diff --git a/tabtotext.py b/tabtotext.py
index 85eca05..3a09a1e 100755
--- a/tabtotext.py
+++ b/tabtotext.py
@@ -2983,11 +2983,13 @@ def tabFileToPrintWith(filename: str, fileformat: str, output: str = NIX, fmt: s
                        help="override cell padding for format")
     cmdline.add_option("-t", "--tabulator", metavar="C", default=None,
                        help="override tabulator for format")
-    cmdline.add_option("-T", "--notab", action="store_true", default=False,
+    cmdline.add_option("-T", "--asciitab", action="store_true", default=False,
+                       help="use ascii HT tabulator (csv,md,tab,wide)")
+    cmdline.add_option("-N", "--notab", action="store_true", default=False,
                        help="do not use tabulator (csv,md,tab,wide)")
     cmdline.add_option("-P", "--nopadding", action="store_true", default=False,
                        help="do not use padding (csv,md,tab,wide,html)")
-    cmdline.add_option("-N", "--noheaders", action="store_true", default=False,
+    cmdline.add_option("-D", "--noheaders", action="store_true", default=False,
                        help="do not print headers (csv,md,tab,wide)")
     cmdline.add_option("-U", "--unique", action="store_true", default=False,
                        help="remove same lines in sorted list (csv,md,...)")
@@ -3011,7 +3013,7 @@ def tabFileToPrintWith(filename: str, fileformat: str, output: str = NIX, fmt: s
             selected = opt.labels
         minwidth = int(opt.minwidth)
         padding = opt.padding if not opt.nopadding else ""
-        tab = opt.tabulator if not opt.notab else ""
+        tab = "\t" if opt.asciitab else opt.tabulator if not opt.notab else ""
         tabtext = tabtextfile(filename, opt.inputformat)
         done = print_tabtotext(opt.output, tabtext.data, tabtext.headers, selected,
                                datedelim=opt.datedelim, tab=tab, padding=padding,
diff --git a/tabxlsx.py b/tabxlsx.py
index 7d9e980..3e7a2e6 100755
--- a/tabxlsx.py
+++ b/tabxlsx.py
@@ -1155,11 +1155,13 @@ def extension(filename: str) -> Optional[str]:
                        help="override cell padding for format")
     cmdline.add_option("-t", "--tabulator", metavar="C", default=None,
                        help="override tabulator for format")
-    cmdline.add_option("-T", "--notab", action="store_true", default=False,
+    cmdline.add_option("-T", "--asciitab", action="store_true", default=False,
+                       help="use ascii HT tabulator (csv,md,tab,wide)")
+    cmdline.add_option("-N", "--notab", action="store_true", default=False,
                        help="do not use tabulator (csv,md,tab,wide)")
     cmdline.add_option("-P", "--nopadding", action="store_true", default=False,
                        help="do not use padding (csv,md,tab,wide)")
-    cmdline.add_option("-N", "--noheaders", action="store_true", default=False,
+    cmdline.add_option("-D", "--noheaders", action="store_true", default=False,
                        help="do not print headers (csv,md,tab,wide)")
     cmdline.add_option("-U", "--unique", action="store_true", default=False,
                        help="remove same lines in sorted --labels")
@@ -1187,7 +1189,7 @@ def extension(filename: str) -> Optional[str]:
         sys.exit(1)
     minwidth = int(opt.minwidth)
     padding = opt.padding if not opt.nopadding else ""
-    tab = opt.tabulator if not opt.notab else ""
+    tab = "\t" if opt.asciitab else opt.tabulator if not opt.notab else ""
     filename = args[0]
     tabtext = tabtextfile(filename, defaultformat="xlsx")
     logg.debug("headers = %s", tabtext.headers)