A pinback button, often made of tin, that has its design painted or printed directly on the metal. Lithos are inexpensive for button manufacturers to make. They typically have less intricate designs, and they do scratch easily. By consensus in the button hobby, lithos may contain a few small nicks and scratches and still be considered to be in excellent condition. Tab Similar to a litho button, but instead of being attached by a pin, the tab is attached to the wearer's lapel or shirt pocket by having a metal tab folded over to clasp the clothing.
Tabs are usually rectangular or round, but there are a great many shapes possible.
Tabs generally are flat or only very slightly domed. They tend to be a good deal less expensive than buttons in the collectors' market, although as always, there are exceptions. Typical tab Trigate Button, ribbon, token, or other item showing three persons, usually in bust. Typically the three persons depicted may be candidates for president, vice-president, and governor, or perhaps for president, governor, and U.S. Senator. Collectors enjoy trigates because of their interesting design and because the number of different items in existance is not completely overwhelming.