Aviation Manual Tabs, Printed to Your Sections
Aviation manual tabs separate an operations, maintenance, repair station or training manual into its own named sections. Tabzoola prints the wording your manual uses, collated and 3-hole punched for revision binders, priced online from $136.25 for 25 sets of 5 tabs, with a free PDF proof.
Tabzoola prices 25 sets of 5 custom paper tabs at $5.45 a set, $136.25 total — delivered free.
Setup included. Instant PDF proof before anything prints. Price it anywhere else first — we’d rather you did.
Need them fast? Tick 3-Day Rush at checkout (+40%, $75 minimum) and it ships 3 business days after you approve your proof. See your delivery date →
Tabzoola is a US manufacturer and supplier of custom index tabs for aviation manuals, manufactured to order at our own plant in Schaumburg, Illinois — tabs made at the Anselmo Die & Index, Inc. plant, die-cutting index tabs since 1993 and shipping nationwide.
Aviation runs on manuals the regulations require you to keep current: the general operations and maintenance manuals of a Part 135 certificate holder, the repair station and quality control manuals of a Part 145 shop, training manuals, MEL binders, and the flight department SOPs of a Part 91 operation. Currency is why these live in three-ring binders — a revision arrives, pages swap, the manual is current again — and a revision-driven binder is exactly where printed section tabs earn their keep.
Tabs are printed to your manual's own section structure, in your order, punched for the binder you already use. Where copies live in the hangar, on the flight deck, or ride in a flight bag, poly stands up to the environment; office and FSDO copies do well in Mylar-reinforced paper.

The manuals that stay physical, and why
Electronic flight bags carry charts and performance data, but the manual system a certificate rides on still overwhelmingly lives in binders: the FAA accepts them, revision control is page-swap simple, and a manual is usable during a ramp check or in a hangar with greasy gloves and no login.
Part 135 operators keep the GOM, GMM and training manual current and available to crews; Part 145 repair stations must maintain a current repair station manual and QC manual; and each required copy — chief pilot's office, dispatch, the shop floor, the FSDO's copy — is the same document that must read the same way.
- Part 135: general operations, maintenance, training manuals
- Part 145: repair station manual and quality control manual
- MEL binders, SOPs, emergency response plans, station files
Tab the manual the way the reg reads it
A repair station manual answers to specific paragraphs — organization, housing and facilities, capability list, training program, records, contract maintenance — and an inspector working through an inspection checklist looks for those subjects by name. Tabs that carry the manual's own section titles let the inspector self-serve, which is the difference between a twenty-minute visit at the counter and an afternoon of fetching.
The same logic runs through a GOM's chapters and a training manual's curricula. Print the wording your manual actually uses — not a numbered stock set that forces everyone through the table of contents first.
Revision cycles are the argument for good tabs
Every revision touches pages, not tabs: the section structure of a manual is its stable skeleton, which is what makes printed tabs a one-time cost across years of revisions. When a revision does restructure sections, the saved design gets edited once and every copy across the operation reorders identically.
Fleet math makes the volume: an operator with a dozen aircraft and three facilities is not buying one tab set, it is buying a set per manual copy per location — and identical sets are the point, because a crew member who learned the manual at one base finds the same tab at every other.
Poly for the hangar, paper for the office
Hangar floors, line carts, and flight decks are hard on paper: hydraulic fluid, gloves, weather at the fence line. Poly tabs wipe clean, resist tearing, and flex instead of creasing — the right call for shop-floor manual copies, MEL binders that live in the aircraft, and anything handled during a turn.
Office copies, training classrooms and the FSDO submission read best in Mylar-reinforced paper: 19 Mylar colors for color-blocking chapters, crisp print, and the Mylar on every tab solving the one place paper tabs fail.
- Poly: aircraft and shop-floor copies, MEL binders, line operations
- Mylar-reinforced paper: office, training and submission copies
- Color-block by chapter so a section is found without reading
Ordering for an operator, MRO or flight department
Aviation businesses buy on purchase orders, and Tabzoola treats an emailed PO as the order — Net-30 invoicing, W-9s and vendor forms handled routinely, published per-set pricing so the requisition writes itself. Minimum order is 25 sets, which covers a small operator's full manual system with spares.
