How to Write a Bid Specification for Custom Index Tabs

1. Tab cut. How many tab positions step across the page before repeating — a 1/5 cut steps five across, a 1/10 steps ten. Wider cuts fit more text per tab; narrower cuts fit more sections per bank. Cuts from 1/2 through 1/15 are standard.

2. Tabs per set. The number of sections. If it exceeds the cut, the set runs as multiple banks — state the total and let the bidder propose the bank arrangement.

3. Stock and weight. Paper by weight — 90 lb index standard, 110 lb heavier. Poly by thickness — .015 is standard. Specify material and weight, never a brand.

4. Edge reinforcement. Mylar film bonded along the tab edge, where paper fails first. State it explicitly; it changes price and service life materially.

5. Punching and sheet size. Unpunched, 3-hole, or your binder’s pattern, plus the sheet size.

6. Collation. Collated arrives in sequence ready to insert; uncollated arrives stacked by position for you to assemble. This is the most common hidden difference between two bids that otherwise look identical.

7. Printing. One or two sides, ink colour — black or white, white being the readable choice on dark poly — and whether the body of the sheet prints as well as the tab extension.

Custom tabs are a make-ready business: most of the cost is typesetting, plates or screens and die setup, and once the press is running additional sets are comparatively cheap. So the per-set price falls steeply with quantity.

A specification that requests a single price at a single quantity throws that information away. Ask for pricing at three quantities — 100, 250 and 500 is a reasonable spread — and you will see the curve, which lets you decide whether ordering the year in one run beats ordering twice. Also ask explicitly whether setup is included in the per-set figure or billed separately; bidders differ, and it changes the comparison.

The most common defect in these specifications is describing a supplier rather than a product. Proprietary stock names, product codes, or requirements tied to one manufacturer’s equipment narrow the field without improving what you receive — and purchasing departments routinely reject them, costing a rebid.

Describe attributes generically and any competent manufacturer can bid: cut, tabs per set, stock and weight, reinforcement, punching, collation, printing. That is the entire product. If a requirement cannot be stated in those terms, it is worth asking whether it is a real requirement.

Require a PDF proof showing exactly how each tab will read, approved in writing before production. This is standard practice and costs nothing; it is also the point at which wording errors get caught, which is the most common cause of a rejected delivery.

Request samples at evaluation only if material choice is genuinely open. Asking bidders for paper and poly samples lets you compare construction rather than adjectives. State when samples are due and how they will be scored.

“Custom printed index tab dividers, letter size (11” × 8.5”), 1/10 cut, 10 tabs per set, 90 lb white index stock, clear Mylar reinforcing bonded along the tab edge, 3-hole punched, collated in sets, black ink on tab extensions, one side. Section titles to be supplied by the district. Quantity: price to be provided at 100, 250 and 500 sets. Vendor to state whether setup is included in the per-set price or billed separately. PDF proof required and to be approved in writing prior to production.”

That paragraph is biddable by any index tab manufacturer, contains no brand names, and leaves nothing material for a bidder to assume.

What must a custom index tab specification actually state?

Seven things determine the price and the product: tab cut (how many tab positions span the page), tabs per set, stock and weight, edge reinforcement, hole punching, collation, and printing — sides, ink colour, and whether the body of the sheet prints as well as the tab. A spec missing any of these will produce bids that cannot be compared, because each bidder will assume a different answer.

What is a tab cut, and how do we specify it?

The cut is how many tab positions step across the width of the page before the pattern repeats — a 1/5 cut steps five tabs across, a 1/10 steps ten. Wider cuts fit more text per tab; narrower cuts fit more sections into one bank. Specify the cut and the number of tabs per set; if a set needs more tabs than the cut allows, it runs as multiple banks. Cuts from 1/2 through 1/15 are standard and any competent manufacturer produces them.

How should stock be specified?

By material and weight rather than brand. For paper, 90 lb index is the common standard and 110 lb is the heavier option. For plastic, specify poly by thickness — .015 is standard — and note that poly is screen printed rather than offset, which affects both lead time and ink options. Avoid naming a manufacturer's proprietary stock; it narrows the field without improving the product.

Do we need to specify Mylar reinforcing?

State it explicitly if you want it, because it materially changes both price and service life. Mylar is a clear or coloured film bonded along the tab edge — the point where paper tabs fail first. For sets handled daily or reordered for years it is usually worth specifying; for a one-time distribution it may not be.

What about punching and collation?

Specify hole punching as unpunched, 3-hole, or the pattern your binders use, and state the sheet size. Specify collation explicitly: collated means sets arrive in sequence ready to insert, uncollated means they arrive in stacks by position and someone on your side assembles them. Uncollated is cheaper and is frequently the hidden difference between two bids that look identical.

How do we avoid writing a restrictive specification?

Describe attributes, not vendors. Use generic terms — tab cut, stock weight, reinforcement, punching pattern, ink colours, collation — and avoid brand names, proprietary product codes, or requirements that only one supplier's equipment can meet. Purchasing departments routinely reject specs written around a single source, so a restrictive spec usually costs the buyer a rebid.

Should the specification require samples or a proof?

Require a proof, always: a PDF proof showing exactly how each tab will read, approved before production. Samples are useful at the evaluation stage if material choice is genuinely open — asking bidders for paper and poly samples lets you compare construction rather than descriptions. State clearly when samples are due and how they will be evaluated.

How should quantity and pricing be requested?

Ask for pricing at more than one quantity — the per-set price falls steeply with volume because most of the cost is make-ready. Requesting price at, for example, 100, 250 and 500 sets shows the curve and lets you size the order intelligently. Ask whether setup is included in the quoted per-set figure or added separately, since bidders differ and it changes the comparison.