Creating tabs on a page

[widski]

Hi guys I'm doing this new brochure and the general format for print is a folder with individual pages and sections.

On some of the major/section pages i want to have a tab that sticks out on the page so people can quickly see the tab and just flick to any particular page with that tab.

How do i set up the pages so it has this tab on it?

Also the pages in this folder are all going to be loose leaf, i.e. individual pages not a catalog so to speak.

Should i still set up my document in indesign as facing pages?

Is that ok to send to the printer like that?

Or given that technically there are no facing pages should I switch off this function?

Hope that makes sense. I am using ID CS2
Thanks.
ben

 

[eugenetyson]

Say if you're doing it on A4.

You may want to make the page size wider than a4 to encompass the tab.

Or make your margins smaller to encompass the tab.

Either way, you set it up as facing pages.

You set your tabs up on master pages, draw a rectangle the lenght of your page.

Do this on your master page:

In the height, divide the overall height by how many tabs you need, so if it is A4 it's 297mm in height, and if you have 10 tabs, then your tab size is going to be 2.97mm in height.

Duplicate this tab down 10 times to fill the whole page.

Duplicate your master page 9 times (you will have 10 overall).

Now delete the tabs that you don't want on each master page.

Put whatever you need in these tabs (page numbers, text perhaps?)


What you need now is a cutting form for the tab otherwise know as a keyline:

Go to one of the master pages and draw a line around the edge of the page and the tab, so that you have the shape of the page and a tab, it should have a jut on the right hand side.

You will only need to do this once, you probably don't even have to do it, if you tell the printers and the finishers what you want, they will prepare this for you.


Whatever way, you need to have the tab visible on your page, even if it is going to be cut out. It needs to physically sit on your page. It can be at the top, bottom or the right hand side, or all three.

 

[widski]

Thanks, that is very helpful. I will follow the guidelines above.

cheers eugenetyson

 

[apepp]

...if it is loose leaf (binding together individual pages in a ring binder) you have to bear in mind offset design, so as to avoid text being cut off because of the drilled holes required...

...also, you will likely need bleed around all edges (including the spine) if your design has elements that sit on the trimmed size, or the spine edge...

...for this, you might find it better to not use facing pages at all...

...also, for tabs, one tool is sometimes made, other times it may be more (depending on how the imposed pages fall on the press sheet), with enough length above and below the tab so it can move the full length of the sheet height without running out of blade to cut the straight edge...

...typically all pages are set up, as if they were to all be tabbed so that when finished, the non-tabbed pages are simply cut shorter...

Andrew

 

[widski]

Hi Andrew,


Yea i figured actually that non-facing pages would work best as I do need to bleed over the spine edge. However the drilled holes i had not consdiered so thanks. I will have to look into that.

thanks

ben