance big enough to accommodate the tab) but a finishing issue. Once the book is printed, a machine will be required to cut the tabs out of the pages requiring them.

 

[zesource]

I met the client today and yes the tab pages he was referring to are pages that have tabs sticking out for easy access to the section. Do you know if there is functionality in Indesgin that allows to create tabs for the pages?

 

[jmgalvin]

They're wider than the other pages - allowing for the tab.

This is something you're going to have to talk to the guy about.

How wide/high are the tabs? What are the trims for those pages? How many tabbed pages are there, so that they overlap when bound or are all visible when bound? What is the binding method? Remember that each tabbed page is usually individually or run on specific precut stock.

The actual layout isn't hard. Once you know the size of each tab, you just draw a text box on the oversized page, position it and insert the text. Usually that text is rotated so its bottom faces the page.

My only experience with this has been to make those pages that were run on precut stock for short run, comb bound reports. The tabbed pages were inserted manually as I remember.

You're going to have top be very careful and fully understand everything about the job before taking it.



Using OSX 10.3.9 on a G4

 

[blueark]

I do jobs like this from time to time. Generally, as mentioned above, the tabs are created in a different file from the rest of the text. It's sometimes helpful to create a different file for each section so that it's easier to collate afterwards.

One thing you should not do is put the tab pages in the same document as the text, with the extra portion hanging off the edge of the page. I've seen this before, and it just causes problems.

Finally, regarding finishing, ask your client if they are going on a precut stock, or if he has an existing cutting forme he wants to use. If he does, you'll need to get measurements off him.

If not, you'll have to make a keyline for your own cutting forme. There are a few ways to do this, but the important thing is to make sure all the tabs are the same size and shape (well, if you don't want to waste too much money anyway!) The keyline is just a straight line a little over twice the height of the page, interrupted by the shape of the tab at the halfway point. This gets made into a blade, and after the tabs are printed, the person cutting them out will move this blade up and down to line up with your tabs.