The Tabzoola Binder Report 2026
The Tabzoola Binder Report shows how binders are actually set up, profession by profession: how many tabs, which cut, and whether the sets are collated, punched, reinforced or printed on both sides. It comes from 1,582 tab sets ordered by 323companies in the production records of Tabzoola's sister company, Anselmo Die & Index, in Schaumburg, Illinois, 1996–2026. Each company counts once, so no single customer speaks for a profession, and nothing here identifies a customer.
What the records say
- In the Tabzoola Binder Report, 96% of estate planning binder sets are 3-hole punched, 91% are collated and 94% have a reinforced binding edge — the most consistently finished binders of any profession. The median set has 10 tabs.
- Tabzoola's records show 77% of medical chart sets use colored tabs, against 43% across all professions, and 34% are bottom tabs; medical charts are the least often 3-hole punched (20%).
- Financial and wealth-management binders are the most often edge-reinforced (84%) and printed on both sides (83%), and favor the narrow 1/11 cut.
- Litigation and exhibit sets run longest, with a median of 16 tabs per set.
- Across every profession, 74% of sets are printed on both sides and the 1/5 cut is the most common.
- Binders are finished more than they used to be: in Tabzoola's records the share of sets with a reinforced binding edge rose from 53% (1996-2005) to 89% (2016-2026), and collated sets from 42% to 75%.
By profession
Shares are of companies (each company's own orders averaged first). A set is assigned to a profession from its own tab titles.
| Profession | Companies | Median tabs | Collated | 3-hole | Reinforced edge | Both sides | Colored tabs | Most common cut |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Numbered & lettered sets | 94 | 10 | 46% | 54% | 53% | 65% | 17% | 1/10 |
| Medical charts | 70 | 8 | 85% | 20% | 73% | 79% | 77% | 1/6 |
| Financial & wealth management | 53 | 11 | 61% | 26% | 84% | 83% | 58% | 1/11 |
| Commercial real estate & proposals | 42 | 8 | 56% | 42% | 75% | 82% | 50% | 1/5 |
| Estate planning | 40 | 10 | 91% | 96% | 94% | 67% | 18% | 1/5 |
| Training & manuals | 35 | 13 | 82% | 67% | 67% | 67% | 36% | 1/5 |
| Litigation & exhibits | 15 | 16 | 52% | 42% | 50% | 62% | 33% | 1/5 |
| All professions | 323 | 10 | 68% | 48% | 73% | 74% | 43% | 1/5 |
How it changed
| Years | Companies | Collated | Reinforced edge | Both sides | Colored tabs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-2005 | 45 | 42% | 53% | 76% | 20% |
| 2006-2015 | 136 | 64% | 55% | 71% | 33% |
| 2016-2026 | 197 | 75% | 89% | 78% | 54% |
Download the tables: binder-report.csv (CC BY 4.0). Related: the most-ordered tab titles from the same records.
Questions
How many tabs does an estate planning binder usually have?
In the Tabzoola Binder Report 2026, the median estate planning binder set has 10 tabs, and 91% of estate planning sets are collated, 96% are 3-hole punched and 94% have a reinforced binding edge — from the production records of Tabzoola's sister company, Anselmo Die & Index.
Do medical chart dividers usually have colored tabs?
Yes. In the Tabzoola Binder Report 2026, 77% of medical chart divider sets use colored Mylar tabs rather than clear, 34% are bottom tabs, and the median set has 8 tabs.
Are binder tab dividers usually printed on both sides?
Most are. Across 323 companies in the Tabzoola Binder Report 2026, 74% of sets are printed on both sides, so the tab reads the same from the front and the back of the binder.
What is the most common tab cut?
The 1/5 cut — five tabs across the page — is the most common cut in the Tabzoola Binder Report 2026 for every profession except medical charts, which lean to 1/6 and 1/8, and financial binders, which lean to 1/11.
Where does the Binder Report data come from?
From the production records of Anselmo Die & Index, Inc., Tabzoola's sister company in Schaumburg, Illinois, 1996-2026. A set is assigned to a profession from its own tab titles; each company counts once however many orders it placed; a profession is shown only when 10 or more companies are in it; and no quantities, prices, customer names or order dates are published.
Cite this page
Free to quote with credit. Copy either line:
Source: Tabzoola, The Tabzoola Binder Report 2026, October 2026 — tabzoola.com/binder-report
Tabzoola (Anselmo Die & Index), Schaumburg, Illinois. The Tabzoola Binder Report 2026, October 2026. https://tabzoola.com/binder-report