How I Made My Own Top-View File Tabs

I've been out of the hanging-file loop for a few years, so when I recently bought a new file caddy, I saw that Avery makes these really clean looking top-view tabs especially for those lower file cabinets where you can't see the the name of the file at eye level.

The problem is that these top-view tabs are incredibly expensive at around $27 for a pack of 72. So I decided to see if I could make these on my own.

After a lot of trial and error, I finally came up with a pretty close template that only cost of the price of some used manilla folders. And you can too.

The first version (blue) I did freehand but the top was too narrow to write on. The second and third (top r, bott. l), using a traditional tab as a template, were worse: too long. I made the shape more rectangular (bott. r), but still too long. But finally I made it shorter and the new template was perfect.

Using an Exacto knife, cut the template from cardboard, adding two slits wide enough for a pencil tip to go through to draw two lines onto each tab. Trace the template onto an old manilla folder, including the two center lines, and cut it out with very pointed scissors.

Using a ruler, fold the tabs along the two horizontal lines. Make sure to fold it so that the lines are on the inside of the tab.

A folded tab.

Inserted into a hanging folder. You may have to bend it a little to get the second foot in.

And voila! A top view tab.

You can mass produce the process using a bigger piece of cardboard and cutting out several templates. I got eight to a page. Then lay it over both sides of a manilla folder. That's 16 tabs per folder! Take that big-office-supply-manufacturer!