Every order proofs as a free PDF before production, and designs are saved — so the revision after next, or the base you open next year, reorders an identical set in about a minute.
Specs, minimums, and pricing at a glance
Aviation Manual Tabs, Printed to Your Sections — what you can choose, what a set costs, and how fast it ships.
- Minimum order
- 25 sets
- Paper price, 5-tab set
- $5.45 per set at 25 sets, $2.35 at 100 sets, $1.57 at 250 sets. The size most suppliers quote — compare this one.
- Paper price, 12-tab set
- $11.40 per set at 25 sets, $5.22 at 100 sets, $3.60 at 250 sets. One price, setup included — nothing is added at checkout.
- Poly price, 12-tab set
- $53.20 per set at 25 sets, $22.84 at 100 sets, $14.08 at 250 sets. Setup included; poly is screen printed, so the per-set price falls sharply on longer runs.
- How you order
- Design online and see the exact price live, then buy by card — no quote form, no sales call.
- Materials
- 90# or 110# index paper, with optional Mylar edge reinforcing; .015 gauge solid poly (plastic) — wipe-clean and tear-resistant.
- Colors & cuts
- 19 Mylar colors on paper and 11 poly colors, mixable tab by tab. Every cut from 1/2 to 1/15, up to 150 tabs per set across banks.
- Printing & finishing
- 1- or 2-sided, up to 2 lines of text per tab, 3-hole punching, collated sets ready to assemble.
- Proof
- A free PDF proof is emailed before printing — nothing prints until you approve it.
- Production
- about 5 business days for paper, about 15 for poly, from proof approval. Free UPS Ground on US orders over $75.
- Made in
- Schaumburg, Illinois, USA — manufactured by Anselmo Die & Index, printing tabs since 1993.
Frequently asked questions
What are aviation manual tabs?
Printed divider tabs that separate an aviation manual — a Part 135 operator's GOM/GMM, a Part 145 repair station manual, a training manual or MEL binder — into its own named sections. Tabzoola prints the section wording your manual actually uses, collated and 3-hole punched for the revision-controlled binders these manuals live in.
Why do aviation manuals still use 3-ring binders?
Revision control. The FAA expects required manuals to be current and available; a page-swap revision keeps a binder current in minutes, and a binder works at the counter, in the hangar and on a ramp check without a login. Electronic systems carry charts and data, but the certificate's manual system overwhelmingly stays physical — which is why certification consultants recommend 3-ring binders with section tabs.
What sections should repair station manual tabs carry?
The manual's own structure — typically organization, housing and facilities, personnel and training, capability list, inspection and quality control procedures, records, and contract maintenance, per 14 CFR 145.207-211. An inspector works through those subjects by name, so tabs carrying your manual's own titles let the inspection self-serve.
Do revisions make printed tabs wasteful?
The opposite. Revisions swap pages, not sections — the section skeleton is the stable part of a manual, so printed tabs amortize across years of revision cycles. When a restructure does happen, the saved design is edited once and every copy across the operation reorders identically.
Should aircraft and hangar copies be poly?
Yes. Poly tabs wipe clean and shrug off fuel, fluid, gloves and weather, which suits MEL binders that live in the aircraft and manual copies on the shop floor. Office, classroom and FSDO copies do well in Mylar-reinforced paper at lower cost — many operators run poly at the airplane and paper everywhere else on one shared design.
Can you match the numbering our manual already uses?
Yes — tabs print exactly what you send: chapter numbers, ATA-style numbering, section names, or both. If the set has more tabs than the cut allows across one page edge, the extra tabs step into a second staggered bank automatically.
Free resources
Customer Reviews
We had a deadline to get 50 presentation books out, and our current tab supplier couldn't deliver the tabs that we needed on time. I worked directly with Justin and he was able to get our order manufactured and shipped out within days. The order arrived in time for us to complete our presentations, and the tabs looked great. This type of amazing customer service is very hard to find nowadays, but I'm thrilled to now have a supplier that I can count on.
Lamar, thank you — a deadline like yours is exactly what the shop is built for. The moment Justin heard it, your deadline became our deadline, and your order was manufactured and out the door in days. Rush work only counts when it arrives looking right, so "the tabs looked great" is the part we're proudest of. Count on us for the next one — we'll be here. John Anselmo, Tabzoola
Justin was so nice to work with ! He answered all my questions and now I feel like an expert :)
Megan, thank you for the kind words — I'll pass them straight to Justin. Getting every question answered before anything prints is exactly how we like to work, so "now I feel like an expert" is about the best review we could ask for. Whenever your next set of tabs comes up, your questions are always welcome. John Anselmo, Tabzoola
Glad I found you online. You're approximately 30 percent less than my old supplier and easier to work with. I'll be back.
Thank you, Ben — the price is no accident. We publish the whole table, setup included, so the number you see while you design is the number on the invoice. Glad the switch was easy, and we'll be ready when you are. — Tabzoola
I can't say enough about how great Justin was helping me with my order. After I approved the order he took time to call me to ask if i was sure about a decision to use next day delivery on the whole order when only a partial would keep me going while the rest of the order shipped ups ground. He saved me a ton of money. Thank you for caring about your customers. I wish more people were like you.
Thank you, Amy — I'll make sure Justin sees this. Splitting the shipment so only the part you needed went next-day was the right call, and it's the kind of thing we'd rather catch on the phone than have you find on the invoice. Anyone here would have made that call. Thank you for taking the time to write it down. — Tabzoola
My old supplier went out of business. You guys produced an exact copy of what we've been using. Thank you!!!
Thank you, Perri — losing a supplier you've used for years is a real headache, and matching a set you already rely on is the kind of job we like. If you ever need another one matched, a photo of an existing tab is enough for us to pick up the titles and the colors. Glad we could keep you running. — Tabzoola
Tabs came out better than expected. Will definitely be back.
Thank you, Joan — better than expected is a good place to land. The part people usually don't expect is the make: real die-cut tabs on index stock, with the Mylar bonded on both sides of the extension, which is where tabs tear first. We'll be ready whenever you need the next run. — Tabzoola
Very easy to use.
Thank you, Pat — short, and the best kind. Easy is the whole thing we were aiming for, so that is good to hear. Ready whenever you need more. — Tabzoola
You guys made ordering easy :)
Thanks, Louie — easy is the goal, and hearing it beats any feature list. Everything's printed and die-cut here in Schaumburg, so if anything ever isn't easy, you're one call from the people who made it. — Tabzoola
Very seldom do you see orders handled in such a professional manner. Thank you for a great job!
Thank you, Sherri — that’s a compliment we don’t take lightly. Every order here gets the same handling: a free proof before anything prints, and one shop seeing it through from die-cut to the box. Glad yours showed it. — Tabzoola
Very impressed how easy it was to order our index tabs. Will definitely be back for future orders!
Thank you, Anna — glad ordering was easy, that's the way it should be. And since you mentioned coming back: your design is saved, so the next run is a one-click reorder whenever you need it. — Tabzoola
Turned out perfect!
Thank you, Beth — "turned out perfect" is the best thing we can hear. Every set is die-cut and printed in our own shop in Schaumburg, so the people who made yours are the ones who checked it before it shipped. We'll be ready whenever you need the next one.
They looked great and saved hours of collating :)
Thank you, Chris — collating is exactly the labor we're trying to take off your desk. Your sets came off the line already in order, so nobody had to stack them by position. Glad it showed. We'll be ready for the next run. — Tabzoola
Thank's for the great service. Will be back for future orders.
Thanks, Greg — that's exactly what we like to hear. We'll be ready whenever the next set comes up. — Tabzoola
I'm truly impressed how easy it was to order.
Thanks, Tony — easy is exactly what we were going for, so that's good to hear. Your design is saved whenever you need more. — Tabzoola
Easy to order, they came out perfect!
Thank you, Nancy — "came out perfect" is exactly what we aim for. We've got your design saved whenever you need more. — Tabzoola
Thanks, Kim — that's what we were going for. The designer is meant to get you to a proof in a couple of minutes, not an afternoon. We're here whenever you need another set. — Tabzoola
Tabs turned out great, and the service was above and beyond.
Thank you, Jessica — service is the part we can't automate, so that means a lot. The tabs and the phone come from the same building in Schaumburg, which is the whole idea. Your design is saved whenever you need another run. — Tabzoola
Live pricing as you configure — no account needed. Free shipping over $75.
If it isn’t what you approved on the proof, we reprint it — or refund it. 30 days from delivery.
